Delaware jazz festival celebrates musical heritage

The 23rd year of Wilmington’s DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival wrapped up Saturday.  Every night with perfect weather.

Jazz band Manifest III kicked off the week’s free concerts Tuesday night on the big stage in Rodney Square, performing before dozens who showed up with lawn chairs and dined alfresco.

“For 23 years, the DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival has entertained hundreds of thousands of Wilmington residents and visitors with free concerts by some of the biggest names in jazz,” said Wilmington’s Director of Cultural Affairs Tina Betz.

Click here to see the artist lineup for the 2011 DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, a lineup Betz says showcases all of the different styles that fall under the jazz umbrella.

“One of the ways we continue to build our city’s reputation as a jazz mecca is through our ever expanding efforts to bring the transformative power of jazz to all ages and populations. This year several of our talented musicians are even taking time away from their performance schedule to interact directly with the Wilmington community in more intimate settings.”

The city announced Wednesday some of the festival headliners will step outside the boundaries of Rodney Square and perform free concerts and musical workshops at various community locations.

The week-long festival remains completely free and open to the public.