DMV music lovers, rejoice! The Capital Jazz Fest returns to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD for its 29th edition the weekend of Friday, June 3rd through Sunday, June 5th with another stellar talent lineup.
After the 2020 edition was canceled due to the pandemic, a modified version of Cap Jazz was held last September with performances by Anthony David, Lalah Hathaway, Stokley and Zo! and Tall Black Guy, to name a few. The 2021 festival was pared down from three days to two and all performances took place on one stage.
Prior to 2021, Saturday and Sunday performances were hosted on two separate stages – the Pavilion Stage and the Soul Stage, a temporary stage set up on the other side of the venue. The Pavilion Stage was reserved for jazz artists, while the Soul Stage hosted R&B/soul acts. Performance times were staggered by 30 minutes between stages to allow attendees to make their way from the one stage to the other, based on the artists they wanted to see.
The 2021 version of Capital Jazz Fest significantly changed as the Pavilion Stage became the only stage for performances, and the Friday evening event was temporarily put on the shelf. Last year's model will be in effect (a permanent change) this year, with the Friday night event set to return.
Live! Casino and Hotel in nearby Hanover, MD will be the site of the Friday festivities, labeled the Indie Soul Showcase. The event will be hosted by indie soul king Eric Roberson and feature The Ton3s (fka The Hamiltones), Shayna Steele, Lori Williams, Regina Troupe and Cecily.
Saturday is dubbed as Soulful Saturday, and the headliner will be Faith Evans, the former First Lady of Bad Boy who kept us moving and grooving in the late 1990s and early 2000s with classic R&B grooves and her incredible voice. The rest of the lineup features a nice mix of established and newer acts, including smooth R&B artist Musiq Soulchild, Keyshia Cole, hip-hop legend Common, neo-soul favorite Dwele, Deborah Cox, Cory Henry and Adeline. Well-known DC band Spur Of The Moment will supply the music for a Teena Marie tribute, which will feature artists from Saturday’s lineup (with one or more surprise guests).
After the show, it's the after party, and Saturday's festivities will end with the Late Night Dance Party, also hosted at the Live! Hotel and Casino. The dance party will feature hip-hop icons Rakim and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Sunday will be Jazzy Sunday, and the headliner will be the living legend and Queen of Funk herself, the incomparable Chaka Khan. Chaka has a vast catalog of hits, going back to her early days as the lead singer for Rufus. The rest of the Sunday lineup is very impressive as well, featuring vocal powerhouse Ledisi, Maysa and Jeffrey Osborne, legendary Bay Area band Tower of Power, violinist Damien Escobar, Naturally 7, Butcher Brown and The String Queens.
- Advertisement -Tickets for the 2022 Capital Jazz Fest are on sale now and can be purchased via Ticketmaster and Etix. Tickets will not last long, so get yours today to ensure you do not miss this weekend of great music.
