1201 K St. NW
WDC
The 7th annual Jazz & Freedom Festival will bring together some of the finest musicians in D.C. (and beyond) with community activists confronting racial injustice and anti-Black violence in our communities. Presented by CapitalBop in partnership with Shannon Gunn and the Eaton DC, this year’s JAFF will take place all afternoon and evening on Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Eaton’s Beverly Snow warehouse space, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go directly to Harriet’s Wildest Dreams.
Jazz & Freedom Festival
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Eaton DC: 1201 K St. NW, WDC
Suggested donation $20/give what you can
3 p.m. Doors
3:30 Panel featuring Harriet’s Wildest Dreams
4:30-9:00 Five sets of music & poetry
9:00 Open jam session
Following Eaton policy and D.C. law, proof of full Covid-19 vaccination is required for entry. Vaccination cards and IDs will be checked at the door of the building; a negative test is not a substitute for proof of vaccination. Face masks required.
The centerpiece of the festival, of course, is the music. And the incredible lineup that the JAFF’s creative team — led by CapitalBop cofounder Luke Stewart, Shannon Gunn and Kelsye Adams — has assembled is stacked with brilliant talent from start to finish.
The acclaimed steel pan virtuoso and composer Victor Provost will play a headlining set with his band. A pair of incredible duos will also perform: bassist Corcoran Holt with percussionist/poet Jabari Exum, and Jupiter Blue (featuring Tara Middleton and DM Hotep, both members of the Sun Ra Arkestra).
Trombonist and co-organizer Shannon Gunn will lead the Jazz & Freedom Ensemble, a D.C. supergroup with a rotating lineup that anchors every JAFF. And to close out the evening, the Collect!v Crew — a DMV musicians’ collective anchored by bassist Dennis Turner and drummer Biscuit Bynum — will close out the night, bringing its groove-based take on contemporary Black music back to the Eaton, where it has been a regular presence over the past few years.
The festival will feature five sets of live music and poetry, as well as a panel discussion moderated by Harriet’s Wildest Dreams cofounder Qiana Johnson, featuring Ty Hobson Powell of Concerned Citizens DC, Jessica Teachey of The MusicianShip, Beth Yirga of the Palm Collective and musician Onrae Lateel.
