Thousands of guests travel from across the nation to celebrate an annual reunion of family members, friends, and Hampton University alumni. King, Aretha Franklin, Duke Ellington, and Ray Charles have graced the stage while newer artists like Kenny G, David Sanborn, and Dave Koz follow closely in their footsteps. The lineup infuses a mix of talent, with local musicians from the Hampton Roads area acting as openers to nationally recognized headliners. HJF has traditionally featured major R&B, gospel, jazz, pop, blues and crossover stars. With the exception of 1975 through 1985 when the festival was renamed the Hampton Kool Jazz Festival because of its sponsorship from the Newport cigarette company, the Festival has remained virtually unchanged. The popular event was held again the following year, but moved to the newly-built Hampton Coliseum in 1970 where it has since become an annual tradition every last weekend in June. The best in jazz showed up to play including Cannonball Adderley, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie Quintet, Herbie Mann Quintet, Thelonius Monk Quintet, Dionne Warwick, and Muddy Waters and his Blues Band. The first Hampton Jazz Festival was held at Hampton University’s Armstrong Stadium in 1968 to celebrate HU’s 100th Anniversary. Hampton Jazz Festival has brought the best of jazz, pop, blues, soul, and R&B for more than five decades, with each year more exciting than the last.
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