Jacksonville Jazz Festival kicks off with piano competition

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – During the weekend, Downtown Jacksonville will be filled with the smooth sounds from more than 20 performers.

While the Jazz Festival has been a tradition since 1981, organizers are bringing back Jazz Fest After Dark for it's sixth year, featuring night performances at certain locations. On Thursday night, the finalists of the Jacksonville Piano Competition faced off.

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The players, chosen by a panel of judges, compete for a cash prize, and a chance to perform on the main stage during the 2019 festival.

Throughout the four day event, there's a jazz clinic, a jazz parade, a jam session and a jazz brunch.

Gladys Knight will be part of the weekend lineup, which covers 10 blocks of the city.

For more information and tickets, go to JacksonvilleJazzFest.com.