Name: Savannah Music Festival 2023
Start: 2023-3-23
End: 2023-4-8

Categories music

Event Type

Event Details

Celebrated for distinctive live performances spanning American and international roots music, jazz, classical, jam, rock, and blues genres in beautiful, historic Savannah, Ga., the Savannah Music Festival (SMF) is pleased to announce its 2023 season, which runs from March 23 through April 8, 2023.

Tickets start at $31 and can be purchased online at savannahmusicfestival.org, by phone at 912.525.5050 or in person at the Savannah Box Office.

Called “one of the Southeast’s most creative cross-cultural musical events” by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the 17-day festival has been raising the bar each year by showcasing an exceptional cross section of award-winning icons, trailblazing contemporaries and dynamic newcomers. SMF 2023 features a series of outdoor performances at Trustees’ Garden, including two nights showcasing living legend and blues pioneer Buddy Guy on his “Damn Right Farewell” tour with special guests Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Eric Gales, King Solomon Hicks and Jontavious Willis. The Tedeschi Trucks Band returns after a four-year hiatus, and New Orleans jam favorites Galactic teams up with funk maestro Cory Wong and the jazz, R&B and pop fusion of Nate Smith KINFOLK for a special performance.

Classical highlights include the Philip Dukes & Friends chamber music series, led by the world-renowned viola player and SMF Associate Artistic Director Dukes. A concert by the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, also with Dukes and former SMF Artistic Director Daniel Hope, represents a symbolic passing of the baton from Hope to Dukes. Additionally, the esteemed chamber ensemble the Emerson String Quartet makes a stop in Savannah on their final tour, the Dover Quartet performs with Savannah’s own Joseph Conyers, and acclaimed emerging pianists Alexander Malofeev and Drew Petersen give recitals.

Also known for unique artist collaborations, the 2023 festival will offer a number of one-time-only programs and special double bills. Melding world music with Americana, Malian master of the ngoni (precursor to the banjo) Bassekou Kouyate shares a bill with Jake Blount, scholar/performer of the Black string band tradition, appearing with Nic Gareiss and Laurel Premo. Master old-time and bluegrass practitioners Bruce Molsky, Tony Trischka and Michael Daves share the stage with The Onlies, which finds the mentors alongside a young, award-winning string band. Newgrass pioneers Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas share the stage, with Bush’s set featuring the inimitable music of the late John Hartford. Acclaimed jazz violinist Regina Carter offers “Gone in a Phrase of Air,” an original music and multimedia performance that explores the effects of the urban renewal of the 1950s and 1960s. Kenny Barron, Dave Holland and Johnathan Blake celebrate Barron’s 80th birthday, Terence Blanchard & E-Collective perform with the Turtle Island Quartet, and Grammy Award-nominated jazz singer Cécile McLorin Salvant shares the stage with vocal sextet San Salvador.

Always exceeding expectations for festival goers who are eager to discover new favorites, 2023 debut artists include Terence Blanchard, Patty Griffin, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Leo Kottke, Regina Carter, Sona Jobarteh, Natu Camara, Stanton Moore Trio, Los Lobos, The Alt with Oisin McAuley, Téada, S.G. Goodman, Harold Lopez-Nussa’s “Timba a la Americana” and more. Additional highlights include a Zydeco Dance Party featuring Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, a Latin Dance Party with Eddie Palmieri’s Latin Jazz Band, as well as a Cajun Dance Party featuring The Lost Bayou Ramblers.

Time

March 23 (Thursday) - April 8 (Saturday)

Location

Various locations

Organizer

Savannah Music Festival

volunteers@savannahmusicfestival.org Savannah

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28marAll Day08aprVolunteer at the 2023 Savannah Music Festival!Your City. A World of Music.

30mar5:30 pm8:30 pmLive Music at Perch, the Rooftop Bar at Local 11tenLive Music and Happy Hour Specials at Perch

30mar8:00 pmDwight Yoakam

Event Details

Dwight Yoakam has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, and he is a 21-time nominated, multiple GRAMMY Award winner. He has 12 gold albums and 9 platinum or multi-platinum albums, with five of those albums topping Billboard’s Country Albums chart and another 14 landing in the Top 10. Nearly 40 of Yoakam’s singles have charted on Billboard, with 14 peaking in the Top 10. Yoakam is a recipient of the Artist of the Year award from the Americana Music Association, the most prestigious award offered by the organization, he will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in the Songwriter/Artist category at the 49th anniversary Gala on October 14, 2019 in Nashville, TN.

