Like the Mississippi River, jazz flows with strength and grace, carrying stories from one generation to the next. On July 25 and 26, the inaugural Burlington Jazz Festival channeled that spirit along the river’s edge. The free two-day event turned the historic downtown into a celebration of sound. With five venues, 12 bands and more than 80 musicians, the festival didn’t feel like a first-time effort. It felt like a town reclaiming its place in jazz history.
“Much like jazz itself, this festival didn’t come from a single spark,” co-director Emma Reynolds explained. “It’s the product of steady efforts over the years from people who love this music and wanted to see it thrive here again.”
Reynolds, a gifted vocalist, and her partner, guitarist Matt Landon, joined forces with local arts leaders to bring the vision to life. The result was a festival steeped in both history and forward-thinking energy.
One of the festival’s most striking features was its layout. Rather than relying on a single main stage, performances took place across five downtown venues: the Capitol Theater, Heritage Garden Event Center, Burlington Art Center, the Washington and the BRE Riverfront. Each performance felt like a conversation between artist and audience. After each set, the musicians were accessible for questions, conversation and even the occasional hug.
Festival-goers wandered between sets, catching views of the Mississippi River or passing the bricks of Snake Alley before sliding into the next venue. There were no intrusive sound checks or long delays between acts. Attendees simply walked into the next space, the hosts introduced the artist and the music began. It was an effortless flow, the kind that encouraged people to linger and connect.
The variety of programming was deliberate and evident from the start. Even a complete beginner to the world of jazz could find something to enjoy because so many facets of the genre were represented.
On Friday, the Jormilit Garcia Quartet opened with a fiery set of Latin jazz that immediately set the tone for the weekend. They were followed by the Tommy Boynton Sextet’s performance, which featured the first Q&A session, giving listeners a behind-the-scenes look at improvisation and arrangement.
That evening, the Blake Shaw BIG(ish) Band filled the Capitol Theater with an 11-piece ensemble of Iowa’s top improvisers. Vocalist and bassist Blake Shaw is a well-known figure in the Iowa jazz scene. A University of Iowa alumnus, he is a regular presence, performing and teaching across eastern Iowa. His band’s set blended the bold power of a big band with moments of subtle, infectious groove.
Saturday began on a high note with the Entropy Jazz Orchestra, a 17-piece band led by Donny Myers. “The name Entropy refers to a metaphysical concept that deals with chaos,” Myers explained. “When you take a huge group of people from different backgrounds and put them together, you can come up with some really unique styles in music.”
True to his words, their set featured a mix of swing, funk and fusion, even slipping in TV and video game themes. Myers, a trumpet player, credits his style to influences like Roy Hargrove and Chuck Mangione, while lead trumpet player Jared Johnson gave Myers the nod as one of his own inspirations.
The afternoon brought a soulful set from the Elisha Organ Trio consisting of guitarist Ben Crino, organist Isaiah Jones Jr. and drummer Sid Smith IV at the Heritage Garden Event Center.
Jones spoke candidly about the demands of the organ trio format: “As the organ player, I have to play the bass lines, comp, make sure the harmony is right and solo. It feels like I’ve got four jobs, but it’s a lot of fun.” Their mix of gospel-rooted originals and jazz standards brought warmth that resonated deeply with the crowd.
Bassist Adam Blenderman delivers an expressive performance during an impromptu trio set at the Burlington Jazz Festival on July 26, 2025. — M.T. Bostic/Little Village 
Guitarist Ben Crino performs with the Elisha Organ Trio during their set at the Burlington Jazz Festival on July 26, 2025. Photo by M.T. Bostic/Little Village 
Drummer Kabir Dalawari’s sticks dance across the snare and cymbals, capturing the raw energy and improvisational spirit of the impromptu trio set at the Burlington Jazz Festival on July 26, 2025. — M.T. Bostic/Little Village
Later in the day, a surprise highlight unfolded when the Joshua Achiron Trio was forced to cancel due to a technical issue. Drummer Kabir Dalawari quickly assembled a group with tenor saxophonist Christian Sanchez and bassist Adam Blenderman. Their spontaneous takes on “A Night in Tunisia” (by Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Paparelli) and “Straight, No Chaser” (by Thelonious Monk) became one of the festival’s defining moments with a raw display of improvisational chemistry that drew some of the weekend’s loudest applause.
