Iowa City Jazz Festival returns with fireworks and Grammy-nominated acts

What first started as a single stage at the intersection of Washington Street and Dubuque Street has grown into a three-day festival that swallows the entire downtown Iowa City corridor.

The Summer of the Arts Iowa City Jazz Festival, now in its 33rd year, runs from Friday, July 5, through Sunday, July 7. It includes dozens of food vendors, artists, and fun stops.

The festival's main stage will be at Iowa Avenue and North Clinton Street, near the Pentacrest, while the side stage will be at the intersection of Clinton Street and Washington Street.

Three days of live music, good food, and high-quality art culminate in an annual event that draws thousands of guests.

"The way the schedule works out, there's always music playing," said Lisa Barnes, the executive director for Summer of the Arts. "As soon as you know one stage is done, the other stage kicks in."

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Local and regional acts highlight musical offerings

This year's Jazz Festival features 18 musicians, from celebrated local acts like the Blake Shaw Big(ish) Band and Emiliano Lasanky to world-renowned performers like Lakecia Benjamin and Ingrid Jensen.

The Summer of the Arts is dedicated to highlighting the versatility of the jazz genre.

"When you talk about jazz, a lot of people might think it is highbrow and something they won't enjoy or understand," Barnes said. "There is jazz that could be considered that way, but there is a wide range of jazz otherwise. We encourage people to go ahead, come down and check It out because you are going to find something you enjoy, whether it's on the main stage or side stage."

Good food and good music at the Jazz Festival

The annual fireworks show will bring the first day to a close at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, July 5. Other festivities include delicious eats from Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack, Moo Moo's Ice Cream and Marco's Grilled Cheese. Other local vendors will have their artistic creations up for sale.

The fan-favorite “fun stops” are also back, providing an interactive experience. The booths will line Clinton Street between Washington Street and Jefferson Jefferson.

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The 2024 Jazz Festival includes an array of new activities, like the Jazz Brunch on Sunday morning. Tickets for the brunch are currently sold out, but proceeds will help fund future Jazz Festivals.

Also new to this year's event are Jam Sessions hosted at The Graduate Hotel. The Blake Shaw Quartet will host the jam sessions after the festival has officially wrapped, at 10 p.m. on Friday, July 5, and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 6.

The band members will mingle with the crowd in an intimate atmosphere.

"There are fabulous stories about these famous people that were on our main stage, and they come and they just sit in and jam with whoever happens to be there," Barnes said. "It's a great opportunity to see these performers in a slightly different setting."

Three artists to see Jazz Festival

Ingrid Jensen will be joined by the Iowa Women's Jazz Orchestra as Friday night's headliner.

Jensen is a renowned Canadian jazz trumpeter known for her dynamic and innovative playing style. She has received numerous awards and accolades, highlighting her contributions to the jazz community and her influence as a musician.

The Iowa Women's Jazz Orchestra (IWJO) was founded by University of Iowa trumpeter Toni LeFebrve. The IWJO is typically a 17-piece traveling group that performs across Iowa, hoping to inspire the future generation of jazz.

Six of the 17 orchestra members will accompany Jensen on stage.

"We've talked about this within the committee for several years, about bringing the Iowa Women's Jazz Orchestra to the Jazz Festival," Barnes said. "On Friday night, It's going to be all women on the stage, which is really cool."

Three-time Grammy nominee Lakecia Benjamin will headline Saturday's music. Benjamin is an alto saxophonist best known for her energetic and soulful performances. Her music fuses jazz with funk, soul, and Latin elements, generating a contemporary vision for jazz music.

Quad Cities group 10 of Soul will close out the festival on Sunday. The group has been touring the Midwest for 12 years, anchored by its energetic and funky sound. They previously played at the Iowa City Jazz Festival in 2014.

This year's Iowa City Jazz Festival lineup can be found online at summerofthearts.org.

Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City Jazz Festival returns with fireworks and Grammy-nominated acts