Running from Oct. 14-17, this year’s C-U Jazz Festival plans to bring together two things that many people from Champaign-Urbana connect with: jazz and the C-U community. The festival has been expanded every year since it first opened in 2015 with only a day and a half of programs. Today, the festival is grateful to be able to stay open for four full days in its seventh consecutive year. 

CUJF is particularly excited to continue working closely with local organizations and businesses, such as Rose Bowl Tavern, Seven Saints, Champaign Public Library and The Literary Book Bar.

“It is a fun a puzzle to figure out how many groups we can present and where the best venue would be,”  said Jenelle Orcherton, one of the organizers for CUJF. The behind-the-scenes team’s passion for jazz shows through their commitment to a good challenge, planning all of the details to ensure the festival will be near-perfection. 

The COVID-19 pandemic inspired the CUJF team to make this year’s festival the most exciting yet, Orcherton said.

“In 2020, we had a smaller paired down festival,” she said. “Through trying to figure out a way to be relevant and safe and supportive, people really realized how much we value the arts and come together to see an artistic experience. It is important that we still offer something for people especially during this time.” 

The pandemic shined a light on the effect that music has on the people of Champaign-Urbana, which is why this year they were able to plan an even bigger festival filled with celebrations of music with the community. 

“People were really craving that live music,” Orcherton said.

This year, participants can expect to see a feature concert every day of the festival. Friday night’s concert is anticipated to be the most lively evening of the festival, filled with dancing and a lot of fun, Orcherton said. 

Local jazz band Simply This Quintet is excited to celebrate the release of their new album, “Stepping Up,” with attendees to their Saturday album release party as part of the festival. 

A festival favorite, Sunday’s jazz brunch will be held at Seven Saints in downtown Champaign and will even feature a special custom cocktail called More Apple-Lause, made of a seasonal apple, ginger and vodka. 

“The festival is really relaxed,” Orcheton said. “People will come and hang out, have good food, enjoy a specialty cocktail, see some bigger bands at Rose Bowl Tavern, and there will even be an option to online stream the performances at Champaign Public Library.”

Orcheton is particularly looking forward to the festival’s most unique project that will be based on Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” 

“There will be horns and singing and all sorts of cool stuff!” Orcheton said. 

Orcheton said she is also excited about the Claudettes. The Claudettes use rock and punk to inspire their Chicago blues-style piano and soul sound. They will be performing at Rose Bowl Tavern with Brazilian bassist Andrey Goncalves of Andrey Goncalves Group. 

Orcheton said she hopes for a large turnout this year and encourages members of the C-U community to attend the festival with an eagerness to listen to some good jazz.

“It’s exciting to have live music,” Orcheton said. “It would be great to see everyone’s smiling faces and supporting the artists and venues as much as we can. The bands really get a lot from an excited crowd.”

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