The Lowcountry Jazz Festival

The Lowcountry Jazz Festival Closing The Gap In Healthcare Presents the Greater Charleston, Lowcountry Jazz Festival - Labor Day Weekend, Annually
www.lowcountryjazzfest.com

Celebrate Charleston’s signature smooth jazz weekend as the Lowcountry Jazz Festival returns this August! Co-presented by Closing the Gap in Health Care and the Charleston Gaillard Center and produced by Tony Clarke, this memorable three-day event features an all-star lineup, including KEM (Saturday), Boney James (Sunday), Bob James (Saturday), Pieces of a Dream (Sunday), and Eric Darius (Friday).

Now in its 20th year, Closing the Gap in Health Care, Inc., founded by Dr. Thaddeus J. Bell, continues its mission to advance health knowledge. The festival remains its primary fundraiser, supporting vital programs across South Carolina and the Southeast.

Nearly 19 years ago, Rick Braun and Richard Elliot made one of the most beloved albums in smooth jazz. The production wa...
06/15/2026

Nearly 19 years ago, Rick Braun and Richard Elliot made one of the most beloved albums in smooth jazz. The production was surprisingly low-tech; they produced their signature sound almost by hand.

Braun was in Los Angeles. Elliot was in San Diego. Between gigs, Elliot would get in his car and drive; sometimes up to 5 hours to record live with Braun. They had one hand on their instruments and the other hand running the session. It was all produced live.

Low tech. Long drives. They created first takes that became charted album cuts. Including the title track that sat at number one for more than two months. They have been vibing together since.

So, you need to be there with Rick and Richard when they bring it to the Gaillard Center on Sunday, September 6, as part of the Lowcountry Jazz Festival 2026.

September 4-6, in Charleston, South Carolina. The lineup:

Friday, September 4
Vincent Ingala and The All White Party

Saturday, September 5
Lakecia Benjamin
Peter White
Anthony Hamilton

Sunday, September 6
Keiko Matsui
Jonathan Butler
Rick Braun & Richard Elliot

www.lowcountryjazzfest.com

It's a cloudy Sunday and we are feeling Jonathan Butler. It just felt like the day.With Juneteenth five days out, he fel...
06/14/2026

It's a cloudy Sunday and we are feeling Jonathan Butler. It just felt like the day.

With Juneteenth five days out, he felt like the right artist. Because he lived in the gap.

Juneteenth is the gap between what gets declared and what people actually live. June 19, 1865. Enslaved people in Texas learned they were free, two and a half years after emancipation was signed into law. The paper said one thing. The conditions said another.

Apartheid worked the same way. In 1948, South Africa legally codified a system that declared Black people separate, lesser, and contained. It did not end until 1994. Forty six years of a freedom that existed nowhere but on paper.

Jonathan became an artist in that era. Where you could be famous, have gold records, have a Grammy nomination, sell out concert halls, and still not be allowed to use the bathroom inside them.

So as we approach Juneteenth, we think about Jonathan Butler. We celebrate the liberation in his music. And he is perfect for this cloudy Sunday.

Lowcountry Jazz Festival 2026
September 4-6 | Charleston Gaillard Center | Charleston, South Carolina

Friday, September 4 — Vincent Ingala | The All White Party
Saturday, September 5 — Lakecia Benjamin | Peter White | Anthony Hamilton
Sunday, September 6 — Keiko Matsui | Jonathan Butler | Rick Braun | Richard Elliot

www.lowcountryjazzfest.com

06/14/2026

KEIKO MATSUI — SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

She's grateful. She's ready. She's coming to close the festival stronger than ever.
Keiko Matsui brings three-plus decades of mastery, spirituality, and melody to the Lowcountry Jazz Festival Sunday night.

LOWCOUNTRY JAZZ FESTIVAL | SEPTEMBER 4–6, 2026

Charleston Gaillard Center | Charleston, South Carolina
Friday, September 4: Vincent Ingala

Saturday, September 5: Lakecia Benjamin, Peter White, Anthony Hamilton

Sunday, September 6: Keiko Matsui, Jonathan Butler, Rick Braun & Richard Elliot

Get your tickets: www.lowcountryjazzfest.com

If you're not with us Labor Day Weekend, where will you be? Eight artists. Three nights. One Labor Day weekend. Lowcoun...
06/13/2026

If you're not with us Labor Day Weekend, where will you be?

