When speaking with DCJF Artistic Director Willard Jenkins, legendary DC Jazz educator and musician Davey Yarborough stated, “We started the WJAI because of our understanding of the importance of inspiration, support and guidance in a developing artist’s journey.” Yarborough served as the Duke Ellington School of the Arts’ Jazz band director for over 40 years up until his retirement in 2019. During his tenure, Yarborough accumulated many musical and academic accolades for his

Longtime DC resident, jazz historian, and perennial cool cat Bill Brower claims many titles. As #DCJF Artistic Director Willard Jenkins detailed in a 2014 interview, “[Brower] has been a jazz journalist-critic, occasional broadcaster, concert, festivals and jazz event producer, an event technical producer, and all-around scene maker,” for nearly 50 years. Brower got started in DC as a community organizer before embarking on his DC jazz journey. He’s written for almost every l

For this week’s DC Jazz Festival #BlackHistoryMonth feature we proudly highlight one of DC’s biggest jazz advocates, WPFW Program Director Katea Stitt. “In D.C., there’s no greater champion of the connection between ‘jazz and justice’ than WPFW, a listener-supported station that has kept progressive ideas and Black music in circulation on the D.C. airwaves for almost 50 years.” Says Capital Bop’s Jamie Sandel, “And in recent decades, perhaps no one has been more central to th

"For over 50 years, Vernard R. Gray served as a pillar of D.C.’s cultural landscape: organizing art exhibitions, presenting jazz, taking photographs, mentoring young people." - Majeedah Johnson, Capital Bop. For #BlackHistoryMonth, DC Jazz Festival proudly honors Vernard R. Gray and his 50+ years of service to arts and culture in DC. A lifelong DC resident, Vernard made it his life's work to invest in his community and bring awareness to the many causes he championed. Gray wa