Ella Festival Returns to Newport News
By: City of Newport News
Join the City of Newport News as we celebrate city native and “First Lady of Song” Ella Fitzgerald during the 25th Annual Ella Fitzgerald Music Festival. From April 20 – 22, the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center will be alive with incredible local and national artists, all honoring Ella’s wide-ranging and ageless talents.
The Festival begins on Thursday, April 20 with performances by singers from Heritage High School and the renowned Christopher Newport University Jazz Ensemble. Both groups of young performers are regularly recognized for their talent and unique compositions. The concert begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15.
The following night, Friday, April 21, all are invited to the Festival Reception, sponsored by Ferguson, at 6:30 p.m. Regional favorites, Good Shot Judy, will take the stage at 8 p.m. Good Shot Judy specializes in delivering top-notch Classic Vocal Jazz and recreating the classic nightclub entertainment feel of Las Vegas in its prime (think Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, glitz, and glamour). Tickets to the reception and concert are $20 each.
The highlight of the festival is a concert by nationally acclaimed jazz singer Samara Joy with opening act Kensie B. & Company on Saturday, April 22. With her upcoming Verve Records debut, Linger Awhile, 22-year-old Samara Joy makes her case to join the likes of Ella, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan, as the next jazz singing sensation. Her voice, rich and velvety yet precociously refined, has already earned her fans like Anita Baker and Regina King, appearances on the TODAY Show and millions of likes on TikTok — cementing her status as perhaps the first Gen Z jazz singing star. Samara Joy received two prestigious awards during The 65th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 5 – Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album.
Tickets to Samara Joy’s concert are $40 each. Seating is limited; buy your tickets early so you don’t miss what promises to be an unforgettable evening.
The Ella Festival takes place at the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center at 2410 Wickham Avenue in Newport News. Tickets are sold separately and available online. For more information, visit www.downinggross.org or call 757-247-8950.