North Carolina Jazz Festival - Wilmington NC
Traditional Jazz Music Festival held in Wilmington , North Carolina
February 6-8 2025
Wilmington gives a warm welcome to all of the jazz lovers attending our 45th North Carolina Jazz Festival! This historic city located on the bank of the Cape Fear River has many interesting shops, art galleries, museums and restaurants, as well as a movie studio, nearby beaches, plus Revolutionary and Civil War sites to explore during your days here.
We will fill your evenings with exciting performances by some of the greatest traditional jazz musicians from around the globe!
All evening concerts begin at 7:30 pm and held at the
Hotel Ballast ballroom
Thursday Night Showcase
Gregg Gelb will headline the 45th annual opening night’s Special Event
Gelb is a saxophonist, clarinetist, band leader, arranger, composer, and educator. He is director of the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble, founder and director of the Heart of Carolina Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Society, and co-founder and player with the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra. He founded groups Jazz Trio/Quartet, La Fiesta Latin Jazz Quintet, the Second Line Stompers, the Gregg Gelb Swing Band, performing with them regularly. Always a dedicated teacher, Gelb has brought jazz and music education to North Carolina since arriving here in 1979. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Berklee College of Music, a Master of Music degree from the North Carolina School of the Arts, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from University of North Carolina Greensboro.
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All Evening Concerts Will Begin At 7:30PM
Friday and Saturday NightsWe will continue our celebration with All-Star musicians playing in the traditional seven sets of six or seven players, each set with a different leader. You will see/hear many of our favorite NCJF musicians plus new additions to our lineup. You will not want to miss this exciting 45th annual North Carolina Jazz Festival! These will be 4 ½ hour concerts.
Patron Brunch:
On Saturday from 10:30 until 2pm we treat our patrons to a musical brunch, when all of our All-star musicians play for their pleasure while everyone enjoys a delicious brunch. During the last hour we have a “jam” when the patrons who are musicians have the opportunity to play with the All-stars. Fun for all!
Hotel Ballast, Tapestry Collection By Hilton
HOTEL BALLAST is home of the North Carolina Jazz Festival @ Wilmington. Special room rates for festival goers to be determined. Reservations must be made by December 31st, 2024 to receive this rate. For hotel reservations please call 910-763-5900 Special thanks for the hospitality shown to all attendees and musicians!!
