Calendar of Events

The inaugural Johnson City Jazz Festival, a three-day showcase of live jazz music, is scheduled for May 18-20 at three locations in and around downtown.

The event is being produced by volunteers to promote live jazz in the region. The schedule includes a free Thursday night jam at Carnegie Hotel, a free Friday night concert at Founders Park, and the main event on Saturday -- a ticketed concert at TVA Credit Union Ballpark (formerly Cardinal Park) featuring six different artists.

Steve Scheu of Time & Pay is leading the effort and is the major sponsor.
"We have some great jazz artists in our region but there just aren't that many opportunities to see live jazz," said Scheu. "This new festival showcases the amazing talent we have around here, plus it features some very talented artists from outside our area. And we've worked hard to make it affordable for everyone."

The event schedule includes:

JC Jazz Jam - Special Edition at Carnegie Hotel
Thursday, May 18, 8-11 p.m.
Lineup:
· Maureen Renihan and Richard Shulman
· Hot Club of the Mountains
· Bill Perkins Quartet with Tom Peterson
· The Funky Truth with Danny Farmer and Martin Walters
Cost: Tip for the bands

Jazz at Founders After Five
Friday, May 19, 6-8 p.m., Founders Park
· Matt Hall Boptet
Cost: Free

Main Event
Saturday, May 20, 1-10 p.m.
TVA Credit Union Ballpark
Lineup:
· Tri-Cities Jazz Orchestra
· Michael Jefry Stevens Quartet
· Rick Simerly Sextet
· Keith Brown & Blueprint
· Rahsaan Barber and Everyday Magic
· Dan Wilson and DTC Organ Trio

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Tickets through May 19 -- $20 general admission, $40 VIP (limited and not available at the gate).
Tickets day of show -- $25 general admission, $10 students with ID
Kids ages 12-under get in free.

The main event on Saturday is the only one that requires a ticket. The organizers are working with Tyler Parsons at the TVA Credit Union Ballpark to make Saturday fun and enjoyable, featuring a stage at second base so fans can relax in the field or enjoy the music from the stands. Food and beverage will be available for purchase, including a special Johnson City Jazz Festival beer created by JRH Brewing.

Shelley Crowe, another of the event organizers said the festival includes a lot of ways to enjoy the music. "Jazz fans around here may already know about the weekly JC Jazz Jam on Thursday night at Wellington’s in Carnegie Hotel. For the festival, we’ve created a special edition session featuring four groups," Crowe said. "On Friday, Matt Hall, an amazingly talented trombone player and his band will put on a free show in Founders Park for the Founders After Five summer music series. And it'll be really exciting to see the main event at TVA Credit Union Ballpark with six different bands.”

"There's never been a jazz festival like this in Johnson City. We have 3 different events in 3 different venues over 3 days. It should be a lot of fun for anyone who enjoys live music."

In addition to Time & Pay, other sponsors include TVA Credit Union Ballpark, Bank of Tennessee, Albert’s Pawn, Carnegie Hotel, Dunham & Deitel, Holston Distributing and Christian Schmid....  More >><< Less