The Houston Jazz Festival
Saturday Sept. 20th, 2025
VENUE: Miller Outdoor Theatre
Houston Jazz Festival: Mark Gross & Veronica Swift Produced by Houston Jazz Collective
Enjoy a breathtaking performance as Modern Jazz Masters present the music of Cannonball Adderley, featuring Grammy-winning alto saxophonist Mark Gross of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and acclaimed jazz vocalist Veronica Swift.
Together, they’ll revisit the iconic 1962 Nancy Wilson – Cannonball Adderley Capitol release, bringing new life to a timeless collaboration. Gross — a standout interpreter of Adderley’s sound — will be joined by members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Jazz at Lincoln Center as they explore Cannonball’s instrumental repertoire, rich with bebop energy and gospel soul.
Adding a visual dimension to the evening, artwork by renowned Texas painter John Alexander will be featured throughout the event. Alexander’s mystical, emotionally-charged depictions of Southeast Texas create a striking visual parallel to the improvisational depth and beauty of jazz.
This immersive experience bridges sound and vision, paying tribute to the Southern spirit and artistic legacy of Cannonball Adderley.
All performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre are FREE!
Visit MillerOutdoorTheatre.com for details.
The Houston Jazz Collective is an organization that prides itself on showcasing the rich legacy of Jazz in Houston. They strive to accomplish this by producing and hosting cultural, jazz, and tribute-related events. Past events have featured critically acclaimed Houston-based or native Houston musicians that have gone on to achieve great international notoriety.
Last year 2024 Festival event
James Francies
Saturday Sept. 14th, 2024
VENUE: Miller Outdoor Theatre
James Francies Trio featuring Bilal
Presented by T-Mobile
The Houston Jazz Collective presents The American Masters Series featuring Blue Note recording artist James Francies with Grammy-winning vocalist Bilal accompanied live by the work of acclaimed audiovisual artist Ben Heim.
Embark on a transcendental journey, “… an immersive, multidimensional experience … step into (a) world of sounds, textures (and spectacular visual artwork)…”
“a pianist with liquid dynamism in his touch.” The New York Times
“…the pianist doesn’t so much compose music as conjure fascinating nebulae of sound.” DownBeat
All performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre are FREE!
Visit MillerOutdoorTheatre.com for details.
About James Francies
An artist with perfect pitch and the ability to see colors, Mr. Francies has performed and/or recorded with Childish Gambino, Pat Metheny, Drake, Mark Ronson, The Roots, YEBBA, Chris Potter, Common, Eric Harland, Marcus Miller, DJ Dahi, NAS and Ms. Lauryn Hill.
Mr. Francies’ regular rock-solid trio including Burniss Travis and Jeremy Dutton welcome special guest and frequent collaborator, the great jazz artist and vocalist Bilal.
About Ben Heim
Visual artist Ben Heim’s works have been featured in galleries and public spaces across the world including at OXO Tower Wharf Gallery (London), Times Square, IRCAM’s 2017 Vertigo Conference (Paris), Olsen Gruin Gallery (NYC), Galleri Image (Denmark), and HARPA Concert Hall (Reykjavik) and festivals including Splice Festival (UK), Tallinn Music Week (Estonia), Vivid Sydney (Australia), Digital Art Month (NYC) and the Reykjavik Winter Lights Festival (Iceland) and with the London Contemporary Orchestra at the Barbican.
The Duke Ellington Orchestra
Sept 16th 2023 Miller Outdoor Theatre 8PM
TRUSTED HANDS BEHIND US
Our great sponsors
“Sponsored in part by the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board”
If events like this inspire you, Please take a brief moment to contribute to the Houston Jazz Collective
The Mission
Houston Jazz Collective Organization &
Houston Jazz Collective Performance Group
Want to join us in making a difference? Our current focus is delivering a great Houston Jazz Festival this Fall 2019 at The Miller Outdoor Theater. Any donation will help make an impact!
Jazz Musicology:
The Educational Outreach Program
The organization’s mission also encompasses an education program called Jazz Musicology. It has several branch programs, one of which is “The Houston Center for After School Jazz Programs”. In this video you will see Bob Dorough, Andre Hayward & Shelley Carrol mentoring & entertaining the youth at the Boys and Girl Harbor, a charitable facility for abused, abandoned, neglected children ages (5-18) during an afternoon day program.