LAST YEAR, RAIN dampened the second annual Duke Ellington Jazz Festival's outdoor extravaganza at the National Mall, abruptly forcing the all-day lineup inside the Lincoln Theater.

The organizers hope to avoid the cold winds and wet weather this year by pushing the festival a full month ahead, beginning on Sunday at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage with Japan's Portland Taiko Percussion Ensemble.

"October seems to be a much fishier month with weather than September," said Michal Fishman, the festival's senior VP of communications and marketing. "We're hopeful that it doesn't rain, but if it does, we'll go back to the Lincoln Theater."

Not only has the DEJF's dates have changed, Fishman promises an even bigger event — thanks in huge part to new additional sponsors such as Target, Bank of America, XM Radio and Chevron — than last year as it extends from a five-day to nine-day affair.

A compelling centerpiece of the 100-plus all-star lineup is jazz superstar Nnenna Freelon, who deftly reconciles jazz's yesteryear with ingenious syncopated makeovers of songs by Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and The Temptations. Brazilian vocalist Flora Purim — along with her ever-present percussion-playing husband, Airto Moreira — will surely demonstrate why she's so beloved by not only hardcore jazz fans, but also by electronica-, R&B- and funk-heads, too.

Trumpeter Roy Hargrove and reedist extraordinaire Paquito D'Rivera — also the festival's artistic director — will return, offering plenty of blistering improvisations. And, as always, the festival will highlight outstanding homegrown talent such as trumpeter Thad Wilson, drummer Nasar Abadey, saxophonist Will Smith and, of course, the eminent pianist Dr. Billy Taylor.

In addition to the live lineup are various jazz films, music workshops and family-oriented activities specifically for kids.

"We created a 'Jazz 'n' Families Fun Day' on Saturday, Sept. 15," said Fishman. "It features four free concerts at National Gallery Sculpture Garden, the Sitar Arts Center, the Atlas Performance Arts Center and Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage that also include face-painting, storytelling and family portraits."

Although the impressive, very international lineup indicates various stylistic idioms, ranging from edgy modern jazz and Latin and Brazilian jazz to standard big band and swing, the overall theme for the third annual festival is "Celebrating Dizzy Gillespie," which isn't too surprising, given that the one of the festival's executive director, Charlie Fishman, once managed the legendary trumpeter, who would have turned 90 years old this year.

Two all-star affairs — "In the Footsteps of Dizzy" (featuring trombonist Steve Turre, pianist Danilo Perez, saxophonist David Sanchez) and "The NEA Jazz Masters Concerts" (featuring saxophonist Jimmy Heath, trombonist Slide Hampton, trumpeter Clark Terry and Dr. Billy Taylor) — will focus on Gillespie's repertoire at the Lincoln Theater, Friday (Sept. 14) and Saturday (Sept. 15) nights, respectively.

Like last year, the festival will take over the much of D.C., filling popular nightclubs such as Bohemian Caverns, Cafe Nema, Bossa, Duke's City, Busboys and Poets, Twins Lounge and Blues Alley with riveting jazz music, and of course, concluding with a big soiree on the Mall, rain permitting.

» For a compete schedule, see www.dejazzfest.org.

Written by Express contributor John Murph
Freelon photo by Randee St. Nicholas; D'Rivera photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post

Posted by Express at 12:22 AM on September 6, 2007
Tagged in Entertainment , Music , The District , Top Stories