Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival
Hosted by Dee Dee Bridgewater
Terrace Theater
Join us in honoring the life and work of the “first lady of jazz,” legendary pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams. This year’s two-day festival features performances by Dee Dee Bridgewater, the Jamie Baum Septet+, the Savannah Harris “4,” Fay Victor, and more phenomenal women leading today’s jazz scene.
May 9 - 10, 2025
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Fri. May 9, 2025 7:30p.m.
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Sat. May 10, 2025 7:30p.m.
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Genre
Jazz
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View Digital Program
Program
NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater hosts the Kennedy Center’s 28th Annual Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, a two-day celebration honoring the “first lady of jazz” Mary Lou Williams (1910–1981) and the phenomenal women who continue to shape the genre.
On Friday, host and incomparable vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater takes the stage with prolific pianist Bill Charlap. The evening also features the Jamie Baum Septet+, led by the visionary jazz flutist and composer.
Saturday’s performance spotlights versatile avant-garde drummer Savannah Harris’ Savannah Harris “4” and utterly captivating vocalist/sound artist/composer Fay Victor, who has “invented her own hybrid of song and spoken word, a scat style for today’s avant-garde” (The New York Times).
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Sponsors
The Buffy and William Cafritz Family Foundation
Terms and Conditions
All events and artists subject to change without prior notice.
All ticket prices are subject to change based on demand. Purchase early to lock in prices and the best seats!