As organizers of the 32nd annual Greater Hartford Jazz Festival (GHJF) gear up for four nights of entertainment at Hartford’s Bushnell Park this summer, those attending this year will notice some changes both on the ground and online.
GHJF organizer Charles Christie said for the first time, festival goers with tents will only be able to use them in a so-called ‘Tent City’ so that other guests don’t get obstructed views of the stage.
Also new in 2023, he said, will be an updated website that “will be a call to action, to let people know what’s going on and what they can do,” Christie said. The website will be up at the end of the month, he said.
The jazz festival surpassed 100,000 visitors in 2022 after two rocky years prior, Christie said. Because of COVID-19 in 2020, performances were virtual and seen by about 5,000 people. And, in 2021, only 30,000 people saw the shows due to rain for several days.
Christi said he expects more than 100,000 attendees for the four days this year.
The festival, which has a budget of about $500,000, will kick-off on July 13 with area high school students performing standard jazz material, Christie said. The three other days will feature different themes including ‘Jazz with a Latin theme’ and smooth and contemporary jazz.
Performers this summer, Christie said, include Tony Succar, a composer and arranger and two-time Grammy-award winner; Eddie Palmieri, a pianist, bandleader and nine-time Grammy-award winner; and Maysa Leak, a prominent Jazz performer.
The festival will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 13; 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on July 14; 2:30 p.m. to midnight on July 15; and 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on July 16.
