FRESH COAST JAZZ FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ARTISTS, DATES
Milwaukee – (April 3, 2025) – Just in time for Jazz Appreciation Month (April), the Fresh Coast Jazz Festival; Milwaukee’s only multi-day jazz festival featuring the world’s best contemporary jazz artists; has announced it will be returning to the Pabst Theatre in 2025 and will feature 12 concerts over a 3-day period from Thursday, August 21 – Saturday, August 23. Tickets are on sale now. The festival is fast building a reputation for curating some of the best talent line-ups in the jazz festival industry. The 2025 festival will feature performances by:
• Nine-time Grammy nominated saxophonist, Gerald Albright.
• One of the pioneering acts in contemporary jazz, Jeff Lorber Fusion, which first introduced legendary sax player Kenny G. This is one of only a few performances in the United States by Grammy award-winning Jeff Lorber Fusion in 2025.
• Making a rare appearance in the Midwest, guitarist Chris Standring.
• Kayla Waters, one of the brightest young pianists on the smooth jazz scene. She has already topped the charts five times.
• The Braxton Brothers, who will bring their high energy, chart-topping music to the festival.
• Toronto based, Rob Deboer and Tony Grace released their first highly successful album in 1997 as Four80East. They have scored several Billboard top ten hits and continue to be a staple on contemporary jazz radio. Their stage show is a funky, jazzy, groovy party full of good vibes!
• Plus, the winners of the Hometown All-Stars Showcase, a competition that highlights the best jazz acts in Milwaukee.
“Each year we aim to make the festival better, and I feel like we have done that again” said Carl Brown, chief executive officer of the Fresh Coast Jazz Festival. “This year’s lineup features some of the legends of the genre and great shows from some of the most uniquely talented artists in music. It is a weekend of phenomenal music, awesome experiences and great fun!”
The 2025 Fresh Coast Jazz Festival also includes unique events such as “The Fresh Coast Cruise,” a two-hour, lunch cruise with live jazz that allows attendees to explore Milwaukee’s beautiful “fresh” coast while enjoying great food, cash bar and live jazz. “The Paring,” a wine tasting and concert event that this year pairs wines from the Napa Valley region with the music of the incredible Sade, is also returning.
The “Night Caps” are the festival’s versions of the after-party, are free, and take place each night at the host hotel featuring a live jazz act each night along with food and bar service. The talent at each “Night Cap” usually consists of local jazz artists.
The festival also includes Q&A sessions with some of the jazz artists, held the Friday and Saturday mornings of the festival. These Q&A events give area music students, music teachers and VIP patrons an opportunity to get up close and personal and ask questions of some of the world’s top contemporary jazz artists.
In addition to bringing the best contemporary jazz to Milwaukee, the festival has had a significant philanthropic impact on the city.
“We have always been a party with a purpose,” said Carl Brown. “The great music we bring to town is important but it’s the philanthropic giving that feeds our souls and really makes Milwaukee a better place!”
Since its inception in 2019, the festival has:
• Supported college scholarships for 10 deserving area youth,
• Sent more than 75 disadvantaged kids to music camps,
• Provided hundreds of backpacks full of school supplies to Milwaukee area schools,
• Donated to financial literacy programs aimed at area youth,
• Provided 11 grants to support music programs at area schools,
• Donated to medical research initiatives aimed at mitigating the effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment on childhood cancer patients,
• Partnered with the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music on an instrument donation drive that gets refurbished instruments to area kids that want to play but can’t afford to purchase their own instruments,
• Produced two Concerts for The Kids at Children’s Wisconsin featuring some of the world-renowned artists playing the Fresh Coast Jazz Festival and provided hundreds of “gifts of comfort” to kids and families receiving treatment at Children’s.
• Initiated a program that gives area students real-world exposure to potential career opportunities at some Fresh Coast Jazz Festival sponsor companies.
About Fresh Coast Jazz Festival
Fast gaining a reputation as one of the top jazz festivals in the country, the Fresh Coast Jazz Festival is Milwaukee’s only multi-day jazz festival featuring the world’s best contemporary jazz artists. The festival draws fans from across the United States and several countries, and blends the world’s top contemporary jazz artists, with uniquely fun events and festival proceeds go to support scholarships, school music programs, and healthcare initiatives.
The 2025 festival brings an unbelievable mix of some of the most popular smooth jazz superstars and the hottest young talent in the genre to the fresh coast. This year’s festival will take place at the historic Pabst Theater in downtown Milwaukee from August 21 – August 23. For more information, visit: www.freshcoastjazz.com or www.pabsttheatergroup.com.
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