FRIDAY! SATURDAY! SUNDAY! BEST OF THE MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL!
JOiN US THiS WEEKEND!
For the past 10 years, the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL, produced by JAZZ HOUSE KiDS has been THE highlight on the August music calendar. New York City region’s largest jazz festival, last year the award-winning MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL welcomed more than 250 artists and over 18,000 music fans including 12,000 at its Grand Finale 10th Anniversary celebration in Nishuane Park. This summer, while the COVID-19 pandemic keeps festival fans apart, JAZZ HOUSE KiDS continues to create and connect community through music.
This year, the 2020 MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL has been re-imagined:
- BEST of the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL, August 21 – 23
Relive the many exciting moments we shared together! Catch it on Sirus XM Real Jazz Radio, Facebook , YouTube and the Montclair Jazz Fest website. - POP GOES THE PLAZA: September 12 and September 26
In partnership with the the Montclair Center, the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FEST will feature live jazz trios in downtown Montclair’s vibrant South Park/Church Street merchant and restaurant corridor. JAZZ HOUSE KiDS performances are presented by LINCOLN OF WAYNE.
The BEST of the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL, August 21-23
3:00 pm – Sirus XM Real JAZZ Radio
7:30 pm – Facebook, YouTube and the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FEST website
JAZZ HOUSE KiDS Hang @ Home Series, presents the BEST of the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL, a virtual Watch Party featuring the iconic original performances of fan-favorite sets from the archives.
Curated by Artistic Director CHRISTIAN McBRIDE and Executive Producer MELISSA WALKER, for three nights, 3+ hours per night, the BEST of the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL presents encore presentations of:
Friday, August 21
- DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER + Memphis Soulphony (MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL 2017)
- GEORGE COLEMAN Organ Quartet (MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL 2016)
- EDDIE PALMIERI and his Afro-Caribbean Jazz Sextet (MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL 2019)
Saturday, August 22
- CYRUS CHESTNUT Trio (MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL 2017)
- BETTYE LaVETTE (MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL 2019)
- CHRISTIAN McBRIDE Big Band (MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL 2015)
Sunday, August 23
- JOEY DeFRANCESCO, CHRISTIAN McBRIDE and MARK WHITFIELD (MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL 2019)
- PAQUITO D’RIVERA (MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL 2015)
- JAZZ HOUSE Collective Celebrates ART BLAKEY (MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL 2019)
The BEST of the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL will be streamed on Facebook, YouTube and the Montclair Jazz Fest website, August 21-23 at 7:30 pm ET. The audio portion will also be aired in its entirety on Sirus XM Real JAZZ Radio on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm ET.
WBGO Radio personality GARY WALKER hosts each Best of the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL evening presentations. Walker shares the festival stage every year with co-host, S. EPATHA MERKERSON. Festival Artistic Chair and 6-time GRAMMY Award-winning bassist CHRISTIAN McBRIDE introduces each act including his own two sets from 2015 and 2019.
“Last Saturday, our original date for our big Grand Finale, came and went with picture perfect weather,” said MELISSA WALKER, founder & president of JAZZ HOUSE KiDS. “While we are disappointed we can’t gather thousands of jazz fans together this year, we have curated the BEST of the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL from a deep archive of incredible performances and we will share with you an amazing nine full sets. The prime spot for viewing is in your favorite chair and jazz fans and friends from across the world can tune in to these incredible performances.”
JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, producer of the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL, is nationally recognized for bridging the gap in the arts and providing world-class training that advances students both on and off the band stand boosting academic success, life skills and musical skills. When COVID-19 hit, the JAZZ HOUSE barely missed a beat. The organization brought all instruction and extra jazz education classes online for hundreds of students, created pre-recorded masterclasses for underserved in-school programs, launched a global masterclass series and summer programming experience for students from New Jersey to London and Singapore, and provided direct aid and food to their most hard-hit families.
Addressing the social isolation caused by the nation-wide shelter in place, JAZZ HOUSE KiDS was one of the first organizations to launch weekly online arts programming, the “Hang @ Home” Friday Night Listening Series with McBride and Walker on Facebook Live. Each week they invite their friends — acclaimed jazz artists — to play highlights of their favorite artists, swap stories, and answer questions from the public. It has become a must attend event drawing more than 335,000 viewers from over 50 countries and counting.
Help JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, producer of the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL, keep playing through the changes. Donate today!
JOiN US IN SEPTEMBER!
The MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL is teaming up with Montclair Center to bring live music to Pop Goes the Plaza, a series of safe and enjoyable evenings to support local retail and restaurants on September 12 and September 26. Stay tuned for more info!
