(May 25-28, 2012) Known as the Sacramento Jazz Festival and Jubilee before a 2011 name change, the Sacramento Music Festival is Sacramento’s annual jazz, blues and zydeco party, packing almost a years’ worth of music into a four day span in early summer. The festival features performers from up and down the West Coast, as well as acts from across the country, covering all styles of jazz and beyond. ...Read more...

(June 22-July 7, 2012) Jazz Aspen Snowmass is the umbrella organization for an abundance of jazzy events including a summer festival in June, a Labor Day jazz festival, a number of one-off concerts throughout the year, educational programs, and a concert series at the Little Nell Hotel…The summer festival features the likes of Raul Midon, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Monty Alexander, as well as a whole host of ...Read more...

(June 8-10, 2012) The Chicago Blues Festival is the largest free blues festival in the world and is also the largest of Chicago’s music festivals. The inaugural festival in 1984, celebrating the life of Muddy Waters, attracted 165,000 people and today, the event’s attendance has begun to broach the 1 million mark. Concerts take place over three days in Grant Park in mid June. ...Read more...

(August 30-September 2, 2012) When Duke Ellington died in 1974, a group of musicians gathered in Grant Park to commemorate the incredible musician’s life. Thousands of jazz lovers came out to celebrate and the festival was a resounding success. Several other jazz festivals at different venues in Chicago followed and the city eventually proposed a conglomerate event that combined these festivals into what has become the Chicago Jazz Festival, the largest open-admission jazz festival in the world. ...Read more...

(May 26-28, 2012) The Atlanta Jazz Festival is a three-day event, begun in 1977, that takes place over Memorial Day weekend. Most recently, the festival expanded to a 31-day event commemorating its 31st anniversary and brought some of America’s top talent to the stage in the Big Peach. The festival is traditionally held in Woodruff Park in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Past performers have included Tito Puente, Lena Horne, McCoy Tyner, and, of course, Ray Charles. ...Read more...

(June 1-12, 2012) In 1983, the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival gave a voice to the burgeoning jazz community that had begun to take root in the picturesque town. Today, more than a quarter-century later, the festival has a long roster of artists who have graced its stage. Past headliners include Bela Fleck, Dave Brubeck, Ella Fitzgerald, Madeleine Peyroux and Ornette Coleman. ...Read more...

(August 31-September 3) The Detroit International Jazz Festival, which says that it is the largest free admission event of its kind, is held annually on Labor Day weekend, and has brought the best in jazz to Detroit for almost 30 years. The Jazz Fest occupies more than 2 million square feet of downtown Detroit with several outdoor stages. ...Read more...

(June 20-26, 2012) Commemorating the tragically short life of trumpeter Clifford Brown, whose hometown was Wilmington, the Dupont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival began in 1989 with the goal of bringing world-class music to Wilmington. Performers have included the likes of Chick Corea, John Pizzarelli and Ravi Coltrane. ...Read more...

(August 3-5, 2012) The original Newport Festival was the place to be for jazz musicians in the latter half of the last century. The festival takes place over two-three days in August and continues to play host to some of the most influential and talented performers in the medium. ...Read more...

(June 22-30, 2012) Founded in 2002, the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival has quickly grown into one of the largest and most highly anticipated jazz festivals in the country. Expanding from 15,000 visitors in the first year to over 180,000, the festival puts up nearly 300 concerts in dozens of venues over nine incredible days. Performers range from the expected (Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Dave Brubeck, Marian McPartland) to the very unexpected (Steve Martin, Bonnie Raitt, Woody Allen, Frank Zappa). ...Read more...

(May 25-28, 2012) Known as the Sacramento Jazz Festival and Jubilee before a 2011 name change, the Sacramento Music Festival is Sacramento’s annual jazz, blues and zydeco party, packing almost a years’ worth of music into a four day span in early summer. The festival features performers from up and down the West Coast, as well as acts from across the country, covering all styles of jazz and beyond. ...Read more...

(June 22-July 7, 2012) Jazz Aspen Snowmass is the umbrella organization for an abundance of jazzy events including a summer festival in June, a Labor Day jazz festival, a number of one-off concerts throughout the year, educational programs, and a concert series at the Little Nell Hotel…The summer festival features the likes of Raul Midon, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Monty Alexander, as well as a whole host of ...Read more...

(June 8-10, 2012) The Chicago Blues Festival is the largest free blues festival in the world and is also the largest of Chicago’s music festivals. The inaugural festival in 1984, celebrating the life of Muddy Waters, attracted 165,000 people and today, the event’s attendance has begun to broach the 1 million mark. Concerts take place over three days in Grant Park in mid June. ...Read more...

(August 30-September 2, 2012) When Duke Ellington died in 1974, a group of musicians gathered in Grant Park to commemorate the incredible musician’s life. Thousands of jazz lovers came out to celebrate and the festival was a resounding success. Several other jazz festivals at different venues in Chicago followed and the city eventually proposed a conglomerate event that combined these festivals into what has become the Chicago Jazz Festival, the largest open-admission jazz festival in the world. ...Read more...

(May 26-28, 2012) The Atlanta Jazz Festival is a three-day event, begun in 1977, that takes place over Memorial Day weekend. Most recently, the festival expanded to a 31-day event commemorating its 31st anniversary and brought some of America’s top talent to the stage in the Big Peach. The festival is traditionally held in Woodruff Park in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Past performers have included Tito Puente, Lena Horne, McCoy Tyner, and, of course, Ray Charles. ...Read more...

(June 1-12, 2012) In 1983, the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival gave a voice to the burgeoning jazz community that had begun to take root in the picturesque town. Today, more than a quarter-century later, the festival has a long roster of artists who have graced its stage. Past headliners include Bela Fleck, Dave Brubeck, Ella Fitzgerald, Madeleine Peyroux and Ornette Coleman. ...Read more...

(August 31-September 3) The Detroit International Jazz Festival, which says that it is the largest free admission event of its kind, is held annually on Labor Day weekend, and has brought the best in jazz to Detroit for almost 30 years. The Jazz Fest occupies more than 2 million square feet of downtown Detroit with several outdoor stages. ...Read more...

(June 20-26, 2012) Commemorating the tragically short life of trumpeter Clifford Brown, whose hometown was Wilmington, the Dupont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival began in 1989 with the goal of bringing world-class music to Wilmington. Performers have included the likes of Chick Corea, John Pizzarelli and Ravi Coltrane. ...Read more...

(August 3-5, 2012) The original Newport Festival was the place to be for jazz musicians in the latter half of the last century. The festival takes place over two-three days in August and continues to play host to some of the most influential and talented performers in the medium. ...Read more...

(June 22-30, 2012) Founded in 2002, the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival has quickly grown into one of the largest and most highly anticipated jazz festivals in the country. Expanding from 15,000 visitors in the first year to over 180,000, the festival puts up nearly 300 concerts in dozens of venues over nine incredible days. Performers range from the expected (Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Dave Brubeck, Marian McPartland) to the very unexpected (Steve Martin, Bonnie Raitt, Woody Allen, Frank Zappa). ...Read more...