A 19-year-old Labor Day tradition for Charleston is just around the corner.
For almost two decades, the Lowcountry Jazz Festival has delivered some of the biggest soul-jazz and smooth-jazz performers in the country to the Holy City — everyone from Jonathan Butler, Art Sherrod Jr. and Gregory Porter to Will Downing, Chuck Loeb, Marcus Johnson and Lin Rountree.
This year’s Labor Day weekend lineup for the festival at the Gaillard Center is no different. The Aug. 30 performance features seminal fusion jazz pianist Bob James and platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated R&B singer Kem. James is best known for his best-selling duet albums with fellow guitarist Earl Klugh.
The next night, soul jazz will reign supreme, with sets from veteran act Pieces Of A Dream and saxophonist Boney James, who’s scored an incredible 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Jazz Charts.
It’s a lineup that festival producer Tony Clarke has worked hard to bring here. Clarke, who also is the event’s artistic director, said he typically begins by seeking the advice of the festival’s founder, Dr. Thaddeus Bell, who launched it back in 2006.
“We’ve always wanted to set ourselves apart from the other contemporary jazz festivals,” Clarke said in a recent interview with the Charleston City Paper. “It took about three months of throwing things around and talking with Dr. Bell about what we think our fan experience should be. We wanted to get something for every contemporary jazz and R&B lover that they will not be able to see anywhere else this year.”
Clarke added that jazz lovers will also be seeing these performers in a perfectly suited venue.
“I would classify this as a boutique jazz festival, where it’s an exclusive group of people who come together for an over-the-top experience. That’s what we try to provide, and the Gaillard Center allows us to create that boutique jazz festival experience. The Lowcountry Jazz Festival would not exist without this partnership.”
Performers excited
For Pieces of a Dream, the Philadelphia group that has been mixing funk and R&B into straight-ahead jazz music since 1976, the festival format shakes up the normal touring routine.
“It’s not as intimate, but we get to reach more people with our music,” said founding drummer Curtis Harmon in an interview.
“There’s more of a special energy, because these are our friends who we see a lot on the road,” added saxophonist Tony Watson Jr. “And all the artists are onstage giving it their best, so when we get up there, the crowd is all ready to go and fired up.”
Boney James, who is headlining the Sunday night concert, said he generally just loves being on the road as much as possible, but he’s definitely looking forward to seeing Charleston and the Gaillard again.
“It’s a beautiful city that you have there,” James said. “And it’s a beautiful theater, too.”
James is also excited that Bob James (no relation) and Pieces of a Dream are playing.
“Bob James was actually pretty instrumental in getting me signed to Warner Brothers Records back in 1993,” James said. “It’s always a joy to see Bob because he’s a legend and a sweetheart. And Pieces of a Dream, they’re a fantastic band and they had a real connection to my big hero when I was young, the sax player Grover Washington Jr. So it’s always cool to see those guys.”
The cool sounds of soul
You might have noticed that the Lowcountry Jazz Festival lineup is heavy on acts that liberally mix elements of funk, smooth jazz and soul into their music. Clarke said he’s figured out that that’s what festival fans want.
“I’ve learned that the audience is very picky about who we bring to Charleston,” he said. “A lot of contemporary jazz has R&B influences, and vice versa. So a lot of the R&B ticket buyers have been to smooth jazz festivals and vice versa. So this is that place where you can do a mashup and the masses would enjoy it.”
That’s notable because there was a time in the early 1970’s when straight ahead jazz players frowned upon more adventurous musicians venturing into smooth jazz or R&B. In fact, Pieces of a Dream’s albums were initially listed on the R&B charts years before moving to the Jazz Charts.
Now, 50 years down the line, Boney James and Pieces of a Dream still have large and loyal fanbases. Both recently released new, commercially successful albums.
So in addition to being entertaining, the festival could be seen as a statement about the resilience of this once-controversial music.
“I think it speaks to how innovative musicians can be,” Harmon said, “and even how innovative the listener’s ear is. It allows different genres to co-exist. I think it’s a good thing that we were able to cross those boundaries and infuse some R&B with the straight-ahead jazz stuff. Music is a never-ending cycle.”
“There are all sorts of different kinds of music,” James said. “There’s also a famous quote that says, ‘There are only two types of music: Good and bad.’ That’s the one I ascribe to.”
Whatever labels you use to describe the performers at the Lowcountry Jazz Festival, the only label that Tony Clarke said he is hoping for after this weekend is “crowd pleaser.”
“When you walk out of the Gaillard on Sunday night,” he said, “I want that conversation to be, ‘Hey, let’s go ahead and put on the calendar that we’ll be coming back to Charleston for Labor Day weekend 2026. Let’s get our hotels booked. Let’s start thinking about what we’re going to eat.’ I want people returning next year to see the sequel.”
IF YOU WANT TO GO: Doors open at 6 p.m., Aug. 30 and 31, Gaillard Center, 95 Calhoun St., Charleston. Tickets range from $76-$300: gaillardcenter.org
More sounds ahead with Singleton, holidays, Charleston Jazz Fest
After the Lowcountry Jazz Festival ends, there’s still plenty of great music coming for fans of all genres of jazz.
Charleston Jazz, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving our jazz history through performance, education, and outreach, has some exciting events coming up.
Sept. 20
“Mr. Soul” – Charleston Jazz Orchestra featuring Charlton Singleton, Charleston Music Hall
Grammy-winner and Ranky Tanky co-founder Charlton Singleton reunites with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra for big-band arrangements of classics by Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, James Brown, Ray Charles, Bill Withers and Wilson Pickett.
Sept. 25–Oct. 5
MOJA Arts Festival, Charleston
This festival of celebration of African-American and Caribbean culture in the Holy City ranges from a fun opening street parade to exciting block parties and a great finale. Interspersed on Sept. 30 is something jazz enthusiasts should love — an evening of innovative sounds from guitarist and composer Adam Hawley at the Dock Street Theatre.
Oct. 18
“Autumn Leaves” – Charleston Jazz Orchestra featuring Chad LB, Charleston Music Hall
Spend an evening with acclaimed saxophonist Chad LB, the CJO, and the Great American Songbook.
Dec. 6
“Holiday Swing” – Charleston Jazz Orchestra, Charleston Music Hall
The most-anticipated Charleston Jazz program of the year, “Holiday Swing” is a jubilant celebration of the holiday season directed by Robert Lewis and featuring the Lowcountry Voices.
April 13-19
Charleston Jazz Festival, TBA
The 2026 lineup has yet to be announced, but the festival always features an extraordinary lineup of internationally renowned local and national artists and a diverse array of performances. —Vincent Harris
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.