-The Jazz Association of Macon and the Neighbors of Riverdale Drive are pleased to welcome Wycliffe Gordon and Friends as the headliner for their 20th anniversary Jazz and Arts on Riverdale event Oct. 21 and 22. The Saturday concert also features the Mose Davis Quartet and the JAM Ambassadors, and a special jazz and arts brunch on Sunday will feature music by the Ritmo Soul Bunch.

The annual Jazz and Arts on Riverdale event is the area’s largest block party, bringing hot jazz sounds to a closed section of Riverdale Drive, between Ridge Avenue and Overlook, which will be lined with local artists and makers from noon to 6 p.m. The event is free, and the public is invited to bring blankets and picnics to enjoy the music and festivity from the lawns of the Riverdale Drive neighbors. Food will also be available for purchase, and there will be silent auctions, a designated activity area for children, and a VIP lounge area with free food and drink for Jazz Association of Macon Cotton Club members. The opportunity to purchase a Cotton Club membership is available online at MaconJazz.org/become-a-member and will be offered at the event for those looking to take advantage of provided food and drink. Funds raised at the festival via sales of posters, tee shirts, a silent auction and vendor fees support Jazz Association of Macon’s scholarship programs, providing tuition assistance for Central Georgia music students from middle school to college. Scholarship applications are available at the association’s website MaconJazz.org. Opportunities for vendor registration and event sponsorships are open through Oct. 1 at MaconJazz.org.

Continuing the 20th annual celebration through the weekend, new to the 2023 event is a Sunday jazz brunch on Oct. 22 at chic cigar and cocktail lounge and rooftop patio Churchill’s on Cherry. A prix fixe buffet menu at $30 per person will be provided from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; reservations are required; tables are limited and are offered first-come-first-served. Musical accompaniment will be provided by the Ritmo Soul Bunch, Middle Georgia’s only Latin fusion band.

The official artwork for the anniversary event was created by Rhonda “Sunshine” Miller, a self-taught multimedia artist  from Macon whose works have been displayed at Triangle Arts, Macon Arts Alliance, Wesleyan College Arts Showcase, 567 Center, Little Village Arts Center and more.

Event headliner Wycliffe Gordon is a former member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and as a prolific solo recording artist can be heard on hundreds of recordings, soundtracks, live DVDs and documentaries. His arrangement of the theme song for NPR’s “All Things Considered” is heard daily around the world, and his extensive catalog of original compositions spans the various timbres of jazz and chamber music. Gordon will also serve as Jazz Association of Macon Artist in Residence, where he will present a master class during the upcoming year for middle and high school students and will provide an additional performance. More information on Gordon’s residency to follow.

Classically trained at the Detroit Conservatory of Music, Mose Davis is an exceptional jazz artist and permanent fixture on the Atlanta music scene and throughout the region. Some of his musical influences include jazz greats Jimmy Smith and Ahmal Jamal. Although he moves freely between acoustic piano, synthesizers and electric keyboards, his all-time love is the Hammond organ.

The JAM Ambassadors are comprised of local musicians organized by the Jazz Association of Macon and led by Dr. Edward Clark. This group of Central Georgia players perform jazz concerts at schools throughout the year to keep this uniquely American genre alive and embraced by the youth.

Interviews with JAM leadership and featured musicians can be arranged in advance or day of the event. Additional photos from past events are available. For media inquiries, contact Summer Bozeman on behalf of the Jazz Association of Macon, at [email protected] or (770) 354-1364.