LETTER FROM

ear Friends, The Richmond Jazz and Music Festival is back for our 10th year!

Here’s another chance to enjoy beautiful sights and melodic sounds as world-class musical performers gather in our beautiful city for a jam-packed weekend of music, food and fun.

On Thursday night, performances kick off the festival at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, local favorite Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, and Homegrown at the Hipp at Jackson Ward’s historic Hippodrome Theater. On Friday night, we've lined up Gregory Porter, one of jazz's biggest stars, for an intimate show at the Dominion Energy Center, presented by Dominion Energy. Finally, it’s the two-day main event, Saturday and Sunday, on the breathtaking grounds of Richmond’s gem, historic Maymont.

Since our debut in 2010, the Richmond Jazz and Music Festival, presented by Altria, has become one of the largest and most heralded jazz festivals on the East Coast. We’ve attracted some of the best musicians from around the world, including Gladys Knight, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, The Roots, Kamasi Washington, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, The Isley Brothers and hundreds more.

Thanks to loyal patrons like you, and our generous partners, we’ve been able to offer the very best in music, food, wine and culture for a decade.

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Altria, who joined us at the very beginning to bring this amazing experience to life each and every year. Thank you, too, to our stage sponsors, Virginia is for Lovers and Dominion Energy, as well as Virginia Lottery and Richmond Region Tourism who have also been with us for ten years.

We’re also thankful for all of our amazing corporate sponsors: WestRock, Richmond Region Tourism, 14 Hands Wines, Virginia Lottery, GRTC, Richmond BMW and Maymont, and our media partners: NBC12, Summit Media, Virginia's Home for Public Media, Entercom, Radio One and Richmond Free Press.

Each year, the Richmond Jazz and Music Festival contributes to the community that has been so supportive of us. This year, a portion of the festival proceeds will benefit the Maymont Foundation and the Blue Stone Education Foundation.

We’re excited to make the 10th Richmond Jazz and Music Festival our best yet, and we look forward to sharing yet another truly unforgettable experience with you all. Thanks for joining us!

Sincerely,

The Richmond Jazz and Music Festival Committee

Anderson East

Lean On Me: José James

Celebrates Bill Withers

58 59

PJ Morton

Immanuel Sutherland

Suyapa Marquez

Charmayne Vincent

Cynthia Monroe

David Horne

Tamera Harris

Kim Arnold

Sergeant Coretta Monts

Captain Douglas Clevert

56 57 62

The BB King Blues Band featuring Michael Lee Cautious Clay

Gina Honeycutt

Kym Grinnage

Parke Richeson

Tawheed Haroon

Brelan Hillman

Frances Burruss

Whitney White

Kenneth Johnson

61

Frédéric Yonnet

63 65

60 67

The Yuko Mabuchi Trio

Sherry Winston

The Jack Wilkins Quartet

Local Artists

Jennifer Williams

Inclement Weather Psa

In the case of high winds/severe storms/lightning, you will be notified via the PA system and large video screens when we will evacuate the grounds at Maymont. We ask that all guests leave the grounds in an orderly fashion. Please use the Main Gate and the Upper Hampton Street Gate as exit points.

Please familiarize yourselves with the exits upon arrival to the grounds. GRTC shuttles will be available to transport you back to your vehicle. Please do not seek shelter on the grounds.

ill Scott — one of neo-soul’s most recognizable and talented voices — started out as poet.

Questlove of the Roots got wind of Scott’s talent and invited her to the band’s Things Fall Apart studio sessions, which led to her co-writing one of The Roots’ biggest hits, “You Got Me.” aze Featuring Frankie Beverly has established a trust fund with music lovers worldwide.

The Philadelphian eventually released her critically acclaimed debut album, Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Vol. 1, in July 2000. The album cracked the top 20 Billboard 200 and was No. 2 on the R&B/hip-hop charts. Her breakout record, “A Long Walk,” was Grammy-nominated for Best Female Vocal Performance.

