In a media release, the Halifax Jazz Festival (HJF) has announced it will celebrate Black History Month with a series of free events in partnership with the Halifax Public Libraries.
These events honor the cultural roots and contributions of Black artists in jazz while supporting our community with free opportunities to embrace music. – Halifax Jazz Festival
“Jazz was born out of the Black experience in America, and while we keep this at the heart of our programming year-round, we take this month to focus on the history and diverse cultures that can be found within the art form, and of course have fun while doing so,” says HJF artistic director Andrew Jackson in the release.
First up is the HJF Listening Lounge on February 15 at Stillwell Taproom & Hi-Fi Doors, where Jackson and DJ Douvet will present a curated collection of vinyl recordings from legendary and contemporary Black jazz artists.
On February 26, trumpeter Alexis Baro will host a masterclass at Long & McQuade. The class will delve into Baro’s musical upbringing in Cuba, his approach to improvisation, and brass-playing techniques. The interactive session will be an opportunity for musicians of all levels and instrumentalists of all types to gain insights from a master of the craft.
Finally, on February 27, Baro will perform with Adrean Farrugia (piano), Tom Easley (bass), and Greg Ritchie (drums) at the Halifax North Memorial Library.
All events are free to attend, and attendees can RSVP for each at halifaxjazzfestival.ca.
This year’s TD Halifax Jazz Festival will be held July 15 – 20, 2025, in venues all across HRM.