Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival

The 2016 Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival, April 14-16, features Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band, Matuto, the Knox Alumni Big Band, Faculty and Friends Combo, and the Knox Jazz Ensemble.

Tickets

The Festival Pass is $30 per person and includes access to all events. Individual tickets may also be purchased at the door.

Friday, April 15

Knox Alumni Big Band
8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Matuto
9:30 p.m.-Midnight
Fat Fish Pub (158 North Broad Street)
Admission for all Friday events: $10

A performance by the Knox Alumni Big Band, followed by the festival’s first featured guest group, Matuto. Referred to as “Brazilian Bluegrass” by the band, Matuto’s unique fusion of styles connects traditional South American, American roots, and contemporary jazz styles. You’ll hear Brazil in the rich tones of Rob Curto’s forró accordion playing, in the rural rhythms of the maracatu, in the urban beats of Rio’s samba, and in the intricate, chorinho-inspired melodies, all balanced with clear connections to American jazz, blues, bluegrass, and folk. Matuto revels in cultures colliding and in the ongoing exchange of ideas. They know its history is not without tension, but those very tensions can fire creative expression and good times. “We’re questioning the boundaries and borders of the present and past,” muses Ross. “We can’t always answer these questions, but we can let them guide us towards new possibilities through music.” The band has toured North America and Brazil, playing hundreds of shows each year. Matuto was a featured showcase ensemble at WOMEX, and has toured as U.S. State Department musical ambassadors in African, Europe, and the Middle East.