Ask three musicians to define jazz, and you’re likely to get three different answers. Perhaps more than any other genre, jazz is a constant source of debate about what it is and what it isn’t, where it came from and where it’s going.
Anthony Tidd doesn’t waste too much time trying to pigeonhole it. The British-born, New York City-based composer, bassist and Guggenheim Fellow looks at the genre and sees traces of so many different types of music, all of which shape the art form.
“Jazz is not a monolith,” Tidd told Seven Days in a phone conversation last week. “Within the art, there is this whole universe, so my vision of jazz is extremely broad. But, most importantly, jazz is a living music, and it’s still taking on influences and being shaped by young artists with new ideas, just like it was in the ’20s.”
That philosophy has guided Tidd as he has taken on the mantle of curator for this year’s Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, spanning the downtown and waterfront areas of the city from Wednesday, June 4, to Sunday, June 8. It’s the fourth year in a row to feature a guest curator: Tidd follows Adi Oasis, Lakecia Benjamin and Michael Mwenso, all of whom brought their own distinctive vision of jazz to the long-running festival.
The folks at the Flynn, which produces the fest, approached Tidd about curating this year’s lineup while he was performing at last year’s iteration. According to Tidd, that gave him a “unique advantage,” allowing him to experience Burlington and the way he felt the city transformed during the festival.
“I looked around at it and thought, This is absolutely amazing,” Tidd recalled. “This city is the perfect jazz destination. It’s got everything you would want to create an incredible festival.”
Tidd loaded the schedule with projects near and dear to his heart, such as the opening-night performance and world premiere of “Origins: Sounds and Stories of the African Diaspora.” The show will feature Tidd, along with a seven-piece band including top-notch musicians such as Fred Wesley and Greg Osby, laying out the musical history of the African diaspora and how it helped birth jazz. It will also showcase a slew of other genres — not limited to gospel, rock and roll, blues, reggae, and Afrobeat.
In recent years, there has been some hand-wringing over Burlington Discover Jazz Festival lineups, with some locals accusing the Flynn of ignoring the Queen City jazz scene. For Tidd, balancing the presence of touring artists and locals was of great importance.
“I want to foster a relationship between the local scene and the visiting musicians,” Tidd said. “I’m honestly really looking forward to jamming with the local players — I’m playing a jam session every night at Big Joe’s.”
That’s right: In honor of Burlington saxophone legend “Big Joe” Burrell, Vermont Comedy Club again transforms into Big Joe’s, a late-night jazz club, for the fest. With the Flynn Space back on the festival itinerary for the first time in years, the two stages feature plenty of local showcases.
“This week is going to be awesome,” Tidd said. “I wanted to present a festival that showed the audience the wide breadth of what jazz is, and I think we’ve done that. What jazz sounds like today could — and should — be completely different than what it sounded like in the ’40s.”
Read on for some highlights of the five-day lineup. Aside from the two ticketed shows on the Flynn Main Stage that bookend the fest, it’s completely free to attend. For the full lineup and tickets, visit flynnvt.org.
Jon McBride’s Big Easy with Ryan Montbleau
Wednesday, June 4, 8:30 p.m., at Big Joe’s (Vermont Comedy Club). Free.
With his Big Easy project, Burlington saxophonist Jon McBride and his band pay tribute to the early roots of funk in jazz music. A local standout, the band plays a weekly residency at the 126 in Burlington, but for the festival McBride joins forces with singer-songwriter Ryan Montbleau. Hailing from Boston, Montbleau is a familiar face around the local scene, particularly through his Yes Darling project with Vermont roots singer Hayley Jane. This Wednesday-night pairing is a good opportunity to catch some of the area’s finest holding their own.
Paris Monster
Thursday, June 5, 7:30 p.m., at Flynn Space. Free.
Brooklyn’s Paris Monster have earned a reputation for high-intensity live shows. Working with a minimal setup of drums with bass and synths, the duo of Josh Dion and Geoff Kraly creates a massive sound full of fuzzed-out low end, big grooves and shimmering synth-pop. Equal parts funk and soul, mashed together with a garage-rock band without guitars, Paris Monster achieve an idiosyncratic kind of electronic mayhem that’s built to start a party.
The Janéa Hudson Quintet
Friday, June 6, 6 p.m., at the 126. Free.
As great as it is catching all the big acts, one of the biggest advantages of the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival is the chance to discover the next up-and-coming jazz artist. Randolph native and Vermont State University alumni Janéa Hudson is flying the flag for local musicians. Hudson sings with local funk band Cheddar and performed in a funk-fusion ensemble in college, but for her festival shows — she also performs in “The Ladies of the 126 Showcase” on Wednesday, June 4, 7 p.m., and again on Friday, June 6, 8:30 p.m., at Big Joe’s (Vermont Comedy Club) — she’s bringing along a strong lineup of Vermont players, including bassist Bruno John, pianist Randal Pierce, drummer Gehrig Loughran and saxophonist Jake Whitesell.
The Soul Rebels with Rakim and Talib Kweli
Saturday, June 7, 9:15 p.m., at Waterfront Park. Free.
Guest curator Tidd has made it clear that he has a wide definition of jazz — one that includes the genre’s influence on hip-hop. That connection will be on full display at Waterfront Park when New Orleans brass band the Soul Rebels take the stage. The eight-piece outfit has shown up on recordings by G-Eazy, Big Freedia and Lil Wayne, as well as scored the 2023 Disney film Haunted Mansion. The Soul Rebels will be joined by two hip-hop heavyweights – Rakim, one half of the legendary duo Eric B. & Rakim; and former Black Star member Talib Kweli.
Translinear Light: The Music of Alice Coltrane
Sunday, June 8, 6 p.m., at Flynn Main Stage. $32-63.50.
While John Coltrane’s legacy as one of America’s most renowned musicians has long been cemented, the music and accomplishments of his wife, Alice Coltrane, are lesser known. One of John and Alice’s sons, Grammy-nominated saxophonist and composer Ravi Coltrane, is doing his best to amend that with “Translinear Light: The Music of Alice Coltrane.” The performance features harpist Brandee Younger as she and the younger Coltrane pay tribute to the career of a woman who was influential both as a musician and as a spiritual leader.
Chris’ Picks
Here are our music editor’s choices of seven shows not to miss during the 2025 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival.
- The Ladies of the 126 Showcase: Wednesday, June 4, 7 p.m., at the 126
- Parker Shper Ensemble: Thursday, June 5, 10 p.m., at Big Joe’s (Vermont Comedy Club)
- Immanuel Wilkins: Friday, June 6, 7:30 p.m., at Flynn Space
- A Celebration of the Meters with Dumpstaphunk and George Porter Jr.: Friday, June 6, 9:25 p.m., at Waterfront Park
- Late Night Jazz Jam with Connor Young & Friends: Friday, June 6, 11 p.m., at Radio Bean
- Anthony Tidd’s Quite Sane: Saturday, June 7, 6:20 p.m., at Waterfront Park
- Blaque Dynamite: Saturday, June 7, 9p.m. at Nectar’s
The original print version of this article was headlined “Jazz Prophet | Guest curator Anthony Tidd uses the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival to showcase the past and future of the genre”
This article appears in The Animal Issue 2025.
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