Enjoy a full day of live Jazz outdoors on Court Street in White Plains. Performances start at 1pm and end at 6:30pm. Featuring the Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music, Gilberto Colón Jr. and Ensalada De Pulpo, the Erena Terakubo Quartet, Kotoko Brass, and the Ray Blue Quartet with special guest Samara Joy.
The Westchester Center for Jazz & Contemporary Music (1–1:45pm) provides opportunities for musicians of diverse backgrounds, abilities and ages to develop their skills in jazz and other related musical forms. This performance features a selection of the Center’s top student musicians and faculty.
Gilberto “Pulpo” Colón Jr. (2:05–2:55pm) is a pianist, composer, arranger, producer and band leader best known for his role as Musical Director for salsa superstar Héctor Lavoe. Colón has worked and recorded with some of Latin music’s most popular artists.
Born in Sapporo, Japan, Erena Terakubo (3:15–4:05pm) began playing the alto saxophone at the age of nine. In 2010, Terakubo released her first album, “North Bird” with Kenny Barron, Christian McBride, Lee Pearson and Peter Bernstein, through the major Japanese label King Records. It marked No. 1 on the Japanese jazz charts and was awarded Swing Journal‘s Gold Disc. Terakubo has performed with Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Louis Hayes, Vincent Herring, John Beasley’s MONK’estra, Lewis Nash and Lenny White, to name a few. Terakubo has released six albums as a leader.
Kotoko Brass (4:25–5:15pm) melds the traditional drum rhythms of Ghana, the sturdy bass and keyboards of the Caribbean, and the joyous horns of New Orleans to forge a new sound of its own. The band has shared the stage with Femi Kuti, the California Honeydrops, Vieux Farka Toure, Innov Gnawa, Take 6, Boston Pops and more.
Ray Blue (5:35–6:30pm) is a soulful and tender saxophonist, composer and music educator. Ray has toured extensively both nationally and internationally. He has seven releases with his most recent project, Jazzheads. His newest recording, which features Kenny Barron on piano, is scheduled to be released this fall. Samara Joy, winner of the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, has a voice as smooth as velvet. In her self-titled debut album (Whirlwind Recordings), she is backed by guitarist Pasquale Grasso, bassist Ari Roland and drummer Kenny Washington.
A partnership between ArtsWestchester, the City of White Plains and the White Plains BID, JazzFest has become a signature White Plains event presenting free and affordable jazz experiences to jazz enthusiasts from Westchester and beyond.
