The Flynn announced on Tuesday that bassist, composer and Guggenheim Fellow Anthony Tidd will curate the 2025 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. This year’s event will run from Wednesday to Sunday, June 4 to 8, throughout downtown Burlington.
Tidd, born in London but based in Harlem, is a multi-instrumentalist who has worked with a number of high-profile artists over the course of his 30-year career, including the Roots, Lady Gaga and Meshell Ndegeocello. He released The Child of Troubled Times with his band Quite Sane in 2002, an album that fused hip-hop, funk and jazz to much acclaim.
In a press release, Tidd wrote that he was “truly honored” to take the reins for the 42nd iteration of the festival.
“For more than a century, jazz, especially as shaped by African Diasporic creative musics, has been a crucial part of our society,” Tidd wrote. “My vision for this festival is to create a space where diverse audiences can explore the expansive and inclusive universe of jazz.” He added that “this festival is a celebration of both jazz history past and the journeys that still lie ahead.”
The festival’s full lineup will be released on April 16, but the Flynn did announce a few early highlights.
Opening night sees the exclusive world premiere of Tidd’s “Origins: Sounds and Stories of the African Diaspora,” described as a mix of music, visuals and storytelling “spanning multiple genres and generations.” The performance features an all-star band that includes former James Brown trombonist Fred Wesley, saxophonist Camille Thurman and blues guitarist (and grandson of the late, great R.L. Burnside) Cedric Burnside, along with local members of the rock band Death: Bobby Hackney Sr. and Julian Hackney.
The festival closes with “Translinear Light: The Music of Alice Coltrane,” celebrating the life and career of the legendary jazz harpist, composer and Hindu spiritual leader, who was also known as Swamini Turiyasangitananda.
Saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, her son with fellow jazz legend John Coltrane, will perform, along with Postmodern Jukebox harpist Brandee Younger.
“This year we are led by an exceptional musician,” Flynn executive director Jay Wahl said in the press release, adding that Tidd “opens our ears to the many sounds and stories of the African Diaspora with the precision and care of a world class composer and producer.”
Tickets for the 2025 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival go on sale to the public on Friday, March 28, at 8 a.m. Visit flynnvt.org for more information.
This article appears in Mar 19-25, 2025.
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