The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival returns to Manhattan this summer, celebrating the spirit of the jazz icon with shows both uptown and downtown that highlight titans of jazz as well as the next generation. Night one is headlined by the acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, under the music direction of alto saxophonist Sherman Irby, featuring special guests Marquis Hill and Ekep Nkwelle. Special guests include Marquis Hill, who hails from Chicago, is one of the most exciting trumpet players working today and rising star Ekepe Nkwelle is a Cameroonian-American singer from Washington, D.C., who’s already performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk and been named first runner-up at the prestigious Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Voice Competition. The first group is the Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars, led by Harlem native Bill Saxton. The venerated tenor saxophonist has worked with many other music greats including Bobby Watson, Charles Tolliver, and Tito Puente. Charlie Parker’s influence on Bill can be heard in Saxton’s bebop vocabulary, swing, and fluent improvisational drive!