From D.C. avant-garde musician/impresario Ed Ricart comes word of his newest production: the New Atlantis Festival, a free-jazz celebration that will take place over four days in July.

“The New Atlantis Festival will span four days, with two gigs scheduled in Baltimore at the Wind Up Space on July 22 and 25, and two gigs in DC on July 23 and 24, at DC’s best gallery space, the Fridge (near Eastern Market),” writes Ricart, adding that it “will feature very rare DC performances from Charles Gayle, Joe Morris, Sonny Simmons, Darius Jones, Steve Swell, Weasel Walter, and many more.”

(Full schedule for the D.C. gigs is here.)

Meanwhile, Ricart is attempting to put the festival together without sponsors, and is instead presenting a series of benefit concerts to raise the funds. The first is tonight at Bossa, featuring four experimental acts (including Ricart’s own duo, Matta Gawa). Drop in and help bring free jazz to the District!