[Archived] City of Alexandria to Host 40th Annual Memorial Day Jazz Festival

For Immediate Release: May 19, 2017

UPDATE May 26, 2017: Due to the inclement weather forecast, the Memorial Day Jazz Festival will be moved indoors.

The City of Alexandria invites the public to the 40th Annual Memorial Day Jazz Festival on Monday, May 29, beginning at 1 p.m. at Lee Center Kauffman Auditorium, 1108 Jefferson St. Admission is free.

The Jazz Festival will feature a variety of talented musicians and diverse styles of jazz throughout the day, including:

• 1 p.m. – U. S. Army Blues 
  The U. S. Army Blues, part of the United States Army Band “Pershings’s Own”, is the premiere jazz ensemble of the United States Army.  This 18 piece ensemble, comprised of exceptional jazz musicians from across the nation, became an official element of the Army Band in 1972.  The band has shared the stage with jazz greats such as Dave Brubeck, Doc Severinsen, Slide Hampton and Terrell Stafford.  The musicians of the Army Blues play regularly at the White House, the Vice President’s Residence, and the State Department. 
• 2 p.m. – The Seth Kibel Quartet 
  Seth Kibel, is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s premier woodwind specialists and has appeared with such notables as Sam Moore, Percy Sledge, Mitch Woods and the Coasters.  Seth is the featured performer with several bands and the winner of 28 Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies). He has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Carter Brown Amphitheatre as well as on several European tours.
• 3 p.m.—The Tom Cunningham Orchestra 
  Tom Cunningham Orchestra “the Swingin’est Band Around!” They are holders of the Washington Area Musicians’ Association’s “Wammie” Award as the region’s outstanding big band/swing group.  The Tom Cunningham Orchestra plays the best Basie since Basie, the best Goodman since Goodman, the best Ellington since Ellington, the best Miller since Miller. . . the best swing music since the swing era. The band has performed at the Kennedy Center on multiple occasions, the Smithsonian, The Barns of Wolf Trap, and made several TV appearances,
• 4 p.m. – Al Williams 
  Al Williams, the incomparable sax and flute man, featuring contemporary jazz.  Al is an Alexandria favorite and 4 time WAMMIE Award winner, including Best Jazz Instrumentalist.  Al has appeared at many jazz festivals around the world and at the Alexandria Memorial Day Jazz Festival for several years.
• 5 p.m. – The Blue Crescent Syncopators 
  The Blue Crescent Syncopators, with Dixieland jazz will close out the day.  The music is fun and spontaneous and they have played for several DC Lindy Exchanges, and are a regular staple at Jammin’ on the James in Richmond.  The band will perform some of the greatest Dixieland and swing tunes of the 20’s and 30’s, adding their signature spice. 

For more information, call the Special Events Hotline at 703.746.5592 or the Special Events Office at 703.746.5418.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City’s Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, contact Cheryl Lawrence, Regional Program Director, at 703.746.5419 (VA Relay 711) or e-mail cheryl.lawrence@alexandriava.gov.