Good luck getting through the cold snap! This is New England after all. As a young Art Muir’s Swedish landlady said when he griped about his frigid rooms, “Put sveter on!” I am up to 3 layers. Fret not, we’ll warm you up with great Jazz! - Vita Muir

Valentine's Day at the Poli Club with Albert Rivera

Grab your loved one or best friend and come on down to the Poli Club for a Valentine's Day celebration, Friday, February 14, 7 & 9PM, with the Albert Rivera Quartet. If you have not had the pleasure yet, The Poli reads like a smart New York jazz club, but with better sound than most, less expensive tickets and drinks and NO cover charge.

Albert, an uber-in-demand saxophonist, is booking 200+ concerts a year these days, so we are excited to be able to bring him back to the Poli for you!  As many of you know, he is also Operations Director for Litchfield Jazz Camp where he’s served for 20 years and counting. For his Poli performances, he’ll be joined by longtime colleagues drummer Richie Barshay, bassist Conway Campbell, and 2025 GRAMMY nominee for Best Latin Jazz Album, pianist Zaccai Curtis. This night of Beautiful Ballads will be a bit of a walk down memory lane for Albert, Zaccai and Richie who met at Jazz Camp as teenagers.

TICKETS

Second Annual Talent Search

March 8 is the big day. Please join us for the Litchfield Jazz Camp Talent Search Competition Finals at the Litchfield Community Center, 421 Bantam Rd, Litchfield. Seventeen semi-finalists chosen from audition tapes will compete for scholarships to the 2025 sessions of Litchfield Jazz Camp (LJC) at the Frederick Gunn School in July. Performances start at 2PM and are open to the public free of charge.

Players ages 13-17 were invited to apply, and our finalists span that range. They play saxophones, drums, piano, bass, guitar, trombone and baritone horn. Each will perform a song of their choosing backed by a top-flight professional trio—a rare opportunity for most students so young. Semi-finalists hail from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Texas.

Trio members, all touring and recording professionals and all on faculty at LJC, include Conway Campbell on bass, Ian Carroll on drums, and 2025 GRAMMY Nominee for Best Latin Jazz Album, pianist Zaccai Curtis. Competition adjudicators are Albert Rivera, Don Braden, Vita Muir and the Trio members. Winners will be announced in the late afternoon as soon as deliberations are completed. Refreshments will be served.

Major support for the Talent Search and scholarship awards has been provided by The Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, Northwest Community Bank and friends of Litchfield Performing Arts.

Come and share the excitement of this lovely afternoon of music with us. Music is a two-way street. It needs performers and an audience. Last year we had a full house, so please arrive early to be sure of the best seat!

RESERVE A SEAT

Earlybird Jazz Camp Registration Expires January 31! Sign up Now for Perks.

To receive a $100 savings and a chance at free private lessons and an ipad be sure to register your student and pay in full by Friday, Jan. 31.  Early registration is recommended, in any case, for rhythm section players—piano, bass, drums—to ensure your instrument placement and the week of your choice.

REGISTER

Litchfield Jazz Festival - 30th Anniversary July 25-27

We are thrilled to announce the lineup for Litchfield Jazz Festival’s 30th Anniversary Celebration. This year's festival begins with a spectacular Opening Night Gala and culminates in a delightful Sunday Jazz Brunch. Tickets are available March 1.

The Opening Night Gala starts Friday 5:45 PM under the twinkle-lit Anniversary Tent. Enjoy drinks and hors d'oeuvres accompanied by performances from this year's outstanding Jazz Campers. The evening’s Mainstage performance follows.  It stars Emmet Cohen with Philip Norris on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums. We are proud to claim this extraordinary pianist as one of our own: Emmet was a camper in his teen years!

Saturday: All Jazz All Day.  Saturday's lineup starts at 3 PM with the Matt Dwonszyk Sextet. Bassist Matt Dwonszyk, another Camp alumnus, leads a stellar group with Kris Allen saxophone, Andrew Renfroe, guitar, Taber Gable, piano, Jonathan Barber, drums, and vocalist Shenel Johns. Shenel is a renowned singer and mainstay of programs at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Saturday's shows continue with stellar guitarists Pasquale Grasso and Frank Vignola. This is a first appearance here for the iconic Mr. Vignola and a second for the young Mr. Grasso.  He first appeared here two years ago with the now-multi-GRAMMY Award winner, Samara Joy.

Anat Cohen, the fabulous clarinetist/saxophonist and winner of this year’s DownBeat Critics Poll in her category headlines the day with her newest band, Quartetinho. On bass she has Tal Mashiach, Vitor Goncalves on piano/accordion and James Shipp on vibraphone/percussion. They will deliver an exciting blend of original compositions and classics by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Egberto Gismonti.

The grand finale of this special anniversary –The Sunday Jazz Brunch- stars the delightful Champian Fulton Trio, with Champian on piano and vocals, Fukushi Tainaka on drums, and Hide Tanaka on bass. All About Jazz wrote: “Champian sounds, always, like she's having the time of her life.” And that’s exactly what you’ll have!   Don’t be left out order your tickets early.

Other Shows Around And About

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Next up at the Palace Theater Poli Club - Presented by New England Arts & Entertainment.

Friday, January 31: Jazz: Sarah Jane Cion

Friday, March 7: Sally Terrell Quartet

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