Event Info
Join BRIC on October 21, 22 and 23 for our seventh annual JazzFest! This acclaimed three-day marathon Jazz festival will return in-person to BRIC House (647 Fulton) this fall.
**JazzFest 2021 is SOLD OUT! Thank you for your support!*
NIGHT 1 LINEUP | THURSDAY OCT 21, 7PM
NIGHT 2 LINEUP | FRIDAY OCT 22, 7PM
NIGHT 3 LINEUP | SATURDAY OCT 23, 7PM
BRIC is proud to have WBGO as our Media Partner
Saturday | OCTOBER 23
Madison McFerrin
Madison McFerrin is an independent singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn, NY. The New York Times remarked how her sound “shows wonderful vocal dexterity, deftly swerving from sharp, clearly enunciated staccato bursts to fluttery, free-form melismata.” As the guest curator at BRIC Jazzfest this year Madison brings refreshing programming flavor to the lineup.
Fred Wesley & The New JBs
Legendary bandleader, trombonist, and author Fred Wesley is one of the forefathers of funk, still setting the standard with his jazz-funk band The New JBs. Together for more than 25 years, the band is a living celebration of roots funk and more, performing such hits as “Pass the Peas” made with James Brown and the JBs including Maceo Parker, as well as selections from the P-Funk years and Fred’s own and others’ soulful jazz and blues compositions.
The New JBS: Bruce Cox – drums. Dwayne Dolphin – bass. Reggie Ward – guitar. Jay Rodriguez -sax. Rose Ann Dimalanta – keys. Freddie Hendrix – trumpet
L’Rain
Brooklyn-born and based experimentalist and multi-instrumentalist Taja Cheek, aka L’Rain, is mapping the enormity of how to change. Her forthcoming second album, Fatigue, demands introspection from ready ears with an array of keyboards, synths, and hauntingly delicate vocals that create a genre entirely her own. Cheek has dipped her toes in every corner of the arts, through her work at some of the most prestigious art institutions in NYC and collaborations with the likes of Naama Tsabar, Kevin Beasley, Justin Allen, and others in contemporary arts.
L’Rain: Taja Cheek, Alwyn Robinson, Ben Chapoteau-Katz, Zach Levine-Caleb, and Justin Felton.
ç’est tois (branch/stewart/holmes)
Jaimie Branch is a Brooklyn-based musician and artist working in the areas of improvisation and composition. Through her musical practice, her main interests lie in extending and expanding the technical limitations of the trumpet and the musical language of free jazz and improvised music. Branch is joined by bassist Luke Stewart and drummer Tcheser Holmes.
Linda Diaz
Linda Diaz is a native New Yorker who grew up in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. She makes dreamy R&B anchored by her skilled and soulful voice. In 2020 Linda won the Tiny Desk Contest presented by NPR music. With over 6,000 entries across the country, she won with her amazing song “Green Tea Ice Cream.”
Joining Linda Diaz: Andres Valbuena – drums. Manny Williams – bass.
Brooklyn Jam Session led by Louis Cato & Special Guests
We’ll close out this year’s JazzFest with our first-ever massive jam session led by multi-instrumentalist Louis Cato, featuring artists from throughout the festival and surprise special guests. Best known as a member of Jon Batiste & Stay Human, the house band of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Cato is also also known for his collaborations with Snarky Puppy, David Sanborn, George Duke, and A Tribe Called Quest.
Joining Louis Cato: Joe Dyson (drummer), Basil Wajdowicz (Keys), Rene del Fierro (guitar)
BRIC House is Brooklyn’s cultural living room: a 40,000 square foot multi-disciplinary arts and media complex where emerging and established artists can create work that deepens their practice and engages the diverse communities of the borough.
COVID-19 policy: Attendees of any BRIC House programming do not have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter the building. Masks are encouraged but not required in all BRIC operated spaces. To learn more, visit:
BRIC IS COMMITTED TO WELCOMING PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES
The main floor of BRIC House has an accessible entrance on Rockwell Place, in addition to an accessible, all-gender bathroom. The BRIC Media Center, located on the 2nd floor, is accessible via elevator. The Gallery level is accessible via a wheelchair lift. Portable FM assistive listening devices are available for programs on the Stoop and in the Ballroom upon request. To make a specific access request, or to let us know other ways we can provide you with a welcoming experience, please contact Benno Orlinsky at [email protected] or (718) 683-5637.
BRIC JazzFest
One of BRIC’s premiere performing arts programs, JazzFest is an acclaimed marathon Jazz music festival that brings together legendary figures, groundbreaking artists and newcomers from across the genre.
