Ella Fitzgerald said, “The only thing better than singing is more singing.”  There will be plenty of singing at Knoxville’s first Women in Jazz Jazz Festival (WJJF) from March 18-20.

Festival organizer Kelle Jolly says, “March is Women’s History Month and it’s about time there was a festival honoring women in jazz.” Jolly has assembled a variety of concerts and activities that will take place in downtown Knoxville and at the Red Piano Lounge in Bearden. Festival t-shirts designed by Hawa Ware and Visit Knoxville will be available for sale.

The festival kicks off on Friday, March 18, with two shows by the Women in Jazz Jam Festival Band. The WJJF Band will join Kelle Jolly at noon on the WDVX Blue Plate Special in the Visit Knoxville building. At 6:oo p.m., the ladies are performing at the Knoxville Museum of Art’s “Alive After Five.” Ukesphere, a local ukulele club, will also perform. Admission for the evening show is $10 for adults, $5 for students and children under 17 are free.

The WJJF Workshops & Market will held on Saturday, from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., at The Emporium building downtown. The event will include performances by youth jazz musicians, workshops for children facilitated by Knoxville Girls Rock Camp and award-winning poet Rhea Carmon, a presentation by Tennessee Archives of Moving Image and Sound on Knoxville jazz & blues women composers and a vision board workshop.  Women and girl led businesses will be set up to sell in the upstairs gallery. Admission is free.

Enjoy an early show on Saturday evening at Scruffy City Hall on Market Square. From 5:30-9:00 p.m., savor the sounds of Kelle Jolly and Will Boyd (5:30pm), Nashville’s Christina Watson (6:30pm), and Venus (the all girl band) (7:30pm) from Atlanta. Advance tickets are $15 or $20 at the door. www.knoxtix.com

Sunday afternoon’s headliner, The Dara Tucker Band will be performing at 3 p.m. at Red Piano Lounge.  Advance tickets are $10 or $15 at the door. knoxtix.com

Festival Sponsors include Visit Knoxville, WUOT, Knoxzine, the Sundress Academy for the Arts,  Appalachian Community Fund Indiegogo campaign supporters and Commissioner Amy Broyles.

For more information, contact festival organizer, Kelle Jolly at (865) 622-7174 or womeninjazzjamfestival@gmail.com.