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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; On Feb. 23, 1951, &#8220;The Cavalcade of Dixieland Jazz&#8221; was held at the Hotel Redington, Genetti&#8217;s Best Western. A plaque located behind the band stand on Public Square commemorates that day of music as America&#8217;s first jazz festival and the inspiration for similar events held to this day throughout the country.</p><p>&#8220;The Cavalcade of Jazz&#8221; takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 15 at the River Common Amphitheater near the intersection of River Street and Northampton Street. The event is free and open to the public, features the music of <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/features/571453/12th-annual-scranton-jazz-festival-features-world-class-musicians" target="_blank">Marko Marcinko</a>&#8217;s Latin Jazz Quintet and celebrates the 65th anniversary of the 1951 festival.</p><p>Past president of the Riverfront Parks Committee, the organization hosting the Cavalcade, John Maday said the committee&#8217;s mission is environmental education, but it also holds events that focus on arts and recreation with the Susquehanna River as a backdrop.</p><p>&#8220;You get a feel for appreciating the environment and learn to enjoy it in a way that is positive,&#8221; Maday said.</p><p>Maday was one of the driving forces in organizing the 60th anniversary celebration of the original Cavalcade in 2011.</p><p>&#8220;The plaque on Public Square was placed there by a former mayor, Lee Namey at the encouragement of his father-in-law, Lee Vincent,&#8221; Maday said. &#8220;He was a local bandleader and a musical legend around here, and he performed at the jazz festival in 1951.&#8221;</p><p>Duke Ellington also performed on that day, 65 years ago, along with Marko&#8217;s father, Patrick J. Marcinko Jr.</p><p>As a teenager, Patrick Marcinko was the drummer in the Musical Minors, a nationally touring dixieland jazz group that reached significant notoriety.</p><p>&#8220;When we celebrated a few years ago, my dad spoke,&#8221; Marko Marcinko said. &#8220;He&#8217;s since passed away, but we&#8217;re trying to keep the embers of the jazz festival burning, because we want to pay homage to that festival and build it back up to what it once was.&#8221;</p><p>Marcinko said he&#8217;s glad the Parks Committee continues the tradition and he&#8217;s honored to be a part of it.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m happy my Latin jazz quintet is going to perform in Wilkes-Barre,&#8221; Marcinko said. &#8220;I think people are going to like the music, and we&#8217;re going to have a good time.&#8221;</p><p>In the quintet, Marcinko is joined by professional players and educators Bill Washer, Paul Rostock, Bob Velez and Tom Hamilton, a group of musicians who have individually shared stages with Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra Jr. and Tito Puente.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s extremely upbeat music,&#8221; Marcinko said of the quintet&#8217;s play. &#8220;It&#8217;s very dance friendly because of the Afro-Cuban influence &#8230; and it&#8217;s infused with the great jazz music that comes historically from great bebop players like Dizzy Gillespie.&#8221;</p><p>This year, Maday, who is also affiliated with the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association, arranged the Cavalcade to coincide with the Third Friday Art Walk and the beginning of Restaurant Week Sept. 16.</p><p>Maday said he&#8217;s happy to put the amphitheater to use for such an event.</p><p>&#8220;That amphitheater is such a cool place to put something on,&#8221; Maday said. &#8220;(It) was designed specifically for this. It&#8217;s such an intimate setting.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">A plaque on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre, dedicated in 1994, commemorates the 1951 Cavalcade of Dixieland Jazz. The Cavalcade of Jazz, held Sept. 15, celebrates the 65th anniversary of the original festival. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_JazzPlaque-3.jpg</photo0><caption0>A plaque on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre, dedicated in 1994, commemorates the 1951 Cavalcade of Dixieland Jazz. The Cavalcade of Jazz, held Sept. 15, celebrates the 65th anniversary of the original festival. </caption0><photoCredit0>Matt Mattei | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_TTL072415Jazz1-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A group of jazz fans watches the Dave Bixler Quintet on the River Common in Wilkes-Barre during Summer Jazz in 2015. The Cavalcade of Jazz takes place at the same amphitheater on Sept. 15. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_TTL072415Jazz1-3.jpg</photo1><caption1>A group of jazz fans watches the Dave Bixler Quintet on the River Common in Wilkes-Barre during Summer Jazz in 2015. The Cavalcade of Jazz takes place at the same amphitheater on Sept. 15. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger|Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Performance celebrates 1951 festival</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Matt Mattei</p><p>mmattei@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>If you go:</p><p>What: Cavalcade of Jazz featuring Marko Marcinko&#8217;s Latin Jazz Quintet</p><p>Where: Riverfront Common Amphitheater, near the intersection of River Street and Northampton Street</p><p>When: 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 15</p><p>Additional information: The concert is free and open to the public.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Matt Mattei at 570-991-6651 or Twitter @TLArts</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Cavalcade of Jazz in Wilkes-Barre celebrates 1951 dixieland jazz festival