Eight artists. Three nights. One Labor Day weekend. Lowcountry.

Friday, September 4, opens with Vincent Ingala and the All White Party. Saturday,

September 5, brings Lakecia Benjamin, Peter White, and Anthony Hamilton. Sunday

September 6, closes with Keiko Matsui, Jonathan Butler, and RnR featuring Rick Braun and Richard Elliot.

The Gaillard Center. Charleston, South Carolina. The full weekend is waiting.

www.lowcountryjazzfest.com

Lowcountry Jazz Festival 2026 | September 4 through 6 | Charleston Gaillard Center | Charleston, South Carolina

The lineup is set. Will you be here? The Lowcountry Jazz Festival returns September 4–6 at the Charleston Gaillard Cent...
06/07/2026

The lineup is set. Will you be here?

The Lowcountry Jazz Festival returns September 4–6 at the Charleston Gaillard Center, bringing together eight extraordinary artists for three unforgettable nights of music and community.

Vincent Ingala
Lakecia Benjamin
Peter White
Anthony Hamilton
Keiko Matsui
Jonathan Butler
RnR featuring Rick Braun and Richard Elliot

Presented in partnership with Closing the Gap in Health Care, the festival continues its mission of “jazzing with a purpose,” supporting health education and improving health outcomes in our communities. Dr. Thaddeus J. Bell created LCJF to provide scholarships to medical students. This year's lineup is a great one!

Three nights. One legendary weekend.

The Standard. Charleston. Labor Day.

www.lowcountryjazzfestival.com

Memorial Day is the perfect day to plan Labor Day. And we can help.We highly recommend joining us in Charleston, SC, at ...
06/06/2026

Memorial Day is the perfect day to plan Labor Day. And we can help.
We highly recommend joining us in Charleston, SC, at The Gaillard for this amazing weekend.

We know y'all are saying "We Outside" as we embark on the summer months. But from September 4–6, we will celebrate "We INSIDE" at the Gaillard with an amazing three-day experience.

The Lowcountry Jazz Festival was founded by Dr. Thaddeus J. Bell as an annual fundraiser to help medical professionals with scholarships. Every year, Producer Tony Clarke and The Gaillard Center team bring you the best weekend of music, food, and vibes to close out the summer. And this year, the lineup is something special.

Friday, September 4, opens with The All-White Party, sponsored by Explore Charleston. A live performance, a dance floor, signature cocktails, and Lowcountry cuisine. Our White Party is always a sellout. Dress in white and come ready.

Saturday, September 5, brings Peter White, Lakecia Benjamin, and Anthony Hamilton.

Sunday, September 6, closes the weekend with Keiko Matsui, Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, and Richard Elliot.

www.lowcountryjazzfest.com

Today, Lakecia Benjamin releases her new album We Dream.We know the story of the accident, the sirens, and the recovery....
06/06/2026

Today, Lakecia Benjamin releases her new album We Dream.
We know the story of the accident, the sirens, and the recovery. We Dream is Lakecia's rite of passage; she is stepping into a new season. And she is embracing the mosaic of who she is: the survivor, the storyteller, the performer, the artist.

She said it herself. "We're not just rising from the ashes anymore. We've done that. Now we're stepping into a season that honors every side of who I am: the survivor, the sovereign, the storyteller. This is a more regal era. Rooted, radiant, and fully claimed."

For this album, she assembled her own team. Hiromi. Chris Potter. Terence Blanchard. Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah. Jeff Tain Watts. She called them her Avengers of positivity. That is not a guest list. That is a statement.

We Dream is out today. And on Saturday, September 5, you can hear Lakecia Benjamin live at the Charleston Gaillard Center.

