Jazz was alive and kicking at BRIC Jazz Fest, which celebrated its 10th anniversary with a showcase of exceptional jazz talent.
The festival, themed A Decade of Discovery, featured an eclectic mix of jazz legends, contemporary innovators and rising stars, and offered the audience a comprehensive snapshot of the genre's past, present and future.
The festival presented 18 live performances with six bands taking the stage each evening between Oct. 17 - 19. The kickoff included National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Gary Bartz, alongside acclaimed harpist Brandee Younger, who was the artistic curator for the 2024 edition. The opening night also featured genre-defying drummer Kassa Overall, rising star Josh Johnson, and emerging talents Milena Casado and Mali Obomsawin.
The vibe for the festival felt organic and appreciative. Sarah Hanahan, an alto saxophonist, played a lively set while she engaged with the audience and needled her drummer. Her dynamic set highlighted the presence of exceptional female musicians at the festival.
Viviana Benitez, senior producer of Performing Arts at BRIC, said her joy in working with the festival is seeing the audience's reception and hearing feedback like, "'You heeled me', 'I needed that,' and 'Thank you,' after day one of JazzFest."
"I think music is such an important aspect of culture and who we are as humans and perhaps that's the closest thing that we have to spirituality, something like God, right? Music is that thing," she said.
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Brandee Younger, a Grammy-nominated harpist and 2024 NAACP Image Award winner, wore multiple hats. She performed with her own trio, shared the stage with drummer Makaya McCraven and was also the artistic curator for this year's festival.
"I was honored to take part in this year’s festival as both performer and curator. I am especially moved by the sincere love of music and sense of community that only a place like BRIC can foster," she said, wishing there was time and room for ten more groups to preform.
The Jungle was a standout performance on the last day of the festival, lead produced by Kwesi Abbensetts, which brought together musicians like Liam Laird, Aris Dolce Jr., Ajani NaNaBuluku, Kaya Mehlomakulu, and DJs Porcia and Moonbabe.
The festival brought together the borough's older generation of Jazz musicians, as well as hipsters, jazzheads and culture lovers.
