The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival is a perennial summer favorite in New York City, bringing crowds to both Tompkins Square Park in the East Village and Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem.
This was the festival's 26th year, and we captured two sets in Harlem, by singer Catherine Russell and trumpeter Keyon Harrold. You can hear them both here, exclusively on WBGO.
Catherine "Cat" Russell comes from jazz royalty — her father was Louis Armstrong's musical director, and her mother performed with Mary Lou Williams and Ruth Brown — but she works hard every time she's on stage.
In this set, Cat brought her signature mix of jazz, blues and swing to songs from her favorite musical era, the 1920s. It's no wonder she had the crowd dancing in the aisles.
Keyon Harrold, a fast-rising star on trumpet, was born in Missouri and made his way to New York City to enroll at The New School. He was quickly landing gigs with the likes of Common, Jaz-Z and Maxwell. In 2015 he ghosted the trumpet parts for Don Cheadle's Miles Davis biopic, Miles Ahead. Keyon's musical horizons stretch from jazz to funk to hip-hop, and he displays it all in fine form.
Thanks to Erika Elliot and Paula Abreu of City Parks/Summerstage, and to Rainbow Sound for facilitating the capture. Audio recording and mix by David Tallacksen.