One of the oldest Traditional Jazz Festivals in the country, the North Carolina Jazz Festival celebrates its 46th anniversary on Feb. 5, 6, &7, 2026. The event is held in the ballroom of the Hotel Ballast in Wilmington, NC, and features internationally renowned musicians from the US, Australia and Italy.
Thursday Night Showcase
Our Special Even night opens with the Benny Hill Quartet, with Benny Hill on sax, Bradd Merritt on piano, Doug Irving on bass, and John Hill on drums.
The main event for the evening showcases Noel Freidling and Maria Howell, who define chemistry, musically breathing as one as they explore and re-interpret some of the best musis of the last 80 years.
The evening will close with some of our weekend All-Stars in a Traditional Jazz Jam.
Friday and Saturday Nights
We continue our celebration with 14 All-Star Musicians playing in the traditional seven sets of six or seven players, each set with a different leader. The All-Star lineup includes:
Ehud Asherie and Rossano Sportiello, pianoPa
Herman Burney and Bradi Disterheft, bass
Adrian Cunningham and Chloe Feoranzo, reeds
Kevin Dorn and Chuck Redd, percussion
Wycliffe Gordan and Dion Tucker, trombone
Bruce Harris and Ben Polcer, trumpet
Nate Najar, guitar
Jonathan Russell, violin
Patron Brunch
On Saturday from 10:30 AM until 2:00 PM we treat our patrons to a musical brunch, when our All-Star musicians play for their pleasure. The last hour will include a Jam session when patrons who are musicians can play with the All-Stars.