DC Jazz Fest

The event was well organized and had a great family atmosphere. I was glad my family and friends all had a chance to come out and enjoy all the wonderful performances.

Excellent lineup entirely, will go again next year

On a sunny bit breezy day, I had my first foray into the Yards Park for the D.C. JazzFest. It was wonderful.

Yards Park is the best-kept secret of Anacostia! Beautiful park with a boardwalk by the water! The stage was set up with the river in the background and a large screen behind it that largely projected the performers on stage. The sound system was the best I've ever experienced ANYwhere! We had general admission tickets, but were able to sit on the wall of raised flower beds farther back from the stage with a great view! Gregory Porter sounded even better in person than his recordings (which are superior!). His band was awesome! I was thrilled by his performance. Every group was introduced very professionally and ON TIME. I didn't care for the next act. Trombone Shorty had the audience on its feet and dancing from the get-go!! AMAZING!! He and his brilliant musicians were total talent and entertainment!

Not only was the weather picture perfect on the capitol riverfront but the music was INCREDIBLE!!! Gregory Porter blessed us with his melodic voice of love, truth and joy. Robert Glasper enlightened our ears with creative hues of rythmn and tune. Last but not least, Trombone Shorty brought the house down with energetic sounds of brass band and beats. New Orleans second line met DC's Go Go delight... it was FANTASTIC!

The venue and the artist for Saturday"s offering was fantastic, I didn't feel like I was in DC. Truly an awesome experience, but that is to be expected when Gregory Porter is on the bill. My only issue was with the lack of shade for the seated area, although doable with the gentle breeze ushering the baladry of Gregory Porter and others over the audience, it was quite draining and had it not been for the pleasant weather my rating would have been sans at least one star for the amount of money paid for the ticket and no shade.

The DC Jazz Festival at Capitol Riverfront Yards Park was a great event. The staging area was adequate; however, I think that patrons should be made aware that they should bring umbrellas, chairs and other things to be comfortable. The staging area and big screen were centered so it would have been better to have had made the area more conducive to people sitting there or feeling comfortable about sitting on the grass. It did not have the festival feel to it to give patrons the incentive to lounge on the grass. It was not until near the end when people began to congregate on the grass and that was when the sun was setting. Also the vendors should take credit and debit cards. Though it was an ATM it is not convenient to pay cash only and I, for one, do not like to pay to have to get money. Also, I enjoyed the food from the Cajunator; however, it should have been a few more food vendors; particularly since you could not bring food and drink. I came to see the musicians not stand in line waiting for food. That was too much of a distraction.

What an amazin night! So fun and romantic. Seats were not specified and we didn't know we had to bring own beverages and seats

I really enjoyed Gregory Porter. I think he and his band put on a really nice show. Looking forward to seeing him again. I was under the mistaken impression that for this price there would an overhang to avoid the sun, rain or anything else. It was tough sitting in the hot sun. I could not stay for the next acts due to the sun beating down on me. There were not assigned seats, no numbers but lots of seats with reserved for NOLA on them. I paid for premium seats. The closesness to the stage was good.

It was amazing!! I can't wait until next year!!!!!!!

Gregory Porter was great but the ROCK STAR was Trombone Shorty.

Great event. Would recommend more food trucks for events of such. The one food truck that was on site, ran out of food.

I loved everything about this event, especially seeing Gregory Porter and Robert Glasper! I loved that the venue was small and intimate.

Really fantastic show saturday and sunday! Lovely location by the water !

This was my first time seeing all the artists and I was Blown Away! Would go back to see this lineup anytime. The venue was perfect, the weather was perfect. Loved, loved, loved!!!

Great venue great crowd!! I can't say enough nice things about it. Friendly staff and great weather. The artists were phenomenal and diverse enough to offer something for everyone!! Keep up the great work and see you next year with even more folks!

If you havent attended a concert yet at the new Yards venue you should. It was a wonderful event at a great location by the water. Only down side is the limited food choices inside the venue, only one food truck vendor inside; have leave the venue to eat if you dont bring your own

Trombone Shorty played a great set and he is truly an artist. Gregory Porter has a wonderful voice and his songs capture its true essence. I will definitely see both again.

This was an amazing show!!! Gregory Porter was impressive, and Trombone Shorty (TBS) knocked it out of the park.

The event was really well organized and the venue great. It was our first time at the festival and even doing a lot of research on the web I did not know that brining chairs or a blanket was a good idea. No matter, the music was terrific. There were not many options for food inside the festival grounds, but luckily the nearby restuarants had outdoor seating (it was a beautiful day) and we were able to take breaks and get some good (albiet expensive) food in between acts. Gregory Porter and Trombone Shorty were really phenomenal and the size of the festival made it feel pretty intimate. The crowds had a really great energy. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is the lack of more to do, eat, see in between the acts. The music was a 5!

I LOVED all the acts!! It was definitely worth every penny!!

Ain't seen nothing like this in many many years. Gregory Porter held Church and Trombone Shorty burned the stage DOWN.

A huge thanks for the hospitality you and your organization showed to all attendees of the DC Jazz Fest held at the Yards Park this past weekend. My wife and I drove in from Fayetteville, NC and couldn t have been more pleased with the food, music, site selection and weather. All the vendors were friendly and the artists REALLY brought their A-game. We are already planning to attend next year. Major kudos to you and others for putting on such a wonderful event.

It was great concert event at Yards Park. Black Violin were da bomb! And Gregory Porter did what he does best which is singing!

