Jazz Fest Pompano Beach is bringing a tidal wave of talent to South Florida. To accommodate the festival’s growing audience, Friday and Saturday night’s concerts will be staged directly on the city’s beautiful beach. Grammy® Award-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis leads a stellar lineup of internationally renowned artists including Ms. Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton, David Sanchez, and Najee who will be headlining the festival, which runs January 18-20. The opening kick-off event featuring the Valerie Tyson band, will still take place at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center. A 3-day VIP pass is $175, and general admission tickets to all performances are free, but registration is required at pompanobeacharts.org.
“Creating a beachside music festival with artists of this caliber is another milestone for our City,” said Ty Tabing, Cultural Affairs Director. “We are very proud to be bringing some of the most acclaimed musicians in the world to Pompano Beach and showcase them in a fashion that truly exemplifies the escalating reputation of our city.”
Food and drinks are of course essential to the success of any music festival and Tabing has tapped into all the top Fishing Village establishments including Baresco, Beach House, Burger Fi, How You Brewin’, Cannoli Kitchen Pizza, Kilwins, Lucky Fish and Oceanic, creating a ‘Beachside Beats & Culinary Treats’ vibe for the food and spirits garden.
Adding to the ambiance will be an array of live art experiences featuring Bailey Contemporary Arts Center’s (BaCA) Artists in Residence.
“We are very proud to have received a $50,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Broward to expand our Artists in Residence Program outside BaCA,” he continued. “Jazz Fest will be the first time we are tapping into this funding, and we are developing some outstanding ideas including live painting, art installations, mural curations, dance, and even a projection under the pier. Giving emerging artists a platform at this festival is something we are very proud of.”
Jazz Fest Pompano Beach 2024 Sponsors include Champion Porsche, John Knox Village, Bank United, Gold Coast Jazz Society, Outclique and Pompano! Magazine.
Timing, Parking and More:
Festivities will begin at 4 pm on Friday and Saturday, with music performances beginning at 6pm. There will be designated Ride Share pick-up and drop-off locations, and General Admission guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and beach blankets to enjoy the performances, coolers will be allowed. VIP guests packages include up-front seating, swag bag, meet & greet, and more perks.
Performance Schedule:
Thursday
Valerie Tyson Band | 7-9pm | FREE GA | $175 3-Day VIP Pass
They’re kicking off Jazz Fest Pompano Beach 2024 with a fun-filled celebration featuring South Florida’s Queen of Soul, Valerie Tyson and her amazing band. With her enviable mastery of Top 40 hits, R&B classics, and smooth jazz, Tyson and her fellow musicians will be setting the tempo for a weekend of memorable performances.
Friday
David Sanchez and Najee | 6-10pm | FREE GA | $175 3-Day VIP Pass
David Sanchez has emerged as one of the most respected jazz musicians of the 21st century, blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms from his Puerto Rican upbringing with jazz influences. He’s garnered critical acclaim and multiple awards for his diverse and innovative compositions. During Jazz Fest, his ensemble will consist of a piano, acoustic bass, drums, percussion, and guitar.
Najee, a Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and flautist, has become an international pioneer in the industry by pushing musical boundaries throughout his career and collaborating with legendary artists such as Prince, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan. His fusing R&B and jazz into a unique and captivating sound has resulted in six #1 albums on the Billboard charts.
Saturday
2 pm-10pm | FREE GA | $175 3-Day VIP Pass
Ms. Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton
Lisa Fischer, who spent four decades as a featured background with icons like The Rolling Stones, Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, and Tina Turner, is now taking center stage with her own award-winning style. The 2013 Best Documentary Oscar winning film, “Twenty Feet from Stardom,” altered the course of Fischer’s musical journey by telling her story through clips of her legendary duets with Mick Jagger and Sting. The film left audiences eager to hear more, leading to her organic fusion of Caribbean psychedelic soul and jazzy progressive rock which has been exciting fans worldwide! At Jazz Fest, Lisa Fischer will perform with Grand Baton, a dynamic collaboration that has impressed audiences at major events including The Monterey Jazz Festival, The Newport Jazz Festival, and The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
An Evening with Branford Marsalis
After four decades in the international spotlight, the achievements of saxophonist Branford Marsalis continue to grow. From his initial recognition as a young jazz lion, he has expanded his vision as an instrumentalist, composer, bandleader, and educator, crossing stylistic boundaries while maintaining an unwavering creative integrity. In the process, he has become a multi award-winning artist with three Grammys, a citation by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master, and an avatar of contemporary artistic excellence.
The Branford Marsalis Quartet, formed in 1986, remains his primary means of expression; however, he is also a frequent soloist with classical ensembles and acclaimed orchestras and his legendary guest performances with the Grateful Dead and collaborations with Sting have made him a fan favorite in the pop arena. His work on Broadway has garnered a Drama Desk Award and Tony nominations for the acclaimed revivals of Children of a Lesser God, Fences, and A Raisin in the Sun. He received an EMMY nomination for composing the music for the History Channel’s documentary, Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre. His screen credits further include original music composed for: Spike Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks starring Oprah Winfrey, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman.
About the City of Pompano Beach Cultural Affairs Department
The mission of the Cultural Affairs Department is to provide cultural programming that includes visual arts, digital media, music, film, theater, dance, and public art for the enjoyment and enrichment of residents and visitors to Pompano Beach, Broward County, and the greater South Florida area. The department programs and manages the City’s premiere cultural arts venues including the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, Ali Cultural Arts Center, Bailey Contemporary Arts Center, and the Blanche Ely House Museum. The department also oversees the City’s Public Art Program and the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts’ Our Town grant awarded to the Pompano Beach Crossroads place-making arts initiative.