Yoakam’s self-curated SiriusXM channel, titled Dwight Yoakam and The Bakersfield Beat ‘Where Country Went Mod’ launched in April of 2018. The channel celebrates the Bakersfield sound and those whom it has inspired. Guests have boasted the likes of Post Malone, Lukas Nelson, Beck, Chris Hillman, Jakob Dylan, Mike Nesmith and Mickey Dolans, Dave Alvin, and Jackie DeShannon, among others.

In 2016, Yoakam released his bluegrass album Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars… on Sugar Hill Records. Featuring a band of bluegrass luminaries, this album boasts a collection of reinterpreted favorites from his catalogue, as well as a cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain”. Produced by nine-time GRAMMY winner Gary Paczosa (Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton), Jon Randall (songwriter of “Whiskey Lullaby”), and Yoakam himself, and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, this album reflects the love for bluegrass music that Yoakam developed at an early age in Kentucky and that has inspired him for many years thereafter. In 2018, Yoakam released two songs, “Pretty Horses” and “Then Came Monday” (the latter written with Chris Stapleton).

In addition to his musical career, Yoakam is a formidable film and television actor who has appeared in over 40 feature films, including Sling Blade and Panic Room. Most recently he was on the big screen in Clint Eastwood’s latest film, Cry Macho. He recurred in David E. Kelley’s Amazon series Goliath and appeared in director Steven Soderbergh’s film Logan Lucky with Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig.

Time

(Thursday) 8:00 pm

Location

Johnny Mercer Theater at the Savannah Civic Center

301 W Oglethorpe Ave, Savannah, GA 31401

Organizer

Savannah Civic Center

301 W Oglethorpe Ave Savannah, Georgia

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31mar5:00 pm9:00 pmSoilFamily Expo

april

23marAll Day08aprSavannah Music Festival 2023Enjoy 17 days of live music performances and unique artist collaborations at the 2023 Savannah Music Festival!

Event Details

Tickets start at $31 and can be purchased online at savannahmusicfestival.org, by phone at 912.525.5050 or in person at the Savannah Box Office.

Time

March 23 (Thursday) - April 8 (Saturday)

Location

Various locations

Organizer

Savannah Music Festival

volunteers@savannahmusicfestival.org Savannah

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28marAll Day08aprVolunteer at the 2023 Savannah Music Festival!Your City. A World of Music.

01apr11:00 am5:00 pmSpring De Soto Street MarketLocal Vendors, Makers & Chill Vibes

01apr2:00 pmBlippi

01apr7:00 pmFreebird

02apr(apr 2)1:00 am10(apr 10)1:00 amHoly Week at Ascension

04apr7:00 pm9:00 pmBrazilian Drumming ClassSeven-week series begins April 4

05apr6:00 pm9:00 pmJacob Evans Live at ArtilleryLive Music at Artillery

05apr7:15 pm8:45 pmWednesday Night Social Club with the Fabulous Equinox OrchestraEnjoy live music, delicious food and signature cocktails at the Wednesday Night Social Club!

Event Details

Plant Riverside District will host the Wednesday Night Social Club at District Live! This event will feature live music by the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra as well as Michelin Star chef-prepared tapas, signature cocktails and champagne served in a sophisticated, Sinatra-inspired nightclub environment.

Culinary highlights will include Ahi Tuna Crudo with Soy Ponzu and Fresno Chili, Assorted Charcuterie and Imported Cheeses, Fresh Ricotta Gnocchi with Bolognese and District Macarons prepared by Plant Riverside District’s Executive Chef Shahin Afsharian, a Michelin Star recipient who has been honored as the JW Marriott Leader of the Year.

Trained by international master chefs including Joël Robuchon, Takeo Yamazaki and Christophe Cussac, Afsharian served as a popular contestant on The Food Network’s hit television show, “Chopped,” where he impressed judges with his versatility, culinary talent and international influences. Originally from Mexico City, Afsharian brings a unique international flair to his culinary projects and is dedicated to creating unforgettable experiences for each and every guest.

On the musical front, the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra will offer a magical mingling of Southern sophistication and sultry, sexy swagger, performing familiar melodies from renowned superstars like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, Georgia artists including Ray Charles and Otis Redding and Savannah’s own GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter Johnny Mercer. Attendees will enjoy favorite contemporary hits with a generous dose of Motown, country, folk and rock.

Described by Broadway World as “Great American Music at its finest” and by the Savannah Morning News as “one of the hottest tickets in the city,” the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra is led by accomplished musicians Jeremy Davis and Clay Johnson. This popular local Southern big band has been inspired by Rat Pack sophistication and Highwaymen style.

Signature Wednesday Night Social Club cocktails include Est 75 featuring Taittinger Champagne, a Courvoisier-inspired Sidecar, Down, Dirty and Spicy featuring Absolut Elyx and Hidden Treasure featuring Eagle Rare 10.

