NEA Jazz Masters Regina Carter, Louis Hayes, Kenny Garrett Headline 2023 Detroit Jazz Festival

DETROIT – The newly minted recipients of the 2023 NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship – Regina Carter, Louis Hayes, and Kenny Garrett (all from Detroit) along with a stellar roster of jazz artists from around the world will hit the Detroit Jazz Festival stages on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1 – 4.

The Detroit Jazz Festival, the world’s largest (and best) free jazz festival in the world, tonight announced this year’s lineup during a livestream preview event sponsored by Rocket Mortgage that included a live performance from the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Artist-In-Residence Karriem Riggins. Riggins is a renowned jazz musician, producer, DJ, and EMMY Award winner from Detroit, Michigan.

“We are extremely excited to feature three newly awarded NEA Jazz Masters – Regina Carter, Louis Hayes and Kenny Garrett, who are also Detroit jazz icons, on the stages of the Festival this year,” said Chris Collins, president and artistic director, Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation. “Their presence, along with the unique energy and vision of Karriem Riggins, who is also from Detroit, will highlight an incredible showcase of diverse talent and revolutionary jazz from around the world.”

Here’s a partial listing of this year’s Festival lineup:

Friday, Sept. 1

• Gretchen C. Valade Tribute
• 2023 Rocket Mortgage Artist-In-Residence Karriem Riggins “Interplay”

Sat., Sept. 2

• Regina Carter: Gone in a Phrase of Air
• Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade -Children of the Light
• Miho Hazama and M_Unit
• “The Detroit Piano Legacy Continues…” – A montage of Detroit pianists
• Dafnis Prieto “Cantar” with Luciana Souza
• John Scofield Trio featuring Vicente Archer and Bill Stewart
• Melissa Aldana Quartet
• Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few
• Stefon Harris & Blackout
• Detroit Jazz Festival Global Connect International All-Stars Hurricane Trio featuring Chris Collins

Sunday, Sept. 3

• 2023 Rocket Mortgage Artist-In-Residence Karriem Riggins “J Dilla Lives Forever”
• Kenny Garrett Ensemble
• Jason Moran and the Harlem Hell Fighters/James Reese Europe and the Absence of Ruin
• Lizz Wright
• Johnny O’Neal & Sullivan Fortner “Tribute to Detroit Piano Masters”
• Alexa Tarantino Quartet
• Nduduzo Makhathini Quartet
• Joel Ross’ Good Vibes
• “KHAMSIN”
• Veronica Swift

Monday, Sept. 4

• 2023 Rocket Mortgage Artist-In-Residence Karriem Riggins – “Karriem and the Erratic Specialist”
• Louis Hayes Quintet
• MICHAEL WEISS TRIO: A TRIBUTE TO BARRY HARRIS, with Peter Washington and Lewis Nash
• Samara Joy
• Dafnis Prieto with the Detroit Jazz Festival Collegiate Student All-Stars
• Allison Miller and Boom Tic Boom “River in our Veins”
• Linda May Han Oh – The Glass Hours
• Papo Vazquez Mighty Pirates Troubadours

The Detroit Jazz Festival will be held in downtown Detroit on Sept. 1 – 4.

About the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation 

Under the leadership of President and Artistic Director Chris Collins, the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization that presents jazz and educational workshops throughout the year. The Foundation produces the Detroit Jazz Festival, which is the signature event for the Foundation and the largest free jazz festival in the world. The Festival is also a major tourist attraction for the City of Detroit, with 26 percent of its audience coming from out of state. For more information, visit detroitjazzfest.org.

The Foundation receives grant funding from the DTE Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Arts Midwest, D’Addario Foundation and Carolyn Wanzo and the Purify Wanzo CTAA Endowment at Wayne State University. Hundreds of individuals also contribute to the Festival through membership and donations.

Major corporate partners include Rocket Mortgage, Carhartt, JP Morgan Chase, Absopure and Kia.

Media partners include Fox 2 Detroit, WJR Newstalk 760 AM, WEMU-FM, DownBeat, JazzTimes, WDET-FM 101.9, WRCJ 90.9 FM, Channel 22, city of Detroit’s new arts and entertainment channel; Qwest TV and Detroit Public Television.

For more information, visit:

Website – www.detroitjazzfest.org

Facebook — @DetroitJazzFestival

Twitter — @DetroitJazzFest

Instagram — @DetroitJazzFest