Published May 9 2018
In its 11th year, the Bellevue Jazz & Blues Festival will host 40 live shows at venues across the city Wednesday, May 30, through Sunday, June 3. Tickets for the Bellevue Downtown Association event, the Eastside's premier showcase of top national and regional artists, are on the festival page.
Powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Deva Mahal, daughter of legendary bluesman Taj Mahal, will deliver her soul and R&B Friday night at Meydenbauer Center Theatre . The Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio, led by the wizardly jazz organist, will take the Meydenbauer stage on Saturday.
Other notable artists at the festival include:
- Curtis Stigers with the Full Circle Big Band, Resonance at Soma Towers, 6:30 and 8:15 p.m., May 31
- Carlos Cascante y su Tumbao, Bake's Place Bar and Bistro, May 30, 8 p.m.
- The Darelle Holden Quarter, Bake's Place Bar and Bistro, May 31, 8 p.m.
About the Bellevue Jazz & Blues Festival
Established in 2008, the festival is a cultural and community event that attracts national artists, showcases regional talent and draws diverse audiences. Headlining artists are selected in collaboration with John Gilbreath, executive director of Earshot Jazz.
Past featured artists include Branford Marsalis, Booker T. Jones, Shemekia Copeland, Poncho Sanchez, Dianne Reeves, Bill Frisell, Charles Lloyd, Terence Blanchard, Hubert Laws, Mingus Big Band, Spanish Harlem Orchestra and Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra. The event was renamed the Bellevue Jazz & Blues Festival in 2015.