Things to Do: Jazz in the Garden 2011

It's that time of the year again and I'm so excited, I can barely contain myself. This Friday, kicks off the start of the 11th Annual season of Jazz in the Garden hosted by the National Gallery of Art.

This weekly event will begin May 27 and run through September 9, and last from 5:00 - 8:30PM each and every Friday throughout the summer. It's the perfect time to grab a date or even find a group of friends. Pack your picnic basket, bring a blanket and enjoy an evening in the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Gardens. If you'd prefer, you can purchase food and alcohol (wine and sangria) there. My advice is to get there early so you can get a seat in the shade with a view of the performance. And if you didn't know this event is FREE!!!

For more information, http://www.nga.gov/programs/jazz/

For a complete listing of upcoming performances, see below.

Origem (Brazilian jazz)
May 27

DC Jazz Festival presents Mark Prince (progressive jazz)
June 3

Deanna Bogart ("blusion," blues fusion)
June 10

John Lee (guitar fusion jazz/rock)
June 17

Sheila Ross (jazz vocalist)
June 24

Rumba Club (Latin jazz/salsa)
July 1

Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet (vocal ensemble)
July 8

Con Candela (Cuban jazz)
July 15

Elikeh (Afro-funk from Togo)
July 22

Incendio (acoustic Latin guitar world fusion jazz)
July 29

Alan Wonneberger and Company (double drummers)
August 5

Chuck Redd (jazz vibraphonist)
August 12

Alex Brown (jazz pianist)
August 19

Bill Burke (8-string tap-style guitarist) and Bruce Ewan (blues band)
August 26

Bruno Nasta (jazz violinist) and The U.S. Naval Academy Band—The Next Wave (jazz ensemble)
September 2

The Greg Hatza ORGANization (Hammond B-3 organ)
September 9

Things to Do: DC Jazz Festival June 1-13

Today, is the first day of June and it also marks the start of the DC Jazz Festival which is scheduled to run June 1 - 13.  The jazz festival will feature over 100 musicians at various venues throughout Washington, DC.

The DC Jazz Festival is a highly anticpated annual event and features not only performances by jazz greats but by local musicians and students.  Events will be held at Bohemian Caverns, Carter Barron, Listner Auditorium (on the campus of George Washington University) as well as other locations. 

Since I'm all about free and low-cost things to do in DC, I scoured their website for FREE jazz festival events.  On June 5 and 6, there will be Jazz 'n Families Fun Day at The Phillips Collection  a celebration of music and art, for more information click here.  On Saturday, June 12 at 3:30pm, there will be a matinee performance featuring the Claudio Roditi Quartet (Brazil) & the Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band. Tickets are available at Lisner's Box Office and through Ticketmaster.  While the event is listed as free, there's a $3.00 Ticketmaster convenience charge + $1.00 ticket fee per ticket, which really isn't bad for a concert.  For tickets, click here.

To learn more about this event, visit http://www.dcjazzfest.org/. You can also follow them on twitter: www.twitter.com/dcjazzfest.