And so began Scott’s rise to stardom.

Her two subsequent albums, Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds, Vol. 2 (2004) and The Real Thing: Words and Sounds, Vol. 3 (2007), both debuted in the top five of the Billboard 200.

Scott picked up acting — namely starring in Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?, Hounddog and HBO series, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.

Her next two albums, The Light of the Sun (2011) and Woman (2015), both went No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Over the course of her nearly two-decade long career, Scott has nabbed three Grammy wins and 13 nominations. During that time, she’s worked alongside Grammy-winning artists such as Robert Glasper, Common and Lupe Fiasco, to name a few.

Fans know when they attend a Maze concert, they will be treated to an evening of honest, raw soul music.

And that’s how it has been for more than 40 years. Nothing has changed. The band has stayed in its lane, continuing to do its thing, bringing quality music from the heart night after night.

“They know what they are going to get with us,” says Beverly, of the group’s audiences. “They trust us as musicians. You’ve got to be a good live act. You’ve got to know how to entertain. It goes beyond having hit records. You have to know how to present the music on stage.”

Maze’s fans are familiar with the band’s rise to fame. A native of Philadelphia, Beverly grew up singing in church and later formed a group called The Butlers when he was a teenager. He later changed the name to arrived

Frankie Beverly’s Raw Soul. The band’s star began to rise in the mid-‘70s when Marvin Gaye caught their show in the San Francisco/Oakland area. He took them on the road as his opening act and urged them to change their name from Raw Soul. Another band member came up with the name Maze and the rest, as they say, is musical history.

1977 with a string of hits including “Happy Feelings,” “Lady of Magic,” “While I’m Alone,” and “Workin’ Together.”

“Our honesty comes through,” Beverly continues. “We don’t compromise on being honest with our music and being honest with our approach to our music.

We are honest with our fans and I hate to use that word ‘fans’, because they are more than that to us. They are our family. They believe in us night after night, year after year. And you can’t ever lose with your family’s support and love. And we recognize that and love them for loving us.”

THERE’S ENERGY IN DIVERSITY.

With a talented workforce of over 19,000, we’ve found that bringing all kinds of people together makes us stronger, smarter and more innovative. We believe a diverse team is an opportunity to explore new ideas and deliver our best to every community.

tlanta indisputably set the pace for modern hip-hop. However, Big Boi set the pace for Atlanta, and by proxy, the culture at large. If the genre of hip-hop ever gets its own Rap Mount Rushmore, a legacy as the region's foremost wordsmith, funkiest gentleman and resident ATLien certainly guarantees a place for the rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor and philanthropist born Antwan André Patton. You can often find him in your favorite rapper's Top Five, and with good reason. Over two decades since he first crash landed, it's nearly impossible to escape his influence. Of course, he made history as the preeminent spitter of the Dungeon Family and one-half of OutKast. The legendary duo sold 25 million albums and garnered seven Grammys, becoming the first and only hip-hop artist in history to win the Grammy for Album of the Year upon release of the 2003 RIAA diamond-certified, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.

His half, Speakerboxxx , set the stage for what has become an equally impressive solo run. He made his proper introduction as a solo artist in 2010 with Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. A modern classic, it captured No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200, graced year-end lists from Time, Paste and VIBE, and landed on Pitchfork’s “100 Best Albums of the Decade ‘So Far’.” 2012’s Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors maintained his momentum fueled further by the 2015 Phantogram collaboration, Big Grams . However, he reached a new level on Boomiverse in 2017. Beyond verbally acrobatic bangers such as “In The South” (feat. Gucci Mane & Pimp C), “Mic Jack” (feat. Adam Levine, Scar, & Sleepy Brown), and “Kill Jill” (feat. Killer Mike & Jeezy), the MC landed “the biggest hit of his solo career” — according to Rolling Stone — in the form of “All Night.” tanley Clarke’s artistry has been honored in every way imaginable: gold and platinum records, multiple Grammy Awards, multiple Emmy nominations, virtually every readers’ and critics’ poll in existence. He was Rolling Stone magazine’s very first Jazzman of the Year and bassist winner of Playboy’s Music Award for ten straight years. Clarke received Bass Player Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award and is a member of Guitar Player Magazine’s Gallery of Greats. He’s been voted Downbeat Magazine’s Readers’ and Critics’ Poll for Best Electric Bass Player numerous times. He was honored with the key to the city of Philadelphia, a doctorate from Philadelphia’s University of the Arts and had his hand impressions added to Hollywood’s Rock Walk. In 2011, he also received the prestigious Miles Davis Award for his overall body of work.

