Scranton Jazz Festival schedule set

The 19th annual Scranton Jazz Festival, the weekend of Aug. 2-4, will feature Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Joe Lovano jamming with well-known regional performers, jazz strolls through downtown, jazz brunches and new events.

“Every year the festival expands and grows bigger and bigger” said Sarah Effertz, the festival’s executive director.

The Saturday, Aug. 3 headliner is swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at the Scranton Cultural Center. Their style incorporates classic American jazz, swing and Dixieland. Tickets range from $30 to $60.

On Sunday, Aug. 4, Joe Lovano, a saxophone soloist, bandleader and composer, will perform with the Scranton Jazz Festival Big Band, at the Ritz Theater and Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15 to $25. The Scranton Jazz Festival Big Band’s performance of “The Swingin' Jazz Nutcracker Suite” on WVIA-TV earned the station a regional Emmy Award nomination.

Jazz walks, with free music in parks, bars, restaurants and other spaces will be Friday and Saturday in the downtown business district. On Sunday, performers will play for brunch patrons at several restaurants.

A new event, the Interactive Arts Marketplace, with free performances, art vendors and children’s activities at Courthouse Square, gives the festival an earlier Saturday start. It is planned for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“It’s great, because it is in the afternoon, it’s family friendly," Effertz said.

In another first, the 100 block of Penn Avenue will be shut down so that Commonwealth Coffeehouse and the Scranton Art Haus can spill their events into the outdoors.

For tickets, schedule and complete lineup of acts, go to scrantonjazzfestival.org.