Tickets and full lineup at www.lowcountryjazzfest.com

Lowcountry Jazz Festival 2026 | September 4-6 | Charleston Gaillard Center | Charleston, SC

Friday, September 4: Vincent Ingala | The All White Party
Saturday, September 5: Lakecia Benjamin | Peter White | Anthony Hamilton
Sunday, September 6: Keiko Matsui | Jonathan Butler | Rick Braun | Richard Elliot

The Lowcountry Jazz Festival White Party. Always a sellout.Sponsored by Explore Charleston, this year Vincent Ingala tak...
06/05/2026

The Lowcountry Jazz Festival White Party. Always a sellout.

Sponsored by Explore Charleston, this year Vincent Ingala takes the stage at the Charleston Gaillard Center.

What can you expect? A sea of white outfits with signature cocktails in hand to celebrate an evening of artistry that ends in a DJ-led party. And every year, the dance floor is crowded and the lights start flashing to signal to the crowd it's time to go home. You already know, if they invite you to leave, it must have been GOOD.

If you plan to join the White Party, MAKE A MOVE.

This is not just a concert. It is an experience. And the White Party does not have empty seats for long. Secure yours.

Friday, September 4 | Lowcountry Jazz Festival
Tickets: www.lowcountryjazzfest.com

This photo was taken backstage at the Lowcountry Jazz Festival. North Charleston, South Carolina, in 2016. That is Dr. T...
06/04/2026

This photo was taken backstage at the Lowcountry Jazz Festival. North Charleston, South Carolina, in 2016.

That is Dr. Thaddeus J. Bell, founder of the Lowcountry Jazz Festival, with Peabo Bryson on the night LCJF honored Peabo.

Let’s talk about Peabo and his music.

"A Whole New World" topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993. It was the first song from an animated film to ever do that.

But before Disney found him, Peabo Bryson started singing at 14, on the road with Al Freeman and the Upsetters. He built his catalog the hard way. "Feel the Fire." "Reaching for the Sky." "If Ever You're in My Arms Again." Songs that lived on Black radio, in living rooms, in cars, slow dragging (lol) in the clubs. R&B Peabo was a vibe.

Then came Roberta Flack. "Tonight I Celebrate My Love" introduced him to a wider world and set the standard for what a duet could be. And Peabo became the Disney duet man with Céline Dion and Regina Belle. Peabo earned two Grammys, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award.

The voice never changed. That rich, warm tenor that could hold a note and make you feel like it was written specifically for whatever you were going through.

That was his gift. Rest in Peace...Peabo.

www.lowcountryjazzfestival.com

In 2016, the Lowcountry Jazz Festival showed up for one of their own: Peabo Bryson.Dr. Thaddeus J. Bell, founder of LCJ...
06/04/2026

In 2016, the Lowcountry Jazz Festival showed up for one of their own: Peabo Bryson.

Dr. Thaddeus J. Bell, founder of LCJF, made it his mission to see Peabo Bryson honored in his home state. Producer Tony Clarke curated the evening to honor our South Carolina legend.

Mayor Keith Summey and the City of North Charleston presented Peabo Bryson with the Keys to the City and declared September 4th, 2016, "Peabo Bryson Day."

Peabo Bryson was born in Greenville, South Carolina. He carried that state with him to every stage in the world. Two Grammy Awards. Disney soundtracks that a generation grew up singing along to. Duets that defined an era. And in all that time, South Carolina had never stopped to say his name with reverence or to publicly honor him.

That night in 2016, we did. And Peabo Bryson stood on that stage and wept. He told us how much the recognition mattered to him. He was truly honored.

We were in that room. We saw it. We felt it. And we reveled in his performance. The voice...so memorable.

On June 2, 2026, Peabo Bryson passed away at 75, surrounded by his family.

The Lowcountry Jazz Festival has held that night as part of its history. We gave a South Carolina legend his flowers while he could still receive them.

Rest well, Peabo.

www.lowcountryjazzfest.com

Address

95 Calhoun Street
Charleston, SC
29401

Opening Hours

Saturday 6pm - 11pm
Sunday 6pm - 11pm

Telephone

+18437245212

Website

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