The Queen of soul is coming to Cleveland once again. Aretha Franklin will be part of this year’s Tri-C JazzFest, and is booked for Saturday, April 21 at PlayhouseSquare’s State Theatre. In November, she was at the same venue for an American Music Masters tribute concert, but she only performed one song at the time. She will have a full show at the upcoming event in April.
JazzFest organizer Terri Pontremoli said, “People want to see Aretha do more than one song. They want to see her do a concert. The fact is, jazz fans definitely love Aretha–and she knows this music. I don’t think it’s too soon.”
This year’s JazzFest, now on its 33rd straight year, will also feature performances by Grammy Award winners Diana Krall and Esperanza Spalding, among others.
Pontremoli said, “With Aretha, Diana and Esperanza, we’re presenting three generations of great women.”
Pontremoli ran JazzFest from 2001 to 2004, then left to oversee the Cleveland Arts Prize and the Detroit Jazz Festival, which was named one of the best jazz festivals in the country by JazzTimes magazine while under her leadership.
“I don’t know if you want to call me a cockeyed optimist,” she said, “But I’ll tell you this: Jazz is stronger than ever.”
JazzFest will officially kick off on Thursday, April 19, with a parade around Tower City Center and Public Square by the Salty Dogs Brass Band and the Shaw High School Marching Band. In the weeks leading up to it, Tri-C will features concerts by several artists, including trumpeter Dominick Farinacci on Monday, February 20, at Tri-C’s Mainstage Theatre and organist Eddi Baccus, Sr. on Tuesday, February 21, at Karamu House.
Tickets to the festival go on sale on Friday at 11am.
