The City of Columbus and the Recreation and Parks Department is proud to stage the 40th Annual Jazz & Rib Festival, July 19-21. The Scioto Mile will feature two stages of internationally renowned jazz artists and top local talent as well as 22 award-winning BBQ teams serving sizzling ribs and chicken. BrewDog and Pepsi will serve as the exclusive beverages at this year’s event. The admission cost is free, as it has always been.

Hours for the 40th Annual Columbus Jazz & Rib Fest are Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. and Sunday, July 21, 11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Jazz & Rib Fest will offer a diverse line-up of artists ranging from quirky, post-modern big band to funk to soul to the home-town sounds of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra. Headlining performances include:

The Squirrel Nut Zippers: This seven-piece jazz-blues-rock ensemble — with the emphasis decidedly on jazz — redefined and refreshed alternative pop music by mixing various dance band rhythms from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s with nostalgic-sounding blues vocals which sound eerily similar to Billie-Holiday. A Squirrel Nut Zippers single often includes everything from a trombone with Hawaiian-style slide solos, to twangy banjos, chandelier, resonator, and the baritone ukulele; this distinctive approach renders the Squirrel Nut Zippers “an alternative to alternative” and completely different from other bands heard on the airwaves.

The Soul Rebels with special guest GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan: Called “the missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong by The Village Voice, The Soul Rebels started with an idea – to expand upon the pop music they loved on the radio and the New Orleans brass tradition they grew up on. They took that tradition and blended funk and soul with elements of hip hop, jazz and rock all within a brass band context. The band has built a career around an eclectic live show that harnesses the power of horns and drums in a deep pocket funk party-like atmosphere. The Soul Rebels continue to chart new territory as they feature in major films, tour globally, and combine topnotch musicianship with songs that celebrate dancing, life, funk and soul.

Columbus Jazz Orchestra: The Jazz Arts Group of Columbus – the “umbrella” organization to the Columbus Jazz Orchestra (CJO) — is America’s oldest not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to producing, performing and promoting jazz. The renowned band is led by world-renowned band leader Grammy winner and trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling, former lead trumpeter for the Count Basie Orchestra. By incorporating contemporary arrangements into its repertoire and commissioning new arrangements and masterworks for jazz orchestra, the CJO promotes the future of big band jazz and cultivates the dynamic, adventurous spirit that has kept audiences coming back again and again.

Norman Brown: Contemporary Jazz/R&B superstar Norman Brown has sold close to 2 million albums in his extraordinary career and virtually lives at the top of the Billboard Contemporary Jazz sales and radio charts. Known for his mellow, romantic style, guitarist and singer Brown is an Grammy-Award-winning performer whose sound straddles the line between contemporary jazz and R&B. Norman Brown has shared the stage with virtually every Contemporary Jazz superstar from Boney James to Dave Koz to Gerald Albright.

Brian Culbertson: Culbertson is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer known for his distinct brand of genre-crossing contemporary jazz, R&B and funk. He has amassed 30 Billboard No. 1 singles and a deep catalogue of 18 albums, most of which have topped the Billboard contemporary jazz charts. Having worked and performed with countless industry all-stars such as Michael McDonald, Chris Botti, Ledisi, Barry Manilow, Herb Alpert, Natalie Cole, Maurice White (EWF), Chuck Brown and Bootsy Collins, Culbertson has won numerous awards and accolades along with nominations from the NAACP Image Awards and Soul Train Awards.

Robert Randolph & The Family Band: An American funk and soul band led by pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph, NPR has described the band as one with an “irresistible rock ‘n’ roll swagger. Rolling Stone magazine has included Randolph on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. The band has been Grammy nominated a total of three times. Randolph & The Family Band have found an audience among blues fans, roots rock aficionados, and jam band followers with their fiery, passionate instrumental work and heartfelt music.

The Jazz & Ribs Festival is one of four, free, Columbus Recreation and Parks Department’s summer events. Others include: Rhythm on the River, June 1; African American Cultural Festival, Aug. 23 and 24; and An Evening of Dance with BalletMet, Aug. 31.
For more information, visit www.hotribscooljazz.org.

Calendar Information – 2019 Jazz & Rib Fest

Date & Time: Fri., July 19, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Sat., July 20, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Sun., July 21, 11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Bicentennial and Genoa Parks on the Scioto Mile.
Information: www.hotribscooljazz.org

Jazz & Rib Fest is presented by the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department and made possible through the generous support of BrewDog, Pepsi, ABC 6 WSYX, FOX 28 WTTE and CW Columbus.