The Houston International Jazz Festival, celebrating its 22nd season, is rich in culture and sound. The Festival starts with a Friday night (Aug. 3) VIP party at Red Cat Jazz Cafe with Theresa Grayson, followed by two days of evening concerts at Bayou Music Center.

Saturday night kicks off with vibraphonist/vocalist Roy Ayers, a respected jazz/R&B artist who has been playing for more than 40 years. Ayers, known as the godfather of Neo-soul, helped pioneer Jazz Funk, characterized by a strong back beat (groove) and electrified sounds, with soul and funk classics like "We Live In Brooklyn Baby" and "Everybody Loves the Sunshine." There also will a big brass band shoot-out as the Rebirth Brass Band from Louisiana goes head-to-head with the popular Texas Brass Band. 

On Saturday, doors open at 7 p.m.; show starts at 8 p.m.

On Sunday, the group Hiroshima performs. In the three decades since they first convened, the Los Angeles-based ensemble of Dan Kuramoto (keyboards/ woodwinds/ composer/ producer), virtuoso June Kuramoto (koto/ composer), Kimo Cornwell (piano/keyboards/composer), Danny Yamamoto (drums/percussion), Dean Cortez (bass) and Shoji Kameda (taiko drum/percussion) have blended jazz, pop, and rock with traditional Japanese folk music and instruments. Composer, lyricist, arranger, musician and vocalist Rachelle Ferrell, who has captured the jazz public's attention with her sound, will also perform.

On Sunday, doors open at 4 p.m.; show starts at 5 p.m.

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