Charleston’s has a rich jazz tradition. It’s a city where coastal rhythms and Gullah influences have shaped a distinctive Lowcountry sound heard in intimate clubs and historic stages alike.
That’s what makes the city the perfect home for the Charleston Jazz Festival. This year’s edition, which runs from April 10 through April 19, features some of the biggest and most adventurous performers in jazz, with shows scheduled at the Charleston Music Hall, Music Farm and Firefly Distillery.
The festival is organized by Charleston Jazz, a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to promoting and preserving jazz in Charleston. The lineup for this year is a perfect snapshot of the jazz world, from young lions to iconic veterans. And each performer represents a different offshoot of jazz, one of the most flexible genres there is.
This year’s festival lineup is a testament to that flexibility. Popular local performers like Charleston’s “First Lady of Jazz” Ann Caldwell and The College Of Charleston’s Faculty Jazz Ensemble share space with tributes to legends like Art Blakey and Nina Simone.
Established national stars like guitarist Al Di Meola, pianist Alfredo Rodriguez and drummer Herlin Riley play on the same bill with the Gullah Collective, a Charleston-area cultural group centered on preserving and presenting the traditions of the Gullah Geechee people especially through music, storytelling, and performance.
Al Di Meola is in fact the headliner for the festival, and his quartet performance is an exciting program called “The Guitarchitect,” a refined concert experience that unites five decades of music, sweeping multimedia visuals, and the stories that shaped a lifetime of artistry.
The show, which features Di Meola playing acoustic throughout, is a celebration of legacy, innovation, and the evolution of his sound — performed with the unmistakable precision and passion that have defined his world-renowned career.
Joined by guitarist Peo Alfonsi, percussionist Sergio Martinez, and tabla virtuoso Amit Kavthekar, Di Meola’s ensemble blends intricate acoustic guitar interplay with pulsating Latin and Indian-inspired rhythms.
“’The Guitarchitect’ isn’t a traditional concert where you just move from one tune to the next,” Di Meola told the Charleston City Paper. “It’s really about constructing a musical experience — almost like architecture in sound.”
The Grammy-winning guitarist who first became known as an electric shredder as part of the star fusion group Return To Forever, has picked acoustic cuts from throughout his career to weave a new story out of existing material.
“The pieces are chosen and shaped to create a continuous narrative,” he said. “There are visual elements, stories, and context woven in, so the audience isn’t just hearing the music. They’re understanding where it comes from and how it evolved.”
“After decades of performing,” he continued. “I felt the need to go beyond just playing compositions and start presenting the deeper story behind them — the influences, the experiences, the cultural connections. I enjoy it because it allows me to connect the dots for the audience and bring them into the process, rather than just presenting finished pieces in isolation.”
And while Di Meola’s show is more of an immersive experience based around a set of tunes, pianist Alfredo Rodriguez embraces the unpredictability of jazz with his trio, featuring Munir Hossn on guitar and bass and Michael Olivera on percussion. The Cuban-born musician creates a rhythmically intricate and joyful noise, very much based on the place and time he’s playing it.
“I like to explore and be curious as much as I can,” Rodriguez said in our interview. “Because I know that’s going to be translated into music. And that’s something that I always look for when I go to a new place. The energy or the vibe of the place is very important for me.”
Rodriguez said his passion is for bringing joy to both the audience and the stage.
“I have been in so many places where the people laugh, they cry, they scream, they dance,” he said. “And all of those little moments in the show are special to me.”
Rodriguez actually echoed something that di Meola said during our interview that pinpoints one of the most fundamental aspects of jazz that will be on display at the Charleston Jazz Festival.
“It’s not about revisiting the past,” Di Meola said. “It’s about presenting the music as a living, evolving body of work.”
IF YOU WANT TO GO: Al Di Meola, Doors open at 6:30 p.m. April 27, Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St., Charleston. Tickets range from $60-$84 charlestonmusichall.com
The Alfredo Rodriguez Trio, Doors open at 6:30 p.m. April 20, Albert Simons Center for the Arts Recital Hall, 54 St. Philips St., Charleston. Tickets range from $14 (student) to $50. charlestonjazz.com
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