02 Feb Aretha Franklin joins Usher, Janelle Monae at 2016 Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival
By Fred Gonzalez | editor@miami.com2/1/2016
Jazz in the Gardens has done it again.
Just when you thought they couldn’t top the lineup for their decade celebration last year, how does the Queen of Soul on a Saturday night grab you?
Aretha Franklin, the legend herself with hits like ‘Respect’, ‘Freeway of Love’ and ‘Think’, was among the final artists announced for the 2016 Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival. She will close the stage at Sun Life Stadium on Saturday night, March 19, after performances by Kool & The Gang, Michael McDonald and the Average White Band.
Also announced Monday, joining the impressive lineup was Janelle Monae, she of the funk and soul vibe that has earned her six Grammy award nominations for songs like “Tightrope” and ‘Q.U.E.E.N”. She will perform on Sunday night, March 20, ahead of Usher (yeah, Usher – that same Usher! “OMG” there is gonna be some “Love In This Club” in the Gardens). And Babyface (a.k.a. Kenneth Edmonds), the talented singer and producer with hits like ‘When Can I See You’ and having produced such songs as ‘Change The World’ with Eric Claption, ‘End of the Road’ with Boys to Men, and ‘I’m Your Baby Tonight’ with Whitney Houston, will also perform on Sunday night.
The 11th Annual Jazz in the Gardens has consecutively brought Grammy award winning entertainers to the stage as fans revel in a wide variety of ethnically diverse foods. Last year, celebrating its 10th anniversary, over 73,000 attended the event over the course of the weekend, with 42,000 festival-goers purchasing tickets and selling out Saturday night’s show, the first time in the history of the event. The 2015 lineup included Maxwell, Erykah Badu, R. Kelly, Toni Braxton, Run-D.M.C., Sheila E., and Men of Soul’s Jeffrey Osborne, Peabo Bryson, and Freddie Jackson.
For more information, visit https://jazzinthegardens.com/2016/
Jazz In The Gardens
Where: Sun Life Stadium, 347 Don Shula Dr., Miami Gardens
Saturday, March 19
3 p.m. – Doors open
4 – 4:20 p.m. – CriStyle Renae
4:30 – 4:50 p.m. – April Raquel Koture Funk
5 – 6 p.m. – The Jazz in the Gardens All Stars featuring Najee, Alex Bugnon, and Regina Belle
6:20 – 7:20 p.m. – Average White Band
7:40 – 8:40 p.m. – Michael McDonald
9 – 10:10 p.m. – Kool & the Gang
10:30 – 11:45 p.m. – Aretha Franklin
Sunday March 20
3 p.m. – Doors open
4 – 4:20 p.m. – LaVie
4:35 – 5:35 p.m. – Fred Hammond
5:55 – 6:55 p.m. – Brian Culbertson
7:10 – 8:10 p.m. – Babyface
8:30 – 9:30 p.m. – Janelle Monae
10 – 11:15 p.m. – Usher