Festival Roundup December 2016

DANNY BARKER BANJO & GUITAR FESTIVAL. (New Orleans, La.) – Jan. 12-15. The third annual Danny Barker Banjo and Guitar Festival will get under way with Danny’s Birthday Bash at Snug Harbor. (Danny was born on Jan. 13, 1909.) The birthday bash inaugurates four days celebrating Barker’s music and musical instruments featuring some of the top string players in the Crescent City along with many musicians who were influenced by him. Songwriter and guitarist Detroit Brooks is orchestrating the events as he did for the first two festivals. Performers, venues and prices are all TBA; dannybarkerfestival.com; dbbanjoguitarfest@yahoo.com TUCSON JAZZ FESTIVAL. (Tuscon, Ariz.) – Jan. 12-22, 2017. Primarily a downtown event with concerts at the historic Fox and Rialto theaters, the Tuscon Jazz Fest embraces a decidedly multi-cultural approach. A free outdoor Downtown Jazz Fiesta will be staged on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 17, with two stages: one featuring local Latin jazz bands and the other featuring smaller jazz ensembles. Other festival acts include John Pizzarelli, George Benson, Kamasi Washington, Storm Large, Anat Cohen, Howard Alden, Dee