Birds of a Feather Ft. Javon Jackson with Nnenna Freelon

Tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson brings a lifetime of jazz mastery to Summer Fest — forged in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and rooted in a Blue Note legacy spanning straight-ahead tradition to wildly eclectic territory. He’s joined by Nnenna Freelon and Charles McPherson for this extraordinary set.
Jackson’s journey reads like a map of jazz’s modern era. His 1994 Blue Note debut, When the Time Is Right, was produced by Betty Carter, and subsequent recordings ranged from Caetano Veloso and Frank Zappa to Muddy Waters and Al Green. Later Palmetto releases found him exploring funk, jazz and soul alongside Dr. Lonnie Smith and Fred Wesley. Now Director of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz Studies at Hartford’s Hartt School, Jackson remains one of the music’s most versatile voices.
Seven-time Grammy Award nominated vocalist Nnenna Freelon is one of jazz’s most compelling live performers, her career spanning the Apollo Theater, the Hollywood Bowl and the White House. Her 2025 album Beneath The Skin is her most intimate work—The Washington Post says she’s building “not just a castle of love, but an expanded repertoire for jazz singers.”
Alto saxophonist Charles McPherson performed with Charles Mingus for over a decade and remains one of the music’s most singular voices. He’s a Clint Eastwood film veteran and Don Redman Lifetime Achievement Award winner still expanding on his bebop roots after six decades.