LIFE WITHOUT MUSIC WOULD BE FLAT: Atlanta Jazz Festival in Piedmont Park

José James 9pm

He's an American vocalist, blending Modern-Jazz and hip-hop into a new kind of music.
“No Beginning No End sums up how I feel about music right now,” says José James of his Blue Note Records debut. “I don’t want to be confined to any particular style. I decided I didn’t want to be considered a jazz singer anymore and that was really freeing. Once I realized that jazz singing is just something that I do and it’s just a label, it freed me as an artist to just write without any boundaries.”

No Beginning No End is a seamless musical experience that moves between different styles with remarkable fluidity, bound together by James’ transcendent voice. It marks a new chapter in the artistic journey of the 33-year-old singer/songwriter. Conceived, recorded and produced independently without any recording contract, the album is his most personal statement yet.

Dominick Farinacci

An American jazz trumpeter, composer, and a Big Band leader. He was one of the 18 artist word wide invited to be a part of the inaugural class of the Jazz Studies Program at The Juilliard. He's a great trumpet player, a true example for me. I loved the his way of playing and his tone. he brought some modern song on a very different way. Very interesting and nice to see on a sunny monday evening. He's originally from Cleveland, Ohio and first started out playing the drums but he change to trumpet because the band leader needed that. He told that the trumpet isn't a cool instrument when you're young , for the girls, but that gets better once you get older. I'm really happy to have heard him and it was the reason I came to the festival so it was better the expected.

Video Farinacci Video 1

Farinacci Video 2

Julie Dexter 5pm

Meet Julie Dexter, a world renowned, award winning, British vocalist considered by many to be one of the most influential female vocalists of our generation. Having shared the spotlight with a host of cutting-edge artists, including Mint Condition, Jill Scott, Bilal, Omar, Loose Ends, Rachelle Ferrell, Ledisi, Eric Roberson and Raheem DeVaughn to name a few, Julie not only holds up her own with them but has been praised and respected by them too.

Born and raised in Birmingham, England, this classically trained artist composes and arranges her own music. Influenced by legends such as Nancy Wilson, Abbey Lincoln, and Bob Marley, as well as popular icons Omar and Sade, Julie takes classic soul to the heart of Artistry.

She really connected with the audience, the atmosphere was very good. She's a good singer but it's not my kind of music.

I've got a short video of her trumpet player who was really nice (Russel Gun, a young but good soloist trumpet player)

Video click here