Big Boi kicked off 2019 by taking the stage alongside Maroon 5 and Travis Scott at the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show, followed by the release of two new tracks “Doin’ It” (feat. Sleepy Brown) and “Return of the Dope Boi” (feat. Killer Mike and Backbone).

Beyond his countless contributions on wax, he personally signed, supported and shepherded superstars a la Janelle Monáe and Killer Mike. He also co-owns and operates Stankonia Studios in Atlanta.

Clarke’s spellbinding dexterity on the bass got noticed whenever and wherever he performed. He was soon signed to Nemperor Records, cofounded by The Beatles manager, Brian Epstein. The release of his self-titled Stanley Clarke in 1974 and the widely regarded School Days two years later, took the world by storm, transforming the bass into a melodic and harmonic lead instrument like never before. Clarke’s hypnotic, innovative approach to playing the instrument liberated the bass from the back to the front of the stage. In the process, he became the first jazz-fusion bassist to headline tours, sell out shows worldwide and have recordings reach gold status. His talent and success directly influenced and inspired a whole generation of bassists who followed in his footsteps. merging in the early ‘90s, Shaggy was the biggest crossover success in dancehall reggae. He wasn't shy about lifting hooks wholesale from pop hits of the past — a chart-ready blueprint similar to that of hip-hop stars like Puff Daddy — but he also had fairly eclectic tastes, giving his records a musical variety lacking from other dancehall stars. As a result, Shaggy became one of the few reggae artists to top the album and pop singles charts in America, not to mention several other countries where he's had even greater success. orn in Los Angeles in 1971, Porter grew up in Bakersfield, California, where his mother was a minister. It was through his mother's record collection that he fell under the spell of Nat King Cole, learning early on how to imitate him. Along with singing, he was also a gifted athlete and left high school with a football scholarship to San Diego State University. However, after an injury to his shoulder derailed his sports career, he moved to Brooklyn where he worked days as a chef while performing in local jazz clubs. It was during this period that he met saxophonist, composer and pianist Kamau Kenyatta. Kenyatta quickly became Porter's mentor, introducing him to flutist Hubert Laws.

As composer, orchestrator, conductor and performer, Clarke has some 70 film and television credits to his name and he’s scored blockbuster films such as Boyz ‘N the Hood, What’s Love Got To Do With It?, The Transporter, Romeo Must Die, Passenger 57, Poetic Justice, Best Man Holiday, and The Five Heartbeats among others. He also scored the Michael Jackson music video, “Remember the Time,” directed by John Singleton. Clarke has been nominated for three Emmys and he won a BMI Award for Boyz ‘N the Hood. In 2014, he accepted an invitation to become a member of the exclusive Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Perhaps the thing that Clarke is most proud of is the role of his band — The Stanley Clarke Band — as a showcase for the musicianship of established and developing artists over the years. This long list includes talents like keyboardist Deron Johnson, bassist Armand Sabal-Lecco, violinist Mads Tolling, saxophonist Kamasi Washington, as well as its current members, keyboardist Cameron Graves, drummer Mike Mitchell and pianist Beka Gochiashvili, the latter of whom joined the band at 17 and 16 years old, respectively.

