Headliners Announced for 2024 High Country Jazz Festival June 7-9, 2024

Headliners Announced for 2024 High Country Jazz Festival
June 7-9, 2024
BOONE, NC – Joining together for the third time in a precedent-setting partnership, the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country (ATHC), Boone Sunrise Rotary, and the Jazz Studies Program at Appalachian State University proudly announce the headline performers for the
Third Annual High Country Jazz Festival taking place in Boone, North Carolina, from June 7 through 9, 2024. Tickets are now on sale via the website: www.highcountryjazzfestival.org

Presented by Mast General Store with additional support from Explore Boone, the High Country Jazz Festival is a collaborative project that aims “to host exceptional and engaging jazz experiences for local residents and regional audiences with proceeds to support arts, education,
and civic programs that enrich our High Country home.”

Headliner performances by the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, Jazzmeia Horn, and Ziad take place in the historic Appalachian Theatre in Boone. Additional festival affiliated events will be announced shortly, along with additional sponsors and host locations, including outdoor
concerts, late night jams, jazz lunches, and a popular jazz-themed film. Todd Wright and Suzanne Livesay are co-chairs of the 2024 Festival and members of the leadership team planning the celebration. Todd shared, “We knew we had a hit on our hands when we’re repeatedly asked about dates for next year at each event. That success was due primarily to the collective wisdom and consolidated efforts by three separate entities who came together to create the festival: The Appalachian Theatre, Boone Sunrise Rotary Club, and the Jazz Studies
Program at Appalachian State University. The entire group is back for the 3rd iteration this year.” The Brubeck Brothers Quartet will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 7, at the Appalachian Theatre. Chris and Dan Brubeck have been making music together practically all their
lives. Drummer Dan and bassist, trombonist, and composer Chris cut their first record together in 1966—over a half century ago. They’ve subsequently played a variety of styles in a number of different groups, as well as with their father, jazz giant Dave Brubeck, and with their own Brubeck Brothers Quartet. With Dan and Chris as the foundation, guitarist Mike DeMicco and pianist Chuck Lamb complete this dynamic quartet. They perform at concert series, colleges, and jazz festivals across North America and Europe including the Newport, Detroit, Montreal, Playboy/Hollywood Bowl, and Monterey Jazz Festivals.

Although the Quartet’s style is rooted in “straight-ahead” jazz, their concerts reveal an inherent ability to explore and play odd time signatures while naturally integrating the influences of funk, blues and world music. The group’s creativity, technique, and improvisation can be heard in their uncompromising music, which reflects their dedication to melody, rhythm, culture, and the spontaneous spirit of jazz.

Jazzmeia Horn takes to the Appalachian Theatre stage on Saturday, June 8, at 7:30 p.m. Named by her jazz-loving grandmother, Jazzmeia was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1991. She grew up in a close church-going family singing gospel music. Ms. Horn graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, which was also attended by other great artists such as Roy Hargrove, Norah Jones, and Erykah Badu. In 2009, she enrolled at The School of Jazz at The New School in New York City.

Ms. Horn won the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and the 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition and, shortly after, was signed by Concord Records. In 2017, she released her debut album, A Social Call, which was nominated
for a Grammy Award. Ms. Horn continued to tour nationally and internationally, honing her vocal, performance, and writing skills, to get across her message about the global need for love and social change in the world. In 2019, she released Love and Liberation, which also
received a Grammy nomination. The following year, she published her book, Strive From Within: The Jazzmeia Horn Approach, while recording her big band album, Dear Love. Dear Love, an album of encouragement through poetry and spoken word addressing the
aspects of her community, her love and herself, was released in September 2021. While performing, writing, and preparing for a fall 2023 release of her new album, Ms. Horn was teaching students and conducting outreach programs across the globe through The Jazz
Horn International Vocal Initiative.

A matinee performance at the Appalachian Theatre featuring Ziad closes the festival on Sunday, June 9 at 3 p.m. Based in Charlotte, NC, tenor saxophonist Ziad has recorded with national artists including, The Godfather of Soul James Brown, Gospel Music Hall of Fame
recording artist John P. Kee, chart-topping gospel recording artist Donald Lawrence and the Tri– City Singers, giant Warner recording artists Company, the Impressions, and many more. He has performed live with or performed as an opening act for Ramsey Lewis, Grover
Washington Jr., Ronnie Laws, Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Buddy Rich, Tom Scott, Tony Bennett, The Crusaders, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Roberta Flack, Lou Rawls, Grammy winning smooth jazz artist Greg Karukas, Jon Smith (Edgar Winter & White
Trash), Mic Gillette (Tower of Power), Edwin McCain, Ron Holloway, Greg Karukas, Russell Malone, Nnenna Freelon, Frederic Yonnet, Chris Brubeck, T.S. Monk III, and Nicolas Bearde to name a few.

During his four years in the Wake Forest University Jazz Ensemble, Ziad studied jazz theory with Bill Hanna (Stan Kenton, Woody Herman). He went on to study advanced jazz improvisation for 3.5 years privately with internationally acclaimed educator/author/musician,
Jerry Coker, the author of 19 books on jazz improvisation, at University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Livesay shared, “This lineup represents a diverse range of jazz styles and the festival is jam packed with an entire weekend highlighting extraordinary local, regional, and national talent. We’re so fortunate to be a part of bringing it to the High Country.” The High Country Jazz Festival is excited to offer an “all-event” pass, which includes admission to all three headliner performances. There are two options: Premium ($95, including taxes and fees, with prime seating for Appalachian Theatre performances) and Regular ($85, including
taxes and fees). To purchase tickets, please visit the festival’s official website at www.highcountryjazzfestival.org.

The High Country Jazz Festival is a collaborative program of: About the Appalachian Theatre: The Appalachian Theatre of the High Country is a historic Art Deco theatre built in 1938, renovated, and restored to a 629-seat state-of-the-art performance venue which reopened to audiences in October 2019 to serve the North Carolina High Country region as a non-profit performing arts center. Programming includes a diverse array of live performances, concerts, films, educational, community arts and civic events. More information about the Appalachian
Theatre, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is available by calling 828.865.3000 or by visiting www.apptheatre.org.

About Boone Sunrise Rotary: Boone Sunrise Rotary brings together business, professional and civic leaders within our community. Rotary promotes integrity, understanding and goodwill locally, nationally, and worldwide. The proceeds from the festival will further Rotary’s
commitment to humanitarian and civic service and will go directly to many of the local nonprofit organizations that serve the High Country.www.boonerotary.org

About the ASU Jazz Studies Program:
The Jazz Studies Program at Appalachian State University identifies students with a special interest in jazz, promotes high
standards of jazz performance, and expands the circle of students who have meaningful experiences with jazz during their
college careers. Program support will help provide student enrichment, off-set performance tour costs, student
scholarships, host acclaimed jazz clinicians and the purchase of music and supplies. www.music.appstate.edu