The Winter Jazzfest has announced the dates, and a small part of its programming, for its 15th annual edition. Scheduled for Jan. 4-12, 2019, it will unfold according to custom in a range of spaces in and around Greenwich Village in New York City.
Meshell Ndegeocello, the visionary bassist, singer-songwriter and producer, will serve as an artist in residence for the festival, appearing in multiple settings. According to a press release issued by the festival, she will also take part in a series of free panel discussions on various issues, a tradition the Winter Jazzfest began in 2017.
As in last year’s edition, the festival will also host a British jazz stage, hosted by the BBC radio personality and Brownswood Recordings founder Gilles Peterson.
According to the press release, the 2019 Winter Jazzfest will also reflect a focus on social justice issues, including those pertaining to racial and gender discrimination:
Since our 2018 festival, this theme has only grown in relevance. Details will be announced, but as in the past, we are putting out a call to musicians to propose projects related to social justice, furthering the great legacy of activism and consciousness-raising that has been integral to jazz for decades.
As an extension of these ideals, Winter Jazzfest has announced its compliance with Keychange, an international initiative with the stated goal of achieving gender parity on music festival bills by 2022. The festival will devote one of its panel discussions to Keychange, which is led by the PRS Foundation, based in the United Kingdom.
More details about Winter Jazzfest will be announced in the coming months. For more information, visit the festival website. For our coverage of the 2018 festival, scroll down on this page.
