Juneteenth Blues and Jazz Fest

June 17th head to Dallas’ Historic Fair Park and The African American Museum for what is becoming the Metroplex’s favorite celebration of Juneteenth, a celebration that’s become known as African American Independence Day.

141 years ago, on June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger read the Military Orders in Galveston, thus bringing about the freeing of 250,000 slaves in Texas. The tidings of freedom reached slaves gradually as individual plantation owners read the proclamation to their bondsmen over the months following the end of the war. The news elicited an array of celebrations. In 1980 Juneteenth became an official state holiday.

Families are encouraged to recall the milestone in human rights by bringing a picnic, blankets, and lawn chairs and enjoying the concert staged on the lawn of the African American Museum from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. All events are free and open to the public!

Scheduled to appear are:

Big Charles Young Showband

Charles Young, a Dallas native, is the latest in a long line of South Dallas blues talent to move from local stardom to international recognition. Charles Young is one of four local talents to appear on the Cannonball Record release titled “Blues Across America – The Dallas Scene.” He sang gospel in church, but it took many years before he really began to explore his talent. It was while working the door as a bouncer and photographer at R.L. Griffin’s Blues Palace, Big Charles was exposed to the cream of blues and R&B talent. The one night with the encouragement of a friend from Tulsa, Big Charles took the stage. He’s been onstage ever since.

Charles credits Vernon Garrett as a major influence. “He taught me about showmanship, how to dress, sing. It really helped me build up my confidence having someone the caliber of Vernon Garrett telling me what I was doing right and wrong. He was really inspirational to me. I owe him a lot.”

Sheldon Wright Quintet

Sheldon Wright, Dallas native and graduate of Booker T. Washing High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, began his musical career at the age of five when he began studying classical piano. Motivated by a desire to play in the Elementary School Band, Sheldon learned how to play the trumpet while still studying classical piano. In Middle School he was a member of the Oliver Wendell Holmes Boss Band, which was directed by Dean Hill. While at Arts Magnet Sheldon Wright performed in the Lab Band, which was voted by Down Beat Magazine as the “Best High School Band”.

Sheldon continued his Jazz Studies at Howard University under the direction of Fred Irby. While living in Washington D.C. Sheldon immersed himself in the Jazz and Hip Hop scene. He performed at Café Nema, which was voted the “Best Place to visit for Live Jazz in Washington D.C.” by Essence Magazine, and he played with such legendary greats as Shirley Horn, Fathead Newman, Stanley Turentine, Max Roach, The Roy Hargrove Big Band, Poet Abena Disroe, Tribe Called Quest, and De La Soul.

Since returning to Dallas, Sheldon has focused on writing and arranging and had made appearances with friend and fellow Arts Magnet graduate Erykah Badu.

Michelle Kiner

Michelle Kiner was born in Medina, a small town outside Buffalo, New York. She grew up with a desire to sing since the age of five. Hailing from a musical family, her father was a bassist and pianist. That desire to sing was fed in the church choir where she served as Director and President.

Michelle’s professional musical experience began in the Jazz Jam Sessions of Philadelphia, PA. Through these events, Michelle was able to obtain musical advice from the likes of Tony Williams, Bootsie Barnes, Jimmy O’Dell and the Late Downtown Sonny Brown, legendary musicians in the Philadelphia area. She was taken under the wing of pianist Gene Rizzo, who taught her the value of studying the art and developing proper jazz form as a vocalist. Michelle acknowledges the continued support and tutorage of pianist Bernard Samuel and Jimmy Gaskins.

In January 2000, Michelle released her debut CD, “Clear Days”, to which she is Executive Producer. Assisting her is Producer Bill Jolly, former Musical Director to the Late Grover Washington, Jr. Michelle has performed with legends such as Al Tinney (pianist for Billie Holiday), Jerome Hunter (bassist for Ella Fitzgerald) Lucky Thompson (drummer for Nina Simone), and vibraphonists Roy Ayers and Khan Jamal, to name a few.

Wanda King

Wanda King, the daughter of the late blues master Freddie King, began singing at an early age. The King’s home was always filled with music and musicians from the era of Howlin Wolf, Albert King, B.B. King, Magic Sam, Tyrone Davis, and Johnnie Taylor. Wanda became serious about blues music as a teenager. At the age of fifteen she attended her first blues club show, and she was hooked. Wanda began doing background vocals or lead songs for her father when he performed locally. Freddie King realized that she was serious about the business, so he began educating her on the do’s, and don’ts and the who and what in the music business.

In 1976, after her Father’s death, Wanda was so grief struck that she stopped performing professionally. Her attention turned to helping her mother raise the other siblings. Wanda went to college and got a job, but continued to write poetry and lyrics. She was content for a while, but gradually the need to perform professionally grew and became too strong to resist. The opportunity presented itself when Wanda was laid off her day job. She contacted some talented musicians that she had seen perform locally, Conny Collie and Robin “Texas Slim” Sullivan, and told them that she wanted to hire them to assist on her 2002 CD project titled “From A Blues Point of View”.

Also appearing the St. John Baptist Church Choir.

The Blues and Jazz Festival is the culmination of the Music Under the Dome/Third Friday Nights Program. The Program is an innovative series that provides a fun and energized social environment for the community to enjoy local Blues and Jazz Musicians in an intimate setting in the Museum’s Rotunda.

Information from the festival's website