Jamming all day and night across the city, over 100 musicians ranging from child percussionist bands to Sephardic liturgical pieces come together for the same reason: jazz. For six days, the city will play host to stellar lineups of jazz, funk, blues, rock and world musicians in different venues across the city, many in the historic U Street area. With tickets being sold individually for each performance, concert attendees will only have the difficulty of deciding which show to see.

“Because we are in D.C., this is automatically perceived [by the rest of the world] as something that is national, an American event,” said Charles Fishman, former manager of jazz great Dizzy Gillespsie and founder of the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. Fishman also pointed out that jazz and blues are the only original American music traditions — and education of these traditions is a major part of the festival’s mission. The mission of the festival is to honor Duke Ellington’s legacy, provide exposure to jazz music, contribute to D.C.’s music scene, and use jazz to educate children and adults alike about the arts. “We want jazz to [cover] the city during this week,” Fishman said. “And essentially we want it to be a year-round presence, educating people about jazz.”

Part of this education will come from the broad demographic that attends the free concert on the National Mall. While previous years allotted one day to this concert, which drew over 25,000 attendees to the show, the 2008 DEJF will have two days of music on “America’s lawn.”

“There are things you can do here that you can’t do anywhere else,” Fishman said. “You can perform in front of the monuments, in front of the Capitol. Having performances on the National Mall provides exposure.”

For many years, Fishman had traveled all over the country with Gillespie, often stopping in D.C. for a show or a layover. As Duke Ellington’s birthplace and the home of “Black Broadway,” (the area around U Street), D.C. has a rich tradition of jazz and blues. “I looked around and saw that D.C. was the only major city without its own jazz festival,” Fishman said. “I thought it was shameful.” With the help of generous sponsors and his connections to big-name modern jazz artsists like the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dave Brubeck and Chuck Brown, the Festival expanded from a mere 11 clubs to this year’s impressive 34. “Now venues have been contacting us to host, instead of the other way around,” Fishman said.

The DEJF has grown to include many side projects, including “Jazz in the Hoods,” a series of nighttime concerts in different D.C. neighborhoods. There are student concerts as well as a few master’s classes taught at George Washington University and Howard University by renowned musicians.

One of these days, “Jazz ‘n Families Fun Day,” will be held Oct. 4 at the Sylvan Amphitheater on the National Mall. Entertainment will feature storytellers, folksingers and mariachi bands, as well as the Louisville Leopard Percussionists — an up-and-coming band of 7-to-12 year olds. The coordinators of the festival hope to use “Jazz ‘n Families Fun Day” to further educate the D.C. community, and especially children, on jazz and music in general. On Oct. 5, for free on the Mall, concertgoers can see major acts of the festival, including the Howard University a cappella group, Taj Mahal, Christian McBride, McCoy Tyner and Dee Dee Bridgewater.
Fishman is also excited about the many collaborations in store. Festival coordinators commissioned Step Afrika!, a well-known step team, to partner with the W.E.S. Group, a jazz group. The result is the world premiere of a collaboration between jazz and step. In the past, the Turkish, Austrian and Cameroonian embassies were involved in the festival as collaborators. “We are here in the seat of government,” Fishman said, “and we have all of the embassies, all of the different countries and different international groups available, which allows us to collaborate with different groups.”

So what to see? For Georgetown students, the closest venue is right in our own backyard — the legendary Blues Alley, at 1073 Wisconsin Avenue. One of the most anticipated acts at Blues Alley this year is Monty Alexander, a regular at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Alexander tickles the ivories with influences of Ellington’s own jazz style as well as Alexander’s Jamaican roots. “My music is in the tradition of classic jazz music,” he said. “I like to play music from my own country of Jamaica, and I infuse that influence of Ellington and other great masters of jazz. I’ve got my own approach to things … my music is a way of uplifting people. That’s what I do.”

Alexander’s resume includes collaborations with many music legends, including Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, Sly Dunbar, Quincy Jones and more. “Every time a musician or an artist has the opportunity to share music with another artist, especially a good one,” he said, “something of those people becomes a part of the new music.” Alexander is based in New York City, but his extensive time spent at Blues Alley makes this show feel like a return to the comfort and familiarity of home. “Things have changed in various ways since then, but I really know that club. I feel like I know every corner,” he said. “It’s like coming home, for me, and I enjoy a pretty good turnout audience to come and hear the music. So I’m glad to be coming back. I’m excited.” For Georgetown students planning on making the short trip to Blues Alley to hear Alexander’s Jamaican-piano fusion on Oct. 3, he gives this advice: “When you come to see me play, fasten your seatbelts.”

Along the same lines, funky, upbeat local D.C. band Chopteeth promises a “sweaty dance party,” according to composer, guitarist, and singer Michael Shereikis, when they perform Friday Oct. 3 at the 9:30 Club. Bringing together 1970’s big-band sound from West Africa and modern jazz rhythms, the 14-piece band promises an energetic set full of interlocking guitar riffs, multilingual lyrics and powerful horns. With such a large band, “it’s not always easy [to organize,] but it all depends on the goodwill of the people, and this group is pretty good,” said Shereikis. “This festival has a hometown kind of flavor…we’re very honored and excited.” Though this is their first year playing the festival, Chopteeth have been gigging around D.C. for many years. “The international community here is the richest it can possibly be,” said Shereikis. “Every community in the world is represented here, so that definitely has an effect on our sound and our possibilities.”

After you check out Chopteeth, be sure to stick around for Fertile Ground at the 9:30 Club, a Baltimore-based band renowned for their funky, soulful sound. Another Oct. 3 act you won’t want to miss is harmonica master Frederic Yonnet, playing at the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Art.

The 2008 DEJF promises lots of great acts, and the majority of the shows are free and open to the public. From the nearby Blues Alley to the far quadrants of the city, the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival provides exposure to jazz, blues and world music and offers opportunities to witness legendary collaborations by some of the greatest artists of our time.