Paquito D’Rivera and Christian McBride to headline the 25th annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival

Ross Raihala, Pioneer Press
·1 min read

Grammy winners Paquito D’Rivera and Christian McBride will headline the 25th annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival on June 23 and 24 in and around Mears Park in Lowertown St. Paul.

The free festival was founded in 1999 as a nonprofit organization with “a mission to keep the art form of jazz alive and well in our community.” This will be the final festival for founder Steve Heckler, who is handing over the baton to a new executive director, Dayna Martinez. Martinez is currently vice president of programming and education for the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and has served as director of the Flint Hills Family Festival since 2012.

While the full schedule will be released closer to the event, organizers announced the headlining acts Tuesday. They include:

  • Paquito D’Rivera and the Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience, featuring the Havana-born clarinet player, saxophonist and composer; 8:30 p.m. June 23.

  • Composer/saxophonist/vocalist Camille Thurman with the Darrell Green Quartet; 6 p.m. June 23.

  • Christian McBride, who is also artistic director of the Newport Jazz Festival and host of NPR’s Jazz Night in America; 8:30 p.m. June 24.

  • Local favorites Davina and the Vagabonds; 6 p.m. June 24.

For further details, see twincitiesjazzfestival.com.

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