I only attended to see Black Violin and they did not disappoint. The performers who came before them were also good.

Great venue , fantastic show....No complaints at all ! Just 2 suggestions...maybe provide more food vendor options. and provide more light for restrooms for those evening hours.

Black Violin was incredible and Gregory Porter was excellent

I enjoyed the festival, arrived around 2:30 and did not know we had to bring lawn chairs, since the tickets had seat numbers and gave me the sense that that meant chairs were already set up. In spite of that omission on the ticket site, we did have cushions handy and used them to perch on the granite walls around the venue site. The vendors and models and food trucks were nice touches and the music was thoroughly enjoyable, each and every musician......Looking forward to next year and will bring my chairs and blankets. I also enjoyed the fact that it was a youth friendly environment, I saw lots of young people in the family groups there.

The venue was beautiful, right on the river. The show was extremely well organized. No long waits between artists. Sound quality was excellent and the video screens were wonderful. Looking forward to next year's event!

We only saw the last two acts, however, the Black Violins were wonderful and we liked there mix of music; Greg Porter have a wonderful performance and his selection of songs were right for the group that evening.

This was an "outstanding" event....Being Father's Day made it even more special. Everything was professionally done, from the time you entered the event, till leaving...My favorite was "Gregory Porter", I am probably his biggest fan. He was "unforgettable", what shocked me was how "great" he sounded in person (WoW)....I love everything about him his strong baritone voice, how he engages his audience, how he moves on stage, the man has "SWAG" big time! Already have my tickets to see him at the "KC" in 2018. If you never heard of "Gregory Porter" you are missing out on some of the best singing & great entertainer (you can tell I am a huge fan:) THIS MAN CAN "SANG"...& his band (OMG).... BTW "Black Violin was "outstanding" too...

The show was great and the venue was amazing with the Anacostia River in the background.

Gregory Porter was as always a real treat. His voice is so melodious, so perfect that it blows the mind. And he's so cool. Black Violin was phenomenal as well. I'd not seen this young group perform before but I'll certainly keep my eye/ears open for future appearances. All in all, one fabulous outdoor concert.

The word of the day "Hydrate"....this was our first DC Jazz Fest and we enjoyed ourselves. Not being from the DC area, i believe that I will start to listen to WHUR on line. The MC's & the Acts Awesome!

This was a really well put together event. The bands, especially the Chuck Brown Band, were awesome. It was a perfect summer day and The Yards is a great venue. If this was the cap to DC Jazz Festival, then props' all around.

All I can say is this is my second year and I will be going every year

My two Gal Pals and I truly, sincerely, honestly had a blast of a great time! Music was fantastic - just what we expected! The acoustics, Leon Harris, Female DJ Host, (please forgive we did not remember her name) were grand!! Even the vendors, food and otherwise, were very accommodating, especially Kohler at the wine-testing stand -- such a cutey / handsome dude with ALL OF THE CHARMS AND MANNERS IN THE WORLD!!! So looking forward to next year. We just might do each weekend. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR A WONDERFUL TIME.

Thoroughly enjoyed the DC Jazz Festival. The absolute highlight was the band "Cowboys and Frenchmen" from New York. Great musicians playing original music. Pure joy. Look for them.

All of the artists did their thing well! The show consisted of various types of music from rap to African jazz. Can't wait to attend this jazz festival next year.

Great concert, should start later in the day this time of the year.....

My Sister and I had a wonderful time. The show was excellent and superb. The venue was nice.

I had so much fun at last year's DC Jazz Fest event at the Yards that I had to attend this year. This year's concert did not disappoint. Marshall Keys is a local favorite who gave a solid performance as always. Esperanza Spalding premiered new music, complete with performance poetry/spoken word, from her group, Emily's D+Evolution. Common delivered a stellar performance that had the crowd rocking, and graciously spent almost 30 minutes taking photos with fans. Lastly, Femi Kuti closed the show, the dancers and the horns...Yes!

The concerts was very nice but it was also nice to watch a wonderful concert to the backdrop of the Anacostia River.

I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon at the Yards. The music, the people & the atmosphere was phenominal.

Nice venue. The entertainment was not jazz like I thought it would be. Marshall Keyes was the only true jazz artist that played. Esperanza Spaulding was good but not jazz. Common was also good, but not a jazz.

Really good concert. I was there because Esperanza Spalding.

to see Trombone Shorty and Rebirth Bass Band!!! The fest is in a great location, right on the Potomac. Love that you can leave and reenter.

This was a not to be missed, once in a lifetime experience. It transcended music to become a spiritual, artistic experience

The afternoon concerts near the river were great! With a nice weather, it was great to have apicnic there.The organization was good, everything was neat and the music was fantastic! I loved Trombone Shorty's concert!!! We need more New Orleans style music and bars in DC!

Worth every penny!!! The music and the setting made for a perfect Saturday evening with family and friends.

The evening was perfect, the crowd was ready! Perfect night and great music. The crowd was ready and as we second lined through, they got up and danced. Not a lot of excess drinking, just friendship and amazement. As Troy showed off his circular breathing technique, people were really shocked. I think folks who had "heard" about him will now go out and purchase cds because they realize he is for real and the band is tight. The band was really on. The drum circle was excellent and folks were energized by this also.

The performances were fine. However, the jazz fest amenities were lacking. There was only ONE food truck for the event and one wine vendor. That made it a lot less enjoyable.