City Parks Foundation is proud to announce the 2016 Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. The festival is New York City's annual salute to the legendary saxophonist, featuring contemporaries of Charlie Parker as well as young jazz musicians that continue to shape and drive the art form.

In a world of modern music - not just jazz - few figures loom as large or cast as long a shadow as saxophonist Charlie Parker, best known as "Bird" (short for "Yardbird") to generations of musicians. He was born in 1920 and almost sixty years since his death in 1955, he is universally celebrated for single-handedly inventing bebop and bringing jazz into the modern era.

The festival is particularly significant this year given the upcoming centennial of the musical dawning of the term “jazz,” as well as what would have been the 100th birthdays of late jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Ella Fitzgerald. This year’s festival will feature performances on August 26 and 27 in Marcus Garvey Park, Harlem and August 28 in Tompkins Square Park in the East Village.

On the 26th, audiences can enjoy performances from Jason Lindner: Breeding Ground, the electrifying 11-piece band led by keyboardist Jason Lindner and jazz vocalist Antoinette Montague, accompanied by Jazzmobile friends.

Randy Weston African Rhythms Sextet will play jazz infused with influences of African culture, while jazz pianist and gospel musician Cory Henry will wow audiences with his full band sound on the 27th. 

August 28th, audiences will be introduced to DeJohnette - Moran - Holland, the first-time collaboration of influential jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette, innovative pianist Jason Moran, and prolific double bassist Dave Holland. Listeners will be delighted by performances from award winning jazz vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Allan Harris and acclaimed saxophonist Donny McCaslin, who will perform his newest album accompanied by his group.

New this year, the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival will feature film screenings at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music’s Jazz Performance Space. “The Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story,” will show on August 24th and feature a post-film discussion with alto sax star and Frank’s protege Grace Kelly, and Frank’s manager Reggie Marshall. “Bill Evans: Time Remembered” will be screened on the 25th,featuring a post-film discussion with the producer Bruce Spiegel.

The complete Charlie Parker Jazz Festival schedule follows or can be found on the City Parks Foundation website here:  Charlie Parker Jazz Festival.