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We're making jazz accessible to everyone by packing two days full of national, regional, and local acts as they share their love for jazz and its many iterations in a series of free concerts. You'll hear the sounds of swing, latin, soul, ragtime, and contemporary jazz to name a few.
Enjoy jazz’s long standing Mississippi legacy, trail-blazed by legends like Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis alongside homegrown heroes like Bart Howard and Bix Beiderbecke, with the charming backdrop of Burlington's lively downtown arts and culture district.
Participate in the first-ever Bart Howard Cabaret Cocktail Competition! Whether you're entering a cocktail or nonalcoholic libation to win or just casting your vote, proceeds help cover the cost of local student jazz workshops. Click here to enter a cocktail now!
3-4PM | Jormilit Garcia Quartet, Latin Jazz | Capitol Theater
4:30-6PM | Tommy Boynton Sextet, Performance and Artist Q&A | Art Center of Burlington
6:30-8PM | Blake Shaw BIG(ish) Band | Capitol Theater
8:30-11PM | Open Jam Session | The Washington
10:30-11:30AM | Entropy Jazz Brunch | Burlington Riverfront Entertainment Lawn
12-1PM | Elisha Organ Trio, Jazz-Influenced Gospel Soul | Heritage Garden Event Center
1:30-2:30PM | Matthew Fries, Pianist | Art Center of Burlington
3-4PM | Joshua Achiron Trio, Contemporary Jazz | Heritage Garden Event Center
4:30-6PM | Dave Katz Sextet, Performance and Artist Q&A | Capitol Theater
6:30-8PM | Pete Ellman Big Band | Capitol Theater
4-11PM | 3rd Street Block Party with local musician lineup, food, art, merchandise, the Bart Howard Cocktail Competition Award Ceremony at 8pm and more ending with an open jam session
Jormilit Garcia is a vocalist from Miami, Florida currently enrolled in the award-winning Jazz Studies program at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI.
She is a part of the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers and has traveled the world with this group, performing in historic venues such as The Royal Albert Hall in London, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and Lincoln Center in New York City. She has also performed as a backing vocalist with Jacob Collier, The Wailers, Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Pedro Capó, and many more. As a Venezuelan native, Jormilit takes pride in her Hispanic roots and imbues every performance with that rich and vibrant culture.
Jormilit will be performing with Nick Birchler on piano, Jacob Nowakowski on bass, and Rohan Marr on drums.
Tommy Boynton is a singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, residing in St Paul, MN. Since graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music in 2012, Tommy has been an active collaborator in the Midwest music scene, and an international touring musician with The Four Freshmen, The Mimzees (original song cycles by Tommy), The River Monks, Extravision, Field Division, and much more. Through the recording arts he has been able to craft his relationship with his voice, composing, arranging, piano, guitar, bass, drums, synthesizers, and more to explore the endless palettes that documentation can provide. As an artist and educator, he is grateful for the paths that have allowed him to stay actively creative and exploring while seeking to welcome all in experiencing and enjoying music free of judgment and shame.
Tommy will be performing with Jake Baldwin on trumpet, Garrett Jones on bassoon, Dan Carpel on bass, Stephanie Wiesseler on sax, and Adam Harder-Nussbaum on drums.
Join the Tommy Boynton Sextet for a Panel & Play performance where you'll hear an hour of music, followed by a 30-minute Q&A with the audience. These performers are a wealth of knowledge and experience - whether you're a student of jazz, a casual listener, or a jazz fanatic, come engage in genuine conversation around the art of jazz.
Pianist/composer MATTHEW FRIES is a joyful voice on the piano, recording ten albums featuring many of his original compositions. His music has been described as "playful and hopeful", “introspective", "full of joy and wonderment", and "awash with tonal colors." But it is his deeply swinging piano style and collaborative spirit that have also made him an indemand sideman for both instrumentalists and vocalists. Winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition, he has toured worldwide, appears on scores of recordings, and his work has been described as “the best jazz accompaniment I’ve seen in a cabaret in years” (The New York Times), and “the crispest rhythm section imaginable” (The London Times).
Matthew is a dedicated educator, and he continues to teach lessons, masterclasses, and clinics throughout the US and abroad. Since 2017 he is a proud part of the Western Michigan University faculty as Professor of Jazz Piano where he teaches private lessons, coaches jazz combos, and teaches classes in jazz theory, improvisation, composition and arranging.
The Blake Shaw BIG(ish) Band is an action packed, fun ensuing, eleven piece dream band lead by bassist/vocalist/arranger/educator Blake Shaw of Iowa City, exploring new colors and concepts with a band full of music professors, retired band directors, public school educators, and the most popular local musicians. Blake writes and arranges all of the music using the Duke Ellington model of showcasing his friends’ talents and strengths on their instruments. The show contains many burning solos, grooves for days, and plenty of eye candy from the band made up of the most in demand improvising musicians Iowa has to offer.
In 2010, Blake earned his AA from Kirkwood Community before going on to obtain his BM in Classical Double Bass Performance in 2013 and his MA in Jazz Composition/ Performance in 2017, both from the University of Iowa. You can currently find him teaching in Cedar Rapids as the Director of Jazz Studies at the Mount Mercy Campus of St Ambrose University. Blake actively contributes to the music community as a board member of the Iowa City Jazz Fest, the Entertainment Director for the Iowa City Pride Festival, and the Friday Night Concert Series. He also regularly serves as a guest artist, coaching ensembles in schools and festivals spanning from middle school to college and performs close to every week with a diverse array of bands, ranging from solo acts to big bands. Follow Blake on instagram for more: @theeblakebass
The Elisha Organ Trio consists of Ben Crino on guitar, Milwaukee native Isaiah Jones Jr. on organ and Cali native but Chicago stationed drummer Sid Smith IV, both of whom Ben shares the band leader role with.
