SAVANNAH — Gene Dobbs Bradford thinks of the Savannah Music Festival as a neighborhood where even those intimately familiar with the surroundings often find surprises.
“You turn a corner and you come across a shop you hadn’t realized was there. You go in and find that they have everything you are looking for,” said Bradford, the festival’s executive director. “Being a world of music in one city is what we are all about.”
The internationally acclaimed celebration of world roots, American folk and chamber music marks its 35th anniversary in 2024. The 17-day festival opens March 28 and stretches to April 13, bringing the top talent in genres ranging from bluegrass to zydeco and jazz to flamenco. The lineup is described as the “best artists casual music lovers have never heard of,” Grammy winners and living legends, such as Ricky Skaggs.
Credit: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder
Credit: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder
All concerts are staged in downtown Savannah at seven venues all within walking distance of each other. The intimate performance halls are part of the attraction, with shows in historic theaters and church sanctuaries, a roofed outdoor venue and a converted iron mill. The schedule encourages patrons to take in multiple shows in the same night.
The artists and the venues combine to lend a sense of discovery to the Savannah Music Festival, according to longtime attendee and Savannah music insider Christopher Berinato.
“I like to think I keep on top of the music world, but each year I’m surprised by how many great artists appear on the lineup that I’m unfamiliar with,” said Berinato, who writes about the local music scene for several publications. “The artists I do recognize are also unexpected and exciting.”
Carving an identity
The Savannah Music Festival debuted in 1990 as the Savannah OnStage International Arts Festival with financial backing from the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce. The original format included film and dance components, similar to Charleston’s wildly popular Spoleto Festival.
The Savannah event narrowed its focus and rebranded itself the Savannah Music Festival in 2003 with the hiring of Rob Gibson. The one-time director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center organization in New York, Gibson used his contacts and expertise to transform the festival into a mainstay on Savannah’s cultural calendar.
Credit: Photo by Elizabeth Leitzell
Credit: Photo by Elizabeth Leitzell
He built the festival’s program to appeal to Savannah arts lovers but also to visitors. Savannah’s tourism trade was building momentum thanks to notoriety from “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” the best-selling book and movie, as well as from the rise in popularity of former Food Network personality and restaurateur Paula Deen.
At the time, late March and early April were part of a slow season for tourism, even with the azaleas in bloom and mild temperatures. School wasn’t out, and families on spring break went to the beaches of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina instead.
But Gibson’s influence and far-ranging marketing efforts established the festival first as a regional draw for music lovers and later as a magnet for arts aficionados across the nation and the world. Even today, with Savannah’s population having swollen the last two decades with retirees and transplants from cities known for being cultural centers, 40% of festival attendees are out-of-towners who spend at least one night in local hotels.
“It took a while for people to get their heads around these artists whose names they don’t recognize as being the world’s best,” said Ryan McMaken, whose been a part of the festival’s staff since 2007. “Once they did, the accolades followed.”
Credit: Jim Bennett
Credit: Jim Bennett
Gibson resigned abruptly in 2016 without offering an explanation. He was succeeded by David Pratt, the former director of the Savannah Philharmonic. He left in 2021 to return to orchestra leadership with the Austin, Texas, symphony.
Bradford became executive director two years ago, hired away from Jazz St. Louis, a concert venue and series with an emphasis on education and community engagement. He is the first Black executive director in the festival’s history. His focus since coming to Savannah is on deepening the festival’s ties to the local community and promoting it broadly.
McMaken serves as artistic director and leads the festival’s programming. His aim has been to maintain the consistent quality established under Gibson’s leadership while growing the offerings. Count Berinato among those who would like to see more artists who specialize in “more adventurous” music from experimental genres.
Emerging music scene
The Savannah Music Festival is a stalwart of the city’s musical arts scene, but the emergence of other related events and venues have helped the festival refine its niche.
The Savannah Philharmonic is thriving after a long-established local orchestra folded in 2003. The Savannah VOICE Festival, founded by opera icon Sherrill Milnes, will celebrate its 11th anniversary later this year.
Credit: e. leitzell 2017
Credit: e. leitzell 2017
Meanwhile, the 2022 opening of the Enmarket Arena, a 10,000-seat entertainment venue, has brought popular touring acts to town. An intimate concert hall located on River Street, District Live, frequently attracts mainstream country artists while another small venue, Victory North, is a favorite of jam and tribute bands.
“Savannah’s music scene is in a place where the Savannah Music Festival can define its niche even more,” McMaken said. “We’re one of the very few festivals in the county that blends fine art and folk art in a balanced way. There are endless possibilities.”
Best of the fest: The AJC’s 7 performances not to miss
Oumou Sangaré
5 p.m. Thursday March 28
Ships of the Sea Museum, North Garden
The Grammy Award winner from Mali, in West Africa, is known as “The Songbird of Wassoulou” for her vocal talents
Chucho Valdés Royal Quartet
7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30
Lucas Theatre
Valdés is a Cuban pianist, composer and arranger who, over a 60-year career, has come to be considered among the most influential figures in modern Afro-Cuban jazz.
Renee Fleming
4 p.m. Sunday, March 31
Lucas Theatre
The soprano and opera star has won five Grammy Awards, including best classical vocal solo for her 2021 album “Voice of Nature: the Anthropocene.” She’s sung at a Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and at the Super Bowl.
Rosanne Cash with John Leventhal
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 3
Lucas Theatre
This husband-wife duo have 10 Grammys between them and will mark the 30th anniversary of the album “The Wheel” with the Savannah Music Festival appearance. Cash is the eldest daughter of country music legend Johnny Cash.
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
8 p.m. Saturday, April 6
Lucas Theatre
The 25-year-old is already being hailed as the blues voice of his generation. He has opened for the Rolling Stones and toured with music stars including his mentor Buddy Guy.
Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf tribute: Bobby Rush with North Mississippi Allstars
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 10
Lucas Theatre
Legends salute legends in this tribute performance. Rush is a Blues Hall of Famer, and the North Mississippi Allstars have traveled the world for a quarter century showcasing the sound of the Mississippi Hill Country.
Noche Flamenca with Soledad Barrio
7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 13
Lucas Theatre
Flamenco music lends itself to movement, and Noche Flamenca blends the Spanish music with the dancing talents of Soledad Barrio that stretches the boundaries of the art form.
IF YOU GO
Savannah Music Festival
March 28-April 13. Ticket bundles from $160-$520; individual shows $20-$85; some panel discussions and conversations are free. The Lucas Theatre of the Arts is at 32 Abercorn St., Savannah. Check website for other venue locations and more info. savannahmusicfestival.org.
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