Venerable jazz flautist Néstor Torres and Grammy nominated vocalist Roseanna Vitro are set to headline the 2017 Amelia Island Jazz Festival, it was announced this week by AIJF Artistic Director Les DeMerle. A highly influential player with dozens of albums to his credit, Torres will appear on Saturday, October 14. He has recorded for a number of prestigious labels including Polygram, Shanachie, and Sony Latin Jazz. Inspired by musicians like Cal Tjader, Dave Brubeck, and Tito Puente, Torres’ playing incorporates a smorgasbord of Latin jazz, pop, straight-ahead jazz, and classical styles. He has played with an impressive array of jazz greats, including Jimmy Smith and Dave Grusin.

Vitro, who will perform on Friday, October 13, earned a 2012 Grammy Nomination for “Best Vocal Jazz Album,” The Music of Randy Newman, on Motéma Music. An inventive singer, her strengths include rhythmic acuity and free-spirited spontaneity, often heard in her improvisations, using both scat syllables and lyrics. Additionally, she has released twelve critically acclaimed recordings for Motéma, Telarc, Concord, Challenge and Half Note Records and has performed with a strong sampling of today’s top jazz artists, most notably Elvin Jones and Christian McBride. She has also headlined at prestigious jazz venues such as The Blue Note and Lincoln Center in New York, and The Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Both artists will appear on programs at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club on Bill Melton Road.

Now in its 14th year, the AIJF will take place at various locations in Fernandina Beach, FL from October 8-15, 2017, beginning with its annual free concert in Amelia Park on Sunday, October 8. Additional shows will be announced soon. Tickets will be available online, the AIFBY Chamber of Commerce and teh UPS Store on Amelia Island starting July. Check back for more information.