It’s almost time for Spring Break and time to make plans to enjoy your time
off. In early spring, Savannah’s
historic district serves as the backdrop for the extensive concerts, recitals,
dance parties, film and dance productions of Georgia’s largest musical arts
event. The Savannah Music
Festival (SMF) is an annual 17-day celebration incorporating a carefully
curated schedule of popular, folk, traditional, serious and studied music, all
performed by renowned artists from across the globe. Known for its intimate venues, devotion to
artistic excellence and high production values, SMF also fosters the creation
of new work and artistic collaborations.
Jazz and classical music are again at the forefront of SMF
programming, encompassing the majority of fine art at this year’s festival. However, two distinctive dance productions are
also part of the 2017 lineup, including Ballet Collective’s What Comes Next and
Argentinian dance ensemble Che Malambo. SMF’s
critically-acclaimed chamber music series is led for the 14th season by
violinist and associate artistic director Daniel Hope, who brings his musical
friends and colleagues from across North America and Europe for nearly three
weeks of original productions. The
return of SMF’s Piano Showdown highlights what Jelly Roll Morton called “the
Spanish tinge,” with Cuban virtuoso Chucho Valdés, Panamanian star Danilo
Pérez and SMF Associate Artistic Director Marcus Roberts. This is a small sample, please see complete
lineup here.
Pop fare is prevalent in the 2017 SMF lineup, beginning with
two nights of The Avett Brothers at the Johnny Mercer Theatre. Roots rock singer-songwriter Jason Isbell makes
his second SMF appearance, Nikki Lane and Parker Millsap share a bill, and Richard
Thompson is joined on a Lucas Theatre double bill by Sarah Jarosz. Pakistani
rock band Sounds of Kolachi plays on an only-in-Savannah co-bill with Hiss
Golden Messenger, and the Travelin’ McCourys and Jeff Austin Band team up for a
Grateful Ball. On a program called Chicago Blues Meets Gulf Coast Boogie, Lurrie
Bell performs alongside Marcia Ball and special guest James Cotton. On closing night Bruce Hornsby & the
Noisemakers are followed by a festival finale with The Wood Brothers. See complete lineup HERE.
At SMF, folk art involves diverse musical traditions and
their offshoots, starting with a double bill of two award-winning bluegrass
groups: Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out and Flatt Lonesome.
Opening weekend features a bevy of southwest Louisiana musicians: T’Monde, Pine
Leaf Boys, Feufollet, and Joel Savoy & Kelli Jones. Québécois traditional
ensembles Le Vent du Nord and De Temps Antan team up, Canary Island timple
player Germán López makes his SMF debut, and Dom Flemons shares a bill with the
Foghorn Stringband. Sufi vocal warrior Sanam
Marvi performs inspirational music of Pakistan, Masters of Brazilian Music pairs
80-year-old virtuoso Hermeto Pascoal with mandolinist Danilo Brito’s choro
quintet, Edgar Meyer & Mike Marshall (Director of SMF’s Acoustic Music
Seminar) play a special duo show and Ukrainian “ethno-chaos” band DakhaBrakha
return to SMF with an original score for the 1930 Dovzhenko silent film, Earth. See a complete lineup HERE
Tickets: 216 E. Broughton St.
Savannah, GA
31401
(912) 525-5050
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