Shaggy was born Orville Richard Burrell on October 22nd, 1968, in Kingston, Jamaica, and was nicknamed after the Scooby-Doo character. At 18, he joined his mother in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, NY, and soon began performing with the local Jamaican-style sound system, Gibraltar Musik. A steady income proved to be a more pressing matter, however, and in 1988, Shaggy joined the Marines. Stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, he continued to pursue music in his free time and often made the drive back to New York for recording sessions. At 20, he cut his first single, “Man a Mi Yard” (backed with “Bullet Proof Buddy”) for producer Don One's small label.

Shaggy resumed his sessions in New York in 1991, and covered the Folkes Brothers' ska hit, “Oh Carolina.” It was an instant smash, vaulting all the way to the top of the British pop charts early the next year and doing the same in several other European countries.

Pure Pleasure , his debut album with Virgin Records, was released in 1993, and included many of his early singles.

Now firmly a star in Europe, Shaggy went on to conquer the U.S. with his next album, 1995's Boombastic. The title track was an inescapable hit, selling over a million copies. It reached No. 3 and No. 1 on the pop and R&B charts, respectively, and it was also his second U.K. chart-topper. “In the Summertime,” the flip side of the American single release of “Boombastic,” climbed into the U.K. top five as a follow-up. Meanwhile, the album went platinum, spent a full year at No. 1 on Billboard's reggae album chart and won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album.

In the years to follow, Shaggy landed a new deal with MCA and rewarded them with one of the biggest-selling reggae albums ever. Hot Shot , released in 2000, gained steam after a radio DJ in Hawaii downloaded the track “It Wasn't Me” (featuring Rik Rok) from Napster and began playing it on his show. Soon it was an international hit — topping U.S. and European pop charts. Its follow-up, “Angel” — a rewrite of the country hit, “Angel of the Morning,” featuring Rayvon on vocals — also went straight to No. 1 in the U.S. and U.K.

Over the last several years, Shaggy has maintained a steady output and released several albums that have fared well on the charts, including standouts Lucky Day (2002), which went gold, and Intoxication (2007).

Known for his warm baritone vocals, Porter rose to acclaim in the 2010s with his earthy, crosspollinated brand of jazz, soul and gospel. A gifted singer of standards as well as more contemporary soul material, Porter earned favorable comparisons to his idols Nat King Cole, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder. He announced his arrival by picking up a Grammy nomination for his 2010 debut, Water. After signing to Blue Note, he gained even wider notice for his third album, 2013's Liquid Spirit, which hit No. 2 on the jazz charts, won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album and garnered more than 20 million streams — making it one of the most streamed jazz albums ever. Although his original songs are his main focus, Porter often returns to his roots, such as on his 2017 tribute album, Nat King Cole & Me ver the years, Peter White has maintained a reputation as one of the most versatile and prolific acoustic guitarists on the contemporary jazz landscape. Armed with an unparalleled combination of lyricism and energy, he combines elements of jazz, pop and classical guitar to create a sound that is singular and at the same time accessible to a broad audience.

As a child, he learned to play several musical instruments, including the clarinet, trombone, violin and piano. And of course, like so many youngsters growing up during the heyday of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, he gravitated to the guitar.

After 15 years as a backup musician and session player, White launched his solo recording career with the 1990 release of Reveillez-Vous (French for “wake up,” a title chosen by White in honor of his French mother). The album included several unused songs that White had written for British folk singer Al Stewart and it became a favorite among contemporary jazz radio stations. one Thugs-n-Harmony is an American hip hop band from Cleveland, Ohio, formed in 1991. The group originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone.

He maintained an ambitious release schedule through the ‘90s and beyond and also found time to appear on recordings by many of his friends: including Dave Koz, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Jeff Golub, Lee Ritenour, Kirk Whalum, Boney James and many others.

