The Atlanta Jazz Festival will host 31 Days of Jazz events starting on May 1, leading up to the free 42nd Atlanta Jazz Festival in Piedmont Park on Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26. The 31 Days of Jazz are exciting events held at various locations across metro Atlanta, including MARTA stations, restaurants, local neighborhood parks and more that encourage people to experience this diverse musical genre.

The 31 Days of Jazz will kick-off with Live from Woodruff Park on Wednesday, May 1. This free event will happen every Wednesday in May from 5 – 8 p.m. The first Live from Woodruff Park event will feature a performance from Atlanta’s own Gritz and Jelly Butter.

MARTA Mondays will run from May 6 - 20 from 4 – 6 p.m. at a different MARTA station every Monday and will feature free jazz concerts that provide a unique preview to the upcoming Festival. The first event will take place at the Five Points Station in downtown Atlanta, featuring Jacob Deaton Trio.

MARTA Mondays Jazz Series:

• May 6: 4 – 6 p.m. at Five Points Station, featuring Jacob Deaton Trio

• May 13: 4 – 6 p.m. at College Park Station, featuring Groove Centric

• May 20: 4 - 6 p.m. at Midtown Station, featuring Brenda Moorer

The family-friendly Neighborhood Jazz Series will kick-off with a free, live concert at Washington Park on Saturday, May 11 from 4 – 8 p.m., featuring performances by Groove Centric and Julie Dexter. All Neighborhood Jazz events are hosted by Atlanta City Council members in parks located in their districts.

Neighborhood Jazz Series:

• May 11: 4 – 8 p.m. at Washington Park presented by councilmember Michael Julian Bond, featuring Groove Centric and Julie Dexter

• May 12: 4 – 8 p.m. at Grant Park presented by councilmember Carla Smith, featuring Mabu’s Ark Band and Jacob Deaton Trio

• May 18: 4 - 8 p.m. at John A. White Park presented by councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet and councilmember Andrea L. Boone, featuring Distilled Butter Band and Brenda Nicole Moorer

• May 19: 4 – 8 p.m. at West Manor Park presented by council president Felicia A. Moore and councilmember Andrew Dickens, featuring Tony Hightower and The Myrna Clayton Experience

Other free events will happen weekly throughout the month. For the second year, Colony Square Midtown will host Jazz in the Sky every Tuesday in May from 6 – 8 p.m., but all events sold out in an hour. Venkman’s will host the Joe Gransden Jazz Jam every Tuesday from 8 – 10 p.m. Peachtree Center will host Jazz in May every Wednesday from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m, and the Suite Jazz Series will happen each Thursday at the Suite Jazz Lounge on Luckie Street.

City Winery, sponsored by the National Black Arts Festival, will feature a jazz and hip hop fusion “Talkin’ All That Jazz” on Thursday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets begin at $20 and can be purchased here. On Friday, May 24 from 8 – 10 p.m., jazz lovers can attend the Atlanta Jazz International Sound Series at the Red Light Café, featuring Willie Ziavino. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

Beginning on May 13 and ending on May 24, Jazz in the Airport Atrium will delight Atlantans and thousands of visitors alike to the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The daily concerts, from 5 – 7 p.m., will welcome those arriving and departing Atlanta and will showcase the city as an international hub for arts and culture.

Festival weekend is May 25 – 26, and following Saturday’s Festival performance, the Late Night Jazz Jam will be held at Park Tavern featuring Lil John Roberts and The Senators performing a special tribute to Herbie Hancock and The Headhunters. This is a $40 ticketed event and sells out yearly. Tickets are available on Freshtix.