NBC12 Viewpoint: Great music in the RVA this weekend!

By: Kym Grinnage - email

Well it's that time of year again for the annual Richmond Jazz Festival, now in its ninth year. NBC12 has been a proud sponsor for all nine years.

JMI has been the organizer of the festival and has attracted up to 20,000 people of diverse backgrounds to the RVA every year. The event has already started and it will continue this weekend on Saturday and Sunday at the beautiful Maymont Park.

I am always looking for the purpose of an event and what gives it its soul and essence. I think for the Richmond Jazz Festival the answer is simple. It's about great music, great people, a great city and the bonus is great economic development.

People come to the Richmond Jazz Festival from all across the country, so the big winner is tourism and the fine citizens of the Richmond region.

So who's going to be at the festival this year? Well there's a little bit of something for everyone. Gladys Knight, The O'Jays, Joss Stone, Roy Ayers, Butcher Brown, Warren G, Eric B. & Rakim, Christain Sands, Euge Groove, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, and Maze featuring Frankie Beverley, just to name a few.