On the road, he has participated in numerous “Guitars and Saxes” tours with the aforementioned players and has established an annual “Peter White Christmas Tour” – the latter enterprise fueled by the success of his two highly regarded holiday albums, Songs of the Season (1997) and A Peter White Christmas (2007).

In a career that spans nearly four decades, over a dozen solo recordings and countless performances, White insists that it’s the faces in the crowd and the fans that keep the experience fresh.

Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to Ruthless Records in late 1993. Bone Thugs debuted with the EP, Creepin on ah Come Up, which included the hit single, “Thuggish Ruggish Bone.”

In 1995, the group released its second album, E. 1999 Eternal, which included hits, “1st of tha Month” and “Tha Crossroads.” The latter — a tribute to the recently deceased Eazy-E — won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997. E. 1999 Eternal and “1st of tha Month” were nominated Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, respectively.

The group also released its third album, The Art of War, in 1997. E. 1999 Eternal and The Art of War both topped the Billboard 200 charts and went quadruple platinum. Creepin on ah Come Up also went quadruple platinum.

In the years to follow, the group released several platinum and gold albums.

Bone Thugs is the only group that has worked with now deceased artists 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Eazy-E and Big Pun. The editors of About.com ranked them No. 12 on their list of the “25 Best Rap Groups of All Time” and MTV called them “the most melodic hip-hop group of all time.” ver since the New Orleansborn, Oakland-raised R&B/soul songstress’ 2000 debut, Soulsinger, Ledisi has garnered an impressive 12 Grammy Award nominations and sold millions of records worldwide.

In 1995, she formed her own group, Abinade (named after her middle name, which means “to bring forth luck” or “my mother is great” in Yoruba), which garnered a sizable following in the Bay area. Despite its popularity, the band couldn’t land a major record deal.

So Ledisi decided to go solo and over the last several years, she’s established herself as one of neo-soul’s mainstays.

Her fourth and breakout album, Turn Me Loose (2009), topped the Billboard R&B Albums chart, crossed into the Top 20 of the Billboard 200, and earned a pair of Grammy nominations.

Her subsequent albums, Pieces of Me (2010), The Truth (2014), The Intimate Truth (2015), and Let Love Rule (2017), debuted high on the Billboard R&B charts and also garnered her a handful of Grammy nods.

Along the way, Ledisi also took her talents to the big screen, starring as famed gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, in Ava Duvernay’s powerful Academy Award-nominated film, Selma (2014).

018 USA

Fellow and five-time Grammywinning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard has been a consistent artistic force for making powerful musical statements concerning painful American tragedies – past and present.

From his expansive work composing the scores for Spike Lee films, including: When the Levees Broke — a documentary about Blanchard’s hometown of New Orleans during the devastation from Hurricane

Katrina — to the epic Malcolm X; Inside Man, starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster; 25th Hour, starring Edward Norton and Philip Seymour Hoffman to the timely and latest Lee film, BlacKkKlansman, starring John David Washington, Adam Driver and Topher Grace, Blanchard has interwoven melodies that created strong backdrops to Lee’s stories.

Experimental, electric, and exotic, E-Collective consists of Blanchard on trumpet, Charles Altura on guitar, Fabian Almazan on piano and synthesizers, Oscar Seaton on drums and new addition

David “DJ” Ginyard on bass. With his latest Blue Note jazz album, Live (2018), which he is currently touring with his band, Blanchard addresses the staggering cyclical epidemic of gun violence in this country. He delivers seven powerful songs recorded live in concert that reflect the bitter frustration of the conscious masses, while also providing a balm of emotional healing. With a title that carries a pointed double meaning, the album is an impassioned continuation of the band’s Grammy-nominated 2015 studio recording, Breathless cclaimed vocalist

Lizz Wright is a steward of American music bringing brilliant color and vibrancy to singular original works and compositions by some of the greatest songwriters of our time. Wright has garnered widespread attention as one of the most venerable popular singers of her generation through the release of five critically acclaimed albums. From her breakout Verve debut album Salt , to her latest album, Grace, on Concord Records, Wright lives life filled with beautiful possibilities centered on the power of song.

