Charles Owens (Photo by Joey Wharton)
Over the last decade, Charles Owens has become part of the fabric of the Richmond Jazz and Music Festival, which takes place each summer on the sprawling, pastoral grounds of Maymont. The saxophonist and composer, who is deeply embedded in Richmond’s music scene, first attended the festival in 2016 as a spectator, catching a memorable set by hip-hop institution The Roots. He even got to meet and snap a picture with the band’s iconic drummer, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. A couple of years later, Owens was invited to perform. He'll play there again this year as leader of a trio featuring bassist Cameron Ralston and drummer Kofi Shepsu.
The 2025 festival, running Aug. 8-10, will host internationally celebrated artists including T.I., Jodeci, CeeLo Green and Dru Hill. Owens, however, has the special distinction of having performed at the festival twice in one weekend, when in 2019, an act canceled and Owens was called from another gig to step in and fill a slot on the main stage. “I saw The Roots play on that stage,” Owens recalls. “Here I was, three years later, playing on that stage.”
Owens with Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson at a previous festival (Photo by DJ Harrison)
Richmond magazine: What was it like being asked to fill in after you’d already played in 2019?
Charles Owens: We played our set that we were hired for, and then the next morning I get a call [saying] that one of the groups that were scheduled to play, their van broke down, and they needed me to come and do the second day in a row. About an hour after that phone call, I had to get in my car and go play the show. … It was really cool to think that I did the show and they liked it so much, they’re like, “Oh, well, this person’s not gonna make it. Let’s call Charles again.”
RM: What do you enjoy most about playing at Maymont?
Owens: It makes your music feel important. It makes it feel like people really need to hear what you’ve got to say. … It makes me play better, and it makes me want my music to sound bigger. When you’re in a jazz club, you’re [under] a low ceiling; people are right up on you. But when you’re in a festival, it’s outside — the highest of ceilings — and people are a little bit separated from you. ... It gives the music a different energy.
RM: What do you have planned for this year’s set?
Owens: We’re going to be doing a few selections from my latest album, “The Music Tells Us.” We’re going to also do some stuff from “Here It Is,” which is my album from 2023, because of the electric bass. [It] has hybrid guitar, which is part guitar and part bass. A lot of the songs are set up for electric bass. And we’ll probably do some songs from “10 Years,” which is the 2021 album, because that’s just electric bass, drums and saxophone.
RM: What other acts should attendees be on the lookout for?
Owens: I think Shera Shi’s set is going to be really good. They’re a real up-and-coming band. They just released their first album. They’re young. They have a lot of energy. They have a lot of things to prove to people, so they’re going to put their best foot forward. And Britt O’Neill is definitely one of the singers to watch right now.
The Richmond Jazz and Music Festival runs Aug. 8-10, featuring Homegrown at the HIPP at The Hippodrome on Aug. 8 ($50 plus fees) and two stages of music at Maymont on Aug. 9-10 (single-day tickets $145 plus fees).
