Greenville announces new downtown music festival with national acts

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A new music festival is coming to downtown Greenville with national acts on the inaugural bill.

City Council member Ken Gibson quoted Wynton Marsalis in a news release as he announced the 2023 Greenville Jazz Fest, the city's inaugural jazz celebration:

“Jazz music is the power of now. There is no script. It’s conversation. The emotion is given to you by musicians as they make split-second decisions to fulfill what they feel the moment requires.”

At Monday's formal meeting, Gibson welcomed the celebration of community, culture and jazz to the city, the release stated. The Greenville Jazz Fest will arrive on Main Street on June 3, from 4 to 10 p.m. The festival will take place on Main Street, from Broad Street to Falls Park Drive. Two stages will be located along Main Street, as well food trucks and beverage locations.

“This is big. If we do it right this will be as big as Fall for Greenville and Artisphere,” Gibson said in the release. “It will put Greenville on the map in the jazz world.”

The free event on Main Street will feature national acts, including The Grammy Award-Winning Rebirth Brass Band and Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, the release stated. Additional performances from local jazz groups include: The Tish Oney Jazz Orchestra featuring Greenville Jazz Collective Big Band, Iliana Rose Cuban Jazz Band and The Wheel All Stars.

The inaugural event is a preview of years to come, according to the release. The city plans to extend the Greenville Jazz Fest to a two-day festival in 2024 with an increased number of performances, expanded footprint across Greenville’s music venues and additional on-site activities and educational opportunities.

The festival’s footprint will stretch outside downtown and bring jazz into the community by partnering with local music venues to host jazz performances all weekend long, the release stated. Guests can enjoy shows at Horizon Records, Chicora Alley, Blues Boulevard and Rainer’s Café and Bar. The City is partnering with The Greenville Jazz Collective to host JazzEd Sessions leading up to the festival at the Juanita Butler, Nicholtown and West Greenville Community Centers.

Children are invited to come and learn more about the rich history of jazz and the instruments used to create the sounds.

A major component to the growing event is music education for the youth of Greenville, the release stated. The city is partnering with the Greenville County Schools to showcase performances by The All-County Jazz Ensemble, a musical group comprised of 20 students from five separate GCS schools, as well as the Fine Arts Center Jazz All Stars.

The festival is welcoming applications for food truck vendors and will be seeking the help of over 50 volunteers. More information can be found at greenvillejazz.com.