Doors will open at 6 p.m.; the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra will start performing at 7:15 p.m. and will play for 90 minutes. General admission seating is $80 /person. VIP tables are also available.

Reservations are available at plantriverside.com.

Time

(Wednesday) 7:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Location

District Live at Plant Riverside District

400 West River Street

Organizer

The Kessler Collection

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05apr7:30 pm8:30 pmPost-Performance Panel Discussion on the Impacts of Urban Renewal feat. Regina CarterJoin the Savannah Music Festival for a free panel discussion on the impacts of urban renewal and gentrification following NEA Jazz Master Regina Carter's performance.

Event Details

The Savannah Music Festival (SMF) will host a free panel discussion immediately following National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jazz Master Regina Carter’s 6 p.m. live performance on Wednesday, April 5 at Trustees Theater.

MacArthur “Genius” Artist Award recipient Regina Carter will make her SMF debut with her original project Gone in a Phrase of Air, which explores the impact of urban renewal on African-American and immigrant communities beginning in the 1950s and the displacement of people and their respective cultures in Carter’s hometown of Detroit as well as neighborhoods in St. Louis, Chicago and New York City. In the work’s collection of original and reimagined music of the era, Regina Carter shines a spotlight on what’s been lost — gone in a phrase of air — and finds celebration in the ashes.

The panel discussion, which is free and open to the public, will address the impact of urban renewal and gentrification — both locally and nationally — and will feature first-hand accounts and moving personal experiences shared by three esteemed panelists, including Regina Carter, the former Mayor of the City of Savannah, Ga. and author of From ‘N Word’ to Mr. Mayor: Experiencing the American Dream Otis Johnson and nationally renowned artist Jerome B. Meadows.

Tickets to Regina Carter’s performance are not required to attend the free panel discussion.

Time

(Wednesday) 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Location

Trustees' Theater

216 E Broughton St, Savannah, GA 31401

Organizer

Savannah Music Festival

volunteers@savannahmusicfestival.org Savannah

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06apr5:30 pm8:30 pmLive Music at Perch, the Rooftop Bar at Local 11tenLive Music and Happy Hour Specials at Perch

07apr7:00 pm9:00 pmFriday Night Oyster RoastThe Westin Savannah Harbor River Lawn

07apr7:30 pm9:30 pmFirst Friday for Folk Music Concert - Jonita Aadland with Craig Thomas

07apr8:00 pmRon Helman Jazz Ensemble

09apr10:00 am3:00 pmEaster BrunchCelebrate Easter with a family-friendly brunch and other fun activities at Plant Riverside District!

11apr7:00 pm9:00 pmBrazilian Drumming ClassSeven-week series begins April 4

13apr5:30 pm8:30 pmLive Music at Perch, the Rooftop Bar at Local 11tenLive Music and Happy Hour Specials at Perch

13apr6:00 pm9:00 pmRiverfront Concert Series

13apr7:00 pm8:30 pmBeer & Hymns

13apr7:00 pmCheck Your Head: A Beastie Boys Tribute

13apr8:00 pmMt. Joy

13apr8:00 pmMr. Ho's Orchestrotica

Event Details

In the same way a chef de cuisine runs a kitchen, percussionist Brian O’Neill leads a team of five musical creators who deftly collaborate on instruments foreign and domestic to form modernist delicacies for hungry, curious listeners. From the high arts of jazz and chamber music to adaptations of mid-century exotica and pop art, the quintet version of Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica renders O’Neill’s original compositions and curious arrangements of Bach, Gershwin, Shostakovich and John Adams into cinematic, layered music for armchair travelers ready to journey off road.

While the quintet eschews most of the musical forms, rhythms, and styles of the 1950s exotica sound that inspired O’Neill, it fully embraces the unique genre’s love of escapism, whether through deliberate, out-of-context use of global sounds or through jazz improvisation that doesn’t swing and deliberately imitates the rhythm of a skipping record. On the listener’s plate might be equal parts scratch and sniff, bongos with a fugue, and a cat fight at a piano recital. On the stage, the ensemble skillfully negotiates detailed compositions and arrangements of classical works while relying on listening and instinct to drive passionate improvisation.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE BAND

“If John Zorn is an exotica Picasso, O’Neill is his Georges-Braque counterpart in cubism’s transposition to music.” —AllAboutJazz

“No other band on the planet sounds anything remotely like Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica.”

—Lucid Culture

VIP TICKET INCLUDES:

• Choice of Seat Location

• 2 Drink Tickets

• Free Merch

• Early Entry

• Meet & Greet w/ Band (subject to availability)