Featured Performances @ the 15th Annual John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival
RUTHIE FOSTER
Ruthie Foster won her first Grammy Award this year for Best Contemporary Blues Album for the release Mileage. Her journey is as eclectic and vibrant as her soulful voice. Foster will perform songs from that album and many more of her blues, gospel, and folk tinged...
Inspired Student Contest Winners
A group of North Carolina middle and high school student musicians stood on stage, beaming with pride, next to the instruments they’d won in the 2024 John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival Student Instrument Contest. Their families and thousands in the...
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Jazz Speaks for Life”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy extends far beyond his pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. His profound admiration for jazz music and its power to unite people across racial divides had a significant impact on the jazz musicians of his day and the...
Dyana Williams: Media and Cultural Architect
This past June, Dyana Williams photo was on the cover of HITS Magazine with the caption "The Mother of Black Music Month." Williams and her associates spearheaded the effort to have the cultural and creative contributions of African American artists formally...
Gregory Porter
Gregory Porter performances are such a hybrid of jazz, gospel, blues, and soul, that he draws audiences from across divergent demographics; age, ethnicities, and genres. It is with great joy that we announce his return for the 2024 John Coltrane International Jazz and...
Brian Culbertson
Over the course of crafting a 25-album catalog and architecting nearly 40 Billboard No. 1 singles as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, Brian Culbertson has charted his own unique course in music. Label him jazz and he makes a funk record. Call him an...
Bilal
Bilal Sayeed Oliver is a truly independent artist. A singer, songwriter, and producer who has always been ahead of his time - the Grammy Award-winning artist blends jazz, afro-futurism, classic soul, alternative R&B, rock and classical in his vocals and music. His...
Incognito
British band Incognito, is anything but. The group’s high energy performances, synergizing funk, soul, hip hop, as well as jazz have sealed their identity as a band known for its “must see live” performances, pumping out irresistible grooves and a message that’s...
Bill Charlap Trio
Since 1997, Grammy Award-winning pianist Bill Charlap has led the Bill Charlap Trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. The trio, recognized as one of the leading groups in jazz, will highlight the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues...
The Lao Tizer Band
Three Emmys, two Grammys, one alum of The Voice, an American Idol phenom, and a DownBeat “Jazz Group of the Year '' nominee — all that and more are in the embodiment of the Lao Tizer Band. A veteran performer of the Coltrane JazzFest, Tizer and his current band will...
Samantha Fish
Grammy Award nominated blues singer and guitarist Samantha Fish lights up every stage on which she performs. Fish will illuminate the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival (JCIJBF) on Saturday, August 31, 2024 in High Point, NC. She received her first...
Jesus Molina
Jazz pianist Jesus Molina took his first professional music lesson less than 10 years ago by way of a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music, in Boston. Today he’s being acknowledged as a global phenom, recently coming off a Boston Pops debut...
Nik West
Bassist, singer, and songwriter Nik West isn't just a musician; she's an embodiment of individuality. The performer with the explosive stage presence is set to appear at the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024 in Oak Hollow Park, High...
Nicholas Payton
As a leading voice in American popular music, Nicholas Payton is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, producer, arranger, essayist, and social activist who defies musical and artistic categories. The two-time Grammy Award-winner joins the Bill Charlap Trio as...
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Over the course of a multi-faceted career spanning four decades, Grammy and Tony Award-winning jazz giant Dee Dee Bridgewater occupies the upper echelon of vocalists. The two-time Grammy winner joins the Bill Charlap Trio as a special guest with trumpeter Nicholas...
UNCG Spartans Jazz Collective
The UNCG Spartans Jazz Collective made their debut at the 2023 John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival. The rotating ensemble is made up of students and faculty from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. They were so well received last year, they...
2023 JOHN COLTRANE STUDENT CONTEST INSTRUMENT WINNERS!
Excitement fills backstage when it is time to present those who won the John Coltrane Student Instrument Contest with their prize instruments and present the winners on stage. For many of the young people, the moment represents reaching a goal or at least attaining a...
JAZZ FOR THE FUTURE!
The 2023 John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival, held in Oak Hollow Park, September 2nd and 3rd, was a spectacular celebration of music that left attendees awestruck and inspired. This annual event, dedicated to the legendary jazz saxophonist John...