Review from the Washington City Paper

Posted by  Michael J. West on June 12, 2011 at 8:05 am

It’s all been leading up to this, funseekers.

For many music festivals, a daylong program of artists on an outdoor stage would constitute the entire festival. For the DC Jazz Festival, Jazz on the National Mall is merely the crown jewel of a two-week, 50-venue event. And as crown jewels go, six-and-a-half free hours of jazz in the shadow of the Washington Monument is tough to beat. Especially when the lineup includes Nigerian world-fusioneers Toby Foyeh and Orchestra Africa; Chilean vocalist Claudia Acuna and her quartet; trumpet star Roy Hargrove and his hip-hop/jazz project, RH Factor; harmonica virtuoso Frederic Yonnet; and, to end the evening, Latin-jazz pioneer Eddie Palmieri’s All-Star Salsa Orchestra. It’s a powerful cross-section of the current world of straight-ahead jazz—in other words, it really could be a festival all its own.

Jazz at the National Mall takes place from 1:00 to 7:30 PM, Rain or Shine, at the Sylvan Amphitheater, 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW. Free.