Cityfest, Inc. continues its year-round jazz concert series celebrating Wilmington’s own Clifford Brown

Cityfest, Inc. continues its year-round jazz concert series honoring Wilmington’s own Clifford Brown with a night of love songs. Clifford Brown Year-Round showcases musicians from all over the world each month leading up to the 34th annual Clifford Brown Jazz festival in summer 2021.

The concert premieres on Friday, February 19th at 7:00 p.m. with performances by Maya Belardo [facebook.com], Nadjah Nicole [nadjahnicole.com], Sharon Sable [sharonsablemusic.com], V. Shayne Frederick [vshayne.com], Darnell Miller [facebook.com], and Gus Mercante [augustinemercante.com]. Enjoy such classic tunes as “Save Your Love for Me” by Buddy Johnson, “Dream” by Johnny Mercer, and original compositions by the artists. The evening will also feature love poems by Langston Hughes and Ntozake Shange performed by spoken word artist Kamysha Martin. Musical accompaniment will be provided by The Clifford Brown Year-Round house band with Jeff Knoettner on piano, Douglas Mapp on bass, percussionist Jonathan Whitney, and special guest Gerald Chavis on trumpet.

“There are very few things that express ‘love’ as effectively and emotionally as poetry set to music – in other words, a song,” says Tina Betz, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “No matter what language or musical style, a love song is understood by the heart.”

The concert begins at 7:00 p.m. and virtual viewing tickets are Pay-What-You-Wish with a $10 suggested donation. The performance link will be available for repeat viewing through Monday, March 1, 2021. Tickets are available at www.cityfestwilm.com/events [cityfestwilm.com], and proceeds support programs like the Clifford Brown Year-Round Series as well as others produced by Cityfest, Inc., such as the Urban Artist Exchange and the Arts Work Summer Youth Program.

Clifford Brown Year Round is presented by Cityfest, Inc. and the City of Wilmington with generous support from The Delaware Division of the Arts, WRTI 90.1 FM, The Kenny Family Foundation, Delmarva Power, An Excelon Company, Gerald Chavis Music, Flux Creative Consulting, The Christina Cultural Arts Center, and The Delaware Contemporary.