Headlining the 8th Annual Sugar Hill Music Festival is Harlem’s own Allan Harris, a renowned jazz vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. Described by The New York Times as having a "formidable baritone with husky edges and deep resonant low notes," Harris has received numerous accolades, including the DownBeat “Rising Star Jazz Vocalist” award, the prestigious 2022 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition, and three New York Nightlife Awards for “Outstanding Jazz Vocalist.” Harris is dedicated to preserving the rich legacy of jazz while exploring new musical frontiers and continues to inspire
audiences worldwide.
The festival will also honor the memory of Greg Tate, the esteemed African American writer, musician, and producer who passed away in December 2021.
A long-time resident of the Harlem community, Tate was a critic for The Village Voice, focusing on Black music and culture. He was also a guitarist and he
founded the improvisational band Burnt Sugar Arkestra in 1999. Tate was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize for “Excellence in Journalism and
the Arts” earlier this year.
One of the Festival's highlights is a tribute to Tate’s “Fly Boy in the Buttermilk.” Burnt Sugar Arkestra will accompany excerpted readings by Nelson George, an author, columnist, music culture critic, journalist, and filmmaker; Harlem native, LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, a renowned poet and sound artist; and Carl Hancock Rux, a historian, social activist, writer, and multidisciplinary artist.
The festival lineup also includes:
The Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra, performing danceable Afro-Cuban, salsa, and mambo classics. This big band has shared the stage with Latin luminaries such as Rubén Blades, Eddie Palmieri, and the late great Celia Cruz,
la Reina de la Salsa.
Marcus Persiani Trio feat. TC III, led by the world-renowned musician Marcus Persiani, who has shared the stage with greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, and Tito Puente.
Jennifer Jade Ledesna, a jazz vocalist who has graced New York’s top-tier venues like Carnegie Hall, Minton’s Playhouse, and Jazz@Lincoln Center, as well as stages across Europe, including Switzerland’s Chorus Jazz Club and Norway’s “Silda Jazz Fest.”