Through an inimitable voice that The New York Times touts as, “a smooth, dark alto possessed of qualities you might associate with barrel-aged bourbon or butter-soft leather,” Wright sings with a soaring reflection of the cultural fabric of America. She lies beneath the script of human history transcending social divides with an offer of love and deep sense of humanity. Her music accepts the beauty of reality and a collective experience of belonging. For the listener, Wright’s songs embody a tradition that allows us to always feel at home, wherever we might be physically or emotionally.

At the age of 22, Wright made a name for herself nationally as a vocalist with a touring concert tribute to Billie Holiday, where her poised performance stole the show. At 23, she signed with Verve Records for the release of Salt, which topped Billboard’s contemporary jazz charts. Her subsequent albums ( Dreaming Wide Awake, The Orchard, Fellowship, and Freedom & Surrender ) continued to top the charts and her single “Lean In” from Freedom & Surrender landed on President Obama’s 2016 Summer Playlist. NPR critic Ann Powers included Freedom & Surrender on her list of “Favorite Albums in 2015,” and the album has received rave reviews from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. ameo was founded, produced and led by drummer and Harlem native Larry Blackmon. Cameo’s debut 1977 album, Cardiac Arrest, included the hits “We’re Going Out Tonight” and “Rigormortis.” The group’s next two albums, We All Know Who We Are and Ugly Ego, helped establish Cameo with its core audience. However, it was its fourth LP, Secret Omen, including the hits “I Just Want To Be” and “Sparkle,” that began the group’s journey to a whole new level of popularity and earned them their first of many gold and platinum albums.

Between 1980 and 1985, Cameo released seven LPs, spawning several Billboard Top Ten hits including “Shake Your Pants,” “Feel Me,” “Keep It Hot,” “Your Love Takes Me Out,” “Freaky Dancing,” “Alligator Woman,” “Flirt,” “Heaven Only Knows" and more.

In 1984, the group’s She's Strange album went No. 1 in both the United States and London, bringing both pop success and critical acclaim. 1985's Single Life album continued the cycle of hits with groundbreaking singles, “Attack Me With Your Love” and “Single Life,” which kept people moving on dance floors everywhere.

In 1986, Cameo released its breakthrough album, Word Up , propelling them to worldwide superstar status. Word Up was Grammy-nominated for Album of the Year, which featured the group’s smash hits “Word Up” and “Candy.” lack Violin, led by classically trained string players Wil B. (viola) and Kev Marcus (violin), also consists of DJ SPS and drummer Nat Stokes. The band uses its unique blend of classical and hip-hop music to overcome stereotypes, while encouraging people of all ages, races and economic backgrounds to join together to break down cultural barriers.

Cameo has maintained its core funkiness for nearly four decades. The group has sold more than 20 million records and continues to sell out venues worldwide.

Over the last several months, the band has performed for more than 100,000 students in the U.S. and Europe, and it has partnered with Yamaha and NAMM (National Association of Music Manufactures) to continue supporting music education. Black Violin, alongside artists such as Yo-Yo Ma and Elton John, recently joined with Turnaround Arts to bring arts education to struggling schools in underserved communities. The program stems from the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts founded by President Obama’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in 2012.

In addition, the duo has composed for a major FOX Television original Pitch, and it has been featured by ESPN as the official artist of the 2017 U.S. Open (tennis), and the 2016 and 2017 Heisman Trophy Award ceremonies They’ve also been featured on The Tonight Show, Ellen, The Wendy Williams Show, NPR and more.

The group has collaborated creatively with artists such as Kanye West, Aerosmith, Tom Petty, Wu-Tang Clan, Wyclef Jean and Alicia Keys. The duo’s most recent album, Stereotypes , hit No. 1on Billboard’s Classical Crossover chart and No. 4 on Billboard’s R&B Chart.