Jazz on the Duke to Highlight Downtown as Cultural Mecca | Entertainment

On Sunday, December 19, Jazz on the Duke will host their second concert of this year as part of their ongoing musical series. The event, which kicks off at 6 p.m., will continue as a virtual concert available live on all major social media platforms. It aims to highlight the various efforts underway to rebuild downtown Kingston as a cultural mecca.

This year’s lineup includes Myrna Hague and Trio, joined by Marjorie Whylie, Dean Fraser Quintet, Orville Hammond Quintet, Jon Williams Quartet and D’Kru Sextet. The evening’s debates will also include presentations highlighting projects undertaken downtown and those initiated by the Duke Street Refurbishing Project. These include the Walking Street Museum, the erected statues and the various murals along Water Lane and other popular streets which have become a hotspot for tourists and locals alike.

“The Duke Street Renovation Project continues to support the creative industries and promote Kingston as a global cultural center,” said project director Dr Blossom O’Meally-Nelson. “The Jazz on the Duke concert series has now gained public recognition and has a growing audience. This year’s performances promise to be of the highest quality and we are proud to present a lineup of exceptional talent.

The event went virtual for the first time last December and since then has racked up an average audience of 5,000 households for each staging, with online audiences from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and a overwhelming support from the diaspora.

“Jazz on the Duke had its first show two years ago – live and on Duke Street. Since then we have aired two shows from the Hallowed Halls of the Victoria Mutual Building Society – on the Duke! We will broadcast again from there, ”said Dayton Wood, general manager of the Kingston Restoration Company. The Tourism Improvement Fund and VM Group will continue to provide support as main sponsors.

“From every point of view, the chords struck by our musicians resonate happily with jazz fans from here and elsewhere. This show will be just wonderful, ”added Wood.

Jazz on the Duke is operated by the Kingston Restoration Company as the Duke Street Refurbishing Project, and has grown as a biannual concert series. The project recently began its transition to the New Duke Street Financial and Legal Business District, which is the next step in the project to highlight the continued actions being taken to make Duke Street a business center.