The scarcely-appearing ensemble band Dragon Smoke are reuniting for a performance on the final day of the Telluride Jazz Festival, which will be held from August 1-3. The festival also added Claudia Villela and Young Razzcals Jazz Project to their already stellar jazzed-out lineup.
Initially formed at a Superjam session at the Dragon Den in New Orleans, the jazz/funk ensemble has performed at every New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival since 2003. The band typically performs only in New Orleans, with the exception of some West Coast shows, so, this is a major booking for the Telluride Jazz Festival in Colorado. The band consists of famed Dumpstaphunk keyboardist Ivan Neville, Galactic bassist Rob Mercutio, Galactic drummer Stanton Moore, and guitarist Eric Lindell.
The festival recently added 2013 Grammy-award winners Snarky Puppy, and included Claudia Villela and Young Razzcals Jazz Project along with the Dragon Smoke announcement. Villela is a renowned Brazilian jazz singer, manipulating her five octave vocal range to create memorable improvisational performances. The Young Razzcals Jazz Project is a foundation that mentors young musicians with potential for growth in jazz music performance, some of whom currently perform in the Telluride Student All-Stars Jazz Ensemble.
The full festival lineup can be found on our Master Festival Spreadsheet. Early bird tickets for the festival are on sale now, with prices set to increase by June 1st. So, get on it!
-David Melamed (@DMelamz)