Produced by Chicago Jazz guitar legend/staple Bobby Broom (guitarist for Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins) the organ trio’s record entitled “As an Organ Trio” will reimagine seven standards from the Jazz repertoire with elements of gospel, groove and hip hop, while still allowing an approach from the Jazz lineage to drive the setting.
Crino’s guitar playing can be seen as a stark contrast to the smooth and fluid playing that is commonly heard today - with an aggressive picking and dry tone that forces the group to rethink the standard roles of each of their instruments. These seven standards will be accompanied by one slow and reflective original written by organist/pianist Isaiah Jones Jr. titled with the mantra: That is Where I’ll be.
Joshua Achiron is a guitarist, arranger, composer and educator based in the heart of the vibrant city of Chicago.
Joshua earned his undergraduate degrees in both classical and jazz guitar performance from the prestigious Eastman School of Music where he was recognized as a classical soloist and given his Performance Certificate. Joshua continued his studies at the highly selective Berklee Global Jazz Institute where he earned his masters degree on a full scholarship. There he was mentored by Grammy award-winning musicians such as Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano and John Patitucci.
As a professional guitarist, Joshua has had the privilege of playing with incredible musicians such as Ben Paterson, Clark Sommers, Geof Bradfield, Dana Hall, Greg Arty, Chris Madsen, and Victor Garcia, at venues such as The Jazz Showcase, Andy's Jazz Club, Winter's Jazz Club, Pausa Art House, Kodak Theater, The Aspen Jazz Snowmass Festival and Blues Alley Jazz Club in Washington DC.
Joshua will be performing with Micah Collier on Bass and Kabir Dalawari on drums.
Dave Katz is a trumpet player and educator based in the Chicago area. He has shared the stage with jazz greats such as Louie Bellson, Dizzy Gillespie, the Woody Herman Big Band, Manhattan Transfer, and Terrell Stafford. As a studio musician, he has played trumpet on TV and radio commercials. Dave currently performs with the Jazz Consortium Big Band, Orchestra 33, The Pete Ellman Big Band, The Vern Spevak Big Band and works as a freelance musician and educator throughout the Chicagoland area.
Join the Dave Katz Sextet for a Panel & Play performance where you'll hear an hour of music, followed by a 30-minute Q&A with the audience. These performers are a wealth of knowledge and experience - whether you're a student of jazz, a casual listener, or a jazz fanatic, come engage in genuine conversation around the art of jazz.
The Pete Ellman Big Band (PEBB) was formed in 2009 after Pete retired from the Illinois Air National Guard after 20 years of service. Since then, the band has played regularly in the Chicagoland Western suburbs at locations such as Mullen’s in Lisle and Fitzgerald’s in Oak Park. Prioritizing education and community, the PEBB regularly invites student jazz ensembles to join them and provides educational outreach opportunities as guest clinicians. Additionally, the PEBB has hosted numerous fundraisers at their events to help raise money (and food / toys) for local non-profits such as Loaves & Fishes, Toys for Tots, Kids Matter, Kidz Cabaret, Youth Symphony of DuPage, Naperville Educational Foundation, Gil Ellman Memorial Fund, and more! To Pete, it’s all about giving back to the community and giving young, budding musicians exciting opportunities to participate in the arts.
Entropy Jazz Orchestra is a 17-piece big band based in the Midwest, established in 2024. Composed primarily of current students and alumni of Western Illinois University and the Burlington, Iowa area, the ensemble brings fresh energy, diverse musical influences, and a deep love of jazz to every performance.
True to their name, Entropy Jazz Orchestra embraces the chaos and spontaneity that define jazz. Their repertoire weaves together swing, funk, Latin, fusion, and contemporary arrangements—blending jazz traditions with genre-bending explorations. From timeless standards to unexpected crossovers, Entropy aims to surprise, engage, and inspire audiences through dynamic and eclectic programming.
Saxophonist Matt Ellman shares: "I love getting to play with a group of people who are here purely for the love of music. There’s no ulterior motive—just friends making great jazz together. That’s something truly special."
Whether you're a lifelong jazz fan or a curious newcomer, Entropy Jazz Orchestra promises a vibrant, unpredictable, and unforgettable musical experience.
In 1963, Gene Bredar, a National Bank officer, and Will Schnering, Chamber of Commerce manager, were brainstorming ways to revitalize Burlington.
They suggested a music festival to showcase the city's historic links to the Mississippi River, and the name "Steamboat Days" was born. The Dixieland Jazz Festival was a later addition to the Steamboat Days event, enhancing the festival's musical offerings and drawing in a diverse audience, with Louis Armstrong performing in 1964.
Now in 2025, we're paying homage to our history while exploring the future.
Founded in 1833, Burlington was a vital trading post and port with growth fueled by the Mississippi River and rail road. It served as the first capital of both the Wisconsin and Iowa territories.
Today, Downtown Burlington offers unique sights like Snake Alley, distinctive 19th-century architecture, a riverfront setting, and a lively arts and cultural district brimming with local ownership and a sense of community. Learn more about where to stay, shop, dine, and discover:
A special thanks to all those listed below who have contibuted to realizing the festival's potential of supporting the local arts scene, booking culturally significant acts, and putting Burlington on the map while keeping the festival free for all! Every little bit matters. For more information on becoming a sponsor, media inquiries, or general questions, reach out to jazz@btowncapitol.com.
The Capitol is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to the performing arts and entertainment culture in Burlington, Iowa.
Proudly Supported By:
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