Over 20,000 people expected for Greenville's free Jazz Fest. Here's who you'll hear. (2024)

GREENVILLE — One year after hosting its first jazz festival, Greenville has brought the sounds of trumpets, trombones and drums back to Main Street again.

And now, it’s double the size.

Jazz Fest will host its second annual free festival on June 7 and 8, expanding to a two-day event with the expectation of more than 20,000 attendees.

It will feature 14 performances by world-renowned artists, including Butcher Brown (a Richmond-based jazz-funk-soul-rap fusion quintet) and Preservation Hall Jazz Band (New Orleans jazz legends who earned a National Medal of Arts).

They will share the festival with local jazz performers including trombonist Buff Dillard and the All County Jazz Ensemble, featuring 20 students from seven Greenville-area high schools and the Fine Arts Center.

“This is just exciting to see a new event take off the way that this has and to really bring all walks of life from the entire Greenville community to one place,” said Anna Catherine Miller, the city’s tourism administrator.

Jazz Fest has been about 15 years in the making, with hopes that it could evolve into the city’s next major festival, such as Fall for Greenville or Artisphere.

Greenville finally launched the festival with a one-day event in 2023. Nearly 20,000 people attended, Miller said.

They wanted to differentiate this festival from the city’s others by focusing solely on one genre with roots in Greenville.

“South Carolina has a rich history of jazz music and culture,” said Josh McGee, the city’s entertainment coordinator. “Greenville is notable in this history for the players that have called Greenville home while traveling the US and even the world contributing to the art form of jazz.”

Greenville boasts numerous accomplished jazz musicians, such as Dillard, trumpeter Cat Anderson, drummer Sonny Thornton, and saxophonist Robert “Moss” Mack. That’s bolstered by multiple local jazz organizations through the South Carolina Governor’s School, Furman University and the Greenville Jazz Collective.

The city spent years studying similar festivals in Jacksonville, Washington, D.C. and Detroit.

“We see just how much (a jazz festival) brings the community together, how diverse it can be,” Miller said. “To be able to put that on in Greenville really highlights all that Greenville has to offer.”

At this year’s two-day event, there will be two main stages: Reedy Stage at Main and River streets, and Roots Stage at Main and Court streets. There will be beverages and food trucks available as well.

Over the next two weeks, there will also be jazz concerts at local venues through the “Jazz Around Town” program. There are over 12 participating locations — triple last year’s number — including Chicora Alley, Swanson’s Warehouse and Gather GVL.

Miller said there are no plans to expand larger than a two-day event, though they plan to continue it annually.

Here are the performers’ schedules on the main stages at Greenville’s Jazz Fest.

Friday, June 7

4:30 p.m. Tish Oney Quartet, Roots Stage

5:30 p.m. Company Swing, Reedy Stage

6:30 p.m. E’Lon JD, Roots Stage

7:30 p.m. Karla Harris, Reedy Stage

8:30 p.m. Butcher Brown, Roots Stage

Saturday, June 8

11:30 a.m. Keith Davis Quartet, Reedy Stage

12:30 p.m. Undercover Jazz, Roots Stage

1:30 p.m. Adam Knight Quartet, Reedy Stage

2:30 p.m. All County Jazz Ensemble, Roots Stage

3:30 p.m. Patrick Lopez Experience, Reedy Stage

4:30 p.m. Sofia Goodman Trio, Roots Stage

5:30 p.m. Buff Dillard, Reedy Stage

6:30 p.m. Greenville Jazz Collective Big Band, Roots Stage

7:30 p.m. Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Reedy Stage