On Saturday, September 14, the busiest road in Montclair will be even busier than usual—but instead of cars, it will be filled with jazz lovers and musicians.
The occasion is the grand finale of the 15th Annual Montclair Jazz Festival, also known as the Downtown Jamboree, featuring some of the top names in jazz performing on two stages along the half mile of Bloomfield Avenue from Grove Street to Midland Avenue, which will be closed to traffic. Also performing will be teaching artists and musicians from Jazz House Kids, the Montclair music education nonprofit that hosts the festival.
“One of the hallmarks of the Montclair Jazz Festival is to bring the very best of new and upcoming talent to the stage, coupled with an all-star cast of legendary artists we are excited to bring to town,” says Christian McBride, the nine-time Grammy-winning bassist and artistic director of both the festival and Jazz House Kids. “More than 250 artists will be featured over the course of the festival—and one of my favorite comedians on the scene today, Alonzo Bodden.”
Andromeda Turre, host on SiriusXM’s Real Jazz channel, will host the main stage.
The event, which runs from noon to 8 pm, is free. Bloomfield Avenue will be lined with food and beverage stalls featuring options from Montclair’s vibrant dining scene, plus other merchants. At the Wellmont Arts Plaza, the Verizon Family Jazz Discovery Zone will have music, art and movement activities geared toward kids and their families from noon to 4 pm.
A post-festival dance party from 8 to 10 pm at the main stage at Lackawanna Plaza will feature McBride as DJ, along with Prince Hakim, who has deejayed at Bonnaroo, Art Basel and New York clubs. The event, a free festival tradition, features McBride curating tunes under the moniker DJ Brother Mister. McBride is married to Melissa Walker, the founder and force behind Jazz House Kids. He’s also artistic director of Rhode Island’s Newport Jazz Festival, and host of the NPR show Jazz Night in America.
The Montclair Jazz Festival has come a long way from its humble beginnings in Montclair’s Nishuane Park as an impromptu location for Walker’s music students to perform for their parents after summer camp. With that recital, Jazz House Kids was born, and the Nishuane gathering grew to epic proportions. Three years ago, the locale switched to downtown Montclair, in a partnership with the town’s Business Improvement District.
The festival has also evolved into a summer-long event, with free performances at the Wellmont Arts Plaza leading up to the September finale. This summer featured Wallace Roney Jr., the Jason Marshall Quartet, the Ries Brothers; and a Prince/David Bowie tribute band, among others.
For the full schedule of Saturday’s Downtown Jamboree performances, or to make a donation to Jazz House Kids, visit the festival’s website.
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