Calvin Jones BIG BAND Jazz Festival

About the Festival | Press | Instant Seats

Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month at the University of the District of Columbia

The 2020 Calvin Jones BIG BAND Jazz Festival is cancelled.

Enjoy a selection of past programs on our UDCJAZZ YouTube Channel

On April 27, 2020 at 8pm, the Calvin Jones BIG BAND Jazz Festival celebrates thirty-four years of world-class jazz at the University of the District of Columbia. The powerhouse jazz ensembles from the University of the District of Columbia (directed by Allyn Johnson), Howard University (directed by Fred Irby III), and the University of Maryland (directed by Tim Powell) cap off Jazz Appreciation Month with a hand-clapping, finger-snapping, foot-stomping good time. Produced by UDC’s Jazz Studies Program and the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives, the festival began in 1987 as part of a citywide tribute to Duke Ellington, and it remains one of the most anticipated events on Washington, DC’s jazz calendar. Scholarship Benefit Series.

Produced by the University of the District of Columbia Jazz Studies Program and the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives, the festival began in 1987 as part of a citywide tribute to Duke Ellington, and it remains one of the most anticipated events on Washington, D.C.'s jazz calendar.

Tickets are $20 (general admission), $15 (seniors), and $10 (students) and can be purchased in advance at the UDC Music Program, Performing Arts (Bldg. 46-West), UDC Van Ness Campus, 4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW, or online at www.InstantSeats.com. Tickets will also be available at the University Auditorium-Theatre of the Arts door on the night of the performance. The University Auditorium-Theatre of the Arts (Bldg. 46 East) is conveniently located on Metro’s Red Line at the Van Ness–UDC stop. Info: 202-274-5803 or JazzAlive@udc.edu

What the press says:

• “...a major showcase for jazz studies programs at local universities.” — Washington Post
• “...talent that rocks the rooftop of the campus auditorium every April.” — Washington Post
• “The Jazz Studies Program’s [events] calendar...is one of the most ambitious of those presented by area universities’ music departments.” — Washington Times
• “...gradually but impressively, the capital city’s own university is on its way to becoming an internationally known sanctuary, archive and living work center for the study and appreciation of jazz.” — Washington Post