The spirit of jazz is set to return to Brantford. On September 18-19, the annual Brantford International Jazz Festival will kick off in Harmony Square. The event kicks off at noon on Saturday and will be host to a diverse and talented group of jazz music and musicians. The headliner for the event is Chuck Mangione, American flugelhorn player and composer who, in a prolific career spanning more than three decades, has managed to produce more than 30 albums. Mangione is perhaps most famous for his 1978 Grammy-nominated piece, “Feels So Good.”

In the past, the festival has shown a solid interest in exploring new talent to the jazz genre and this year will be no different. The event will have three stages for artists to perform on including a main stage, a stage for local talent and a youth stage for young jazz enthusiasts.

The festival will explore the diversity of jazz by featuring Afro-Cuban, Spanish, Big Band Swing and more.

The event is free and will be running all weekend long. For more information on performance times, please see the event website: brantfordjazzfestival.com