The 2013 annual Scranton Jazz Festival, scheduled for the first weekend of August, will showcase local and national talent.

“Every important populated area of this country has great culinary arts, great culture, history, great sports and great people,” said musician Marko Marcinko, of Scranton. “NEPA is no different and even more special with our wealth of talent in all of these areas; therefore, a Jazz festival to celebrate America’s greatest and most incredible export, “Jazz,” fits our area just right.”

Marcinko, Artistic Director of this year’s Jazz festival, said, “this 9th year will be musically fabulous, completely entertaining and a delight for all the senses.”

According to Marcinko, the 2013 festival will present Jazz legend and performer, Freddy Cole. Cole, a seasoned musician who has been active in the Jazz scene for more than 50 years, is the younger brother of Nat King Cole.

“It is also a thrill to present performers that appear all over the world at some of the best festivals, night clubs and theaters,” Marcinko said.

Other talent scheduled to perform at this year’s festival includes: Grammy Award -winning Dave Samuels and the Organik Vibe Trio with saxophone player Joel Frahm; La Cuchina, “The Ultimate Gato Barbieri Tribute”; guitar icon, Vic Juris along with Jay Anderson and Adam Nussbaum; The Carl Fischer Bouveau Big Band “Remembering Maynard Ferguson”; Indigo Moon Brass Band; The Benny Carter Saxes and the Keystone College Jazz Institute Student Combos.

Jazz Walk artists include: The Bog Swing Group, Merchants of Groove, Nate Birkey, Music for Models, Erin Maloy, Steve Rudolph and Marko Marcinko Latin Jazz Quintet.

Marcinko said, “It is a great festival atmosphere with music, food, drinks, various artisans and a community spirit that cannot be matched anywhere.”

The Scranton Jazz Festival is scheduled for August 2-4 at the Historic Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, 700 Lackawanna Ave.

The Abington Journal