Fifth Annual Coltrane Day Music Celebration Returns to Huntington's Heckscher Park

On Saturday, July 20th, The John and Alice Coltrane Home, in conjunction with the Town of Huntington and the Huntington Arts Council, will present a truly unique cultural and family-friendly event as the Fifth Annual Coltrane Day Music Festival returns to Heckscher Park! The all-day festival will feature live performances, music workshops, family activities, and a wide range of local food vendors, non-profit organizations, and businesses celebrating the legacy of music giants and humanitarians John and Alice Coltrane, who lived in Dix Hills.

Admission is free, although donations are requested to help support the restoration of the historic John and Alice Coltrane Home located in Dix Hills, Huntington, NY. Coltrane Day 2019 follows on the heels of The Coltrane Home's recent highly public designation as a "National Treasure" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Home also recently inducted rock guitarist Derek Trucks and jazz pianist McCoy Tyner to its Honorary Board. Most recently it received an African American Cultural Heritage Action Grant from the National Trust for its first hire.

This year's music lineup will bring together a unique blend of artists and bands including Sax Legend Dave Liebman, along with pianist Emmet Cohen with drummer Tootie Heath. The Daytime is led by the legendary Allman Brothers drummer and founding member Jaimoe, and his "Jaimoe's Jasssz Band".

Other acts will include Andrea Brachfeld's Latin Jazz Quintet with Phoenix

Rising Women, Rudra's East West Fusion with Premik Russell Tubbs, Fantuzzi Woodstock 50 Celebration, and the return of two of Long Island's Rising Stars trumpeter Jonathan Dely and the hip-hop jazz of Dudley Music. They will be joined by numerous Special Guests to be announced at the event.

Workshops make this a unique event, and some of the workshops featured will include "Playing Together - Family Improvisation & Drumming" (Ages 5-10), "Girls/Ladies Only! Improvisation", "African Dance", "Songwriting", "Brazilian Drumming with John Ward", "Rap - Freestylin'", "Electronic Music/Beats" and more. This year, jazz legend Dave Liebman leads the "Master Class".

Workshop pre-registration on the website is strongly recommended and can be completed on the website workshop registration page at: www.thecoltranehome.org. (Dave Liebman Master Class requires pre-registration.)

Another special feature of Coltrane Day, is the "Community Jam", where mid- and higher-level musicians young and old can perform with the pros on stage. Later in the day, Fantuzzi will lead the "Fantuzzi Jam" alongside skilled local amateurs.

Attendees can also visit the community, environmental and artists exhibits and participate in children's activities, including face-painting!

While many may know about Coltrane's transformative impact on the world of jazz, where he has achieved iconic status - what many may not know is his wider-reaching influence on so many other genres from rock to pop and R&B, world music, rap and hip-hop, and the ever-growing list of subgenres that exist today. Carlos Santana, Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers are only a few of the many artists who attribute Coltrane as a major influence.

Building on the success of 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 - the Fifth Annual Coltrane Day Music Festival will continue to raise funds for the restoration and transformation of the home into a cultural center and park and support ongoing and expanded education and outreach programming focused on empowering young people and fostering creativity.

This is consistent with the late Alice Coltrane's stated goal for the Home, to "Inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the making of music and the creative process."

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