Jefferson Street Jazz & Blues Festival

The summer of 2018 welcomes the 18^th Annual Jefferson Street Jazz and Blues Festival (JJBF) celebrating the vitality of the Jefferson Street community through its arts, music and food culture. This 2-day event, brought to you by the Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership (J.U.M.P.) builds cultural awareness, attracts diversity and commemorates the historic Jefferson Street Corridor through the sounds of jazz, blues, funk, gospel, soul and R&B. Not just a music festival, this event pays homage to the historic treasures and challenges that make the Jefferson Street community a unique and vital part of Nashville. Vendors will line the street offering a selection of food, cocktails and merchandise while festival-goers are entertained by the sounds of Nashville’s hottest artists covering jazz, R&B and blues.

The weekend kicks off on Friday, June 15, with the Bridging the Gap Mixer: SoBro Block Party. For the second year in a row, the SoBro Block Party will be downtown on 5^th Ave S. and Demonbreun. Music City USA is not just for country music and JJBF intends to show that Friday, and it is sure to electrify the streets of Nashville and keep the party rockin’ all night.

The schedule of events for the SoBro Block Party include: 

• Gates open at 4pm
• 2-4-1 Happy Hour runs from 4pm to 7pm
• William Davenport takes the stage at 7pm
• Bizz & Everyday People performing at 8pm.
• DJ Kid Capri will take over to rock the SoBro Block Party from 9pm to-11pm

The Jazz & Blues Festival will be held the next day, Saturday, June 16, 2018 in one of Nashville’s most visited treasures, the Bicentennial Mall Park. From nationally known to emerging artists, the daylong event celebrates the influence of African American music on American culture. This musical event features multiple stages set throughout the Bicentennial Mall filled with vendors, food trucks, a customized Children’s Pavilion, and much more.

The festival will feature the S.O.S. Band, performers of “Take Your Time (Do It Right)”, an R&B group with over two-million record sales and numerous hits, as this year’s headlining act. Festival-goers can enjoy tunes of jazz, blues and R&B featuring with performances from:

• Clarence Carter
• Special tribute to Nick Nixon from Jonathon and Jeremy Nixon
• Richard Waters and the Sweetwaters Band
• Gale Mayes
• The Total Eclipse Band

Source: Submitted