Matthew Fries followed with a solo piano performance at the Burlington Art Center, weaving original compositions with delicate interpretations of piano classics. His performance was that of a true virtuoso, as he displayed both his experience and his skill as an award-winning pianist. Without any assistance he held everyone in attendance on the edge of their seat and even drew outside onlookers in from the storefront window of the art gallery.
Education was more than just a theme; it was the festival’s backbone. The Dave Katz Sextet, paired their set with the second Q&A sessions. The sextet’s pianist, Larry Harris, described how playing in a sextet balances freedom and structure. He emphasized that smaller groups require careful listening and real-time decision-making: “Sometimes we’re making choices on the fly, but we’re always aiming to make it sound intentional.”
Dave Katz, a veteran Chicago-based trumpeter, led his band’s exploration of time signatures, moving through 3, 4 and 6 time, before capping it off with an intricate rendition of Paul Desmond’s “Take Five” which is in 5. When Paul Desmond recorded this song with his bandmates in the Dave Brubeck Quartet it became one of the most popular jazz tunes of all time. Dave Katz and his sextet used it perfectly to teach a theory lesson while also leaning on its timeless popularity to entertain. These educational moments reminded the audience that jazz is as much about dialogue and learning as it is about performance.
The festival’s closing act, the Pete Ellman Big Band, underscored the educational spirit at the heart of the weekend. Ellman, a retired Illinois Air National Guard trumpeter, has built his 18-piece nonprofit ensemble around mentoring young players and creating performance opportunities. “During the school year, we play a place in Aurora that’s called The Venue,” Ellman explained. “Each week we have two high school or middle school groups open for us. Sometimes we’ll provide clinicians to work with them before they come out to perform, and they’ll perform with them at the venue. And then the big band performs so they can hear what professionals sound like.” True to fashion, they pulled a young trombonist up to the stage for one of the numbers while one of the musicians took the mic to sing.
Their set at the Capitol Theater was a mix of big band standards and local compositions, one of which was written by a composer in attendance. The band filled the room with brassy energy and tight harmonies, sending the festival out on an emphatic high note.
Guitarist Joel Ream performs with the Pete Ellman Big Band, adding rich textures to the ensemble’s brassy sound during the Burlington Jazz Festival on July 26, 2025. — M.T. Bostic/Little Village 
The horn section of the Pete Ellman Big Band lights up the Capitol Theater stage, with founder Pete Ellman (top right, trumpet) leading the brassy charge during the Burlington Jazz Festival. — M.T. Bostic/Little Village 
Trumpeter Dave Katz joins the Pete Ellman Big Band on flugelhorn, adding smooth tones to the ensemble’s brassy finale at the Burlington Jazz Festival on July 26, 2025. — M.T. Bostic/Little Village 
Tenor saxophonist Christian Sanchez takes the spotlight with a soulful solo during the Pete Ellman Big Band’s performance at the Burlington Jazz Festival on July 26, 2025. — M.T. Bostic/Little Village
Community engagement extended beyond the music. The first-ever Bart Howard Cabaret Cocktail Competition, named after Burlington’s own composer of jazz standard “Fly Me to the Moon,” raised funds for local student jazz workshops. Meanwhile, the 3rd Street Block Party blended music with food, art and open jam sessions that lasted well into the evening. Young musicians found themselves improvising alongside seasoned professionals, a moment that captured the inter-generational spirit of the festival.
“Jazz isn’t one sound for one type of person, and it shows up in places we might not realize,” Reynolds said. “We wanted people to leave here curious about where the music they love came from, and where it’s headed next.”
That sense of curiosity was echoed throughout the weekend, whether in conversations with artists like Myers and Jones or in the improvisations that made each set feel alive and unrepeatable.
For a first-year event, the Burlington Jazz Festival ran with remarkable polish. The variety of ensembles, seamless venue transitions, and balance between education and entertainment set it apart from larger, more commercial festivals. Organizers have already hinted at a return in 2026, likely in late summer or early fall.
From the Mississippi River backdrop to the final blast of horns at the Capitol Theater, the Burlington Jazz Festival felt less like a beginning and more like a revival. It was a reminder that jazz’s blend of history, spontaneity, and community can transform not just a stage but an entire city.
