BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) — Music lovers are packing BRIC House in Downtown Brooklyn Friday night as the city’s jazz scene takes center stage for the 11th Annual BRIC JazzFest.
The two-night festival, running October 17–18, transforms the space into a global hub of rhythm, roots, and innovation.
Headlining night one is Afrofuturist trumpeter and composer Chief Adjuah — a pioneer of “stretch music,” blending New Orleans’ ancestral sound with modern improvisation. “Man, I’m ready to burn the stage up, man. Let’s get it. I can’t wait — I’m chomping at the bit,” Adjuah said before taking the stage.
Known for bringing ancestral tradition into contemporary contexts, Adjuah also reinvents the instruments themselves. He calls his handcrafted “Bow” a “21st-century corollary to the type of West African double-sided harps.” For him, each note is both homage and innovation. “This space means so much,” he said. “So every time we come, we like to bring some new offerings as well, so they’ll be able to hear some stretch music and some things that come from these B-flats.”
Friday’s energy leads directly into Saturday, when GRAMMY-winning jazz legend Dee Dee Bridgewater headlines the same stage.
“I’m happy to be in this BRIC House space for this festival,” she said, reflecting on a career shaped by global experiences and jazz greats like Nina Simone and Nancy Wilson. “My creative journey has been very much informed by my life experiences,” Bridgewater added. “I am at the moment doing a repertoire of protest songs — socially conscious songs.”
Deron Johnston, BRIC’s Chief Program Officer, says that spirit defines the festival’s mission. “It is an example of why BRIC is a cultural lynchpin,” Johnston said. “We have a global roster of artists celebrating jazz.”
If you missed tonight’s performances, day two of the festival continues Saturday night at BRIC House, located at 647 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn. For schedule and ticket information, click here.
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