Below are profiles about some of the most exciting jazz festivals in the country.
1. Newport Jazz Festival
© Brad Barket / Getty Images
2. Monterey Jazz Festival
Courtesy of MJF
The Monterey Jazz Festival has been bringing jazz to the beautiful hills of Monterey, California since 1958, when it featured Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, and many more.
3. New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
© Chris Graythen / Getty Images
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival began in Congo Square, where slaves gathered to sing and dance in the years before abolition. The festival features international jazz acts and unique New Orleans music alike.
4. Portland Jazz Festival (PDX Jazz Festival)
Courtesy of PDX Jazz
A relatively new jazz festival, the PDX Jazz Festival began in 2004. The festival is now one of the largest in the country. Since it is held each February, it celebrates the west coast jazz scene as well as Black History Month.
5. NYC Winter JazzFest
© Julian Chan
The NYC Winter JazzFest is a densely packed weekend of cutting edge jazz groups that is held each winter in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. It accompanies a convention for concert promoters and programmers, but its thrilling nature is giving it a life of its own and a place among larger jazz festivals
More Music Festivals:
And for those of you whose tastes aren't limited to jazz, learn about the numerous other music festivals in 2010:
