Jersey City Jazz Festival Returns for Weekend of Live Music

More than just a festival for music, the Jersey City Jazz Festival is coming back this year for two days of free live music celebrating one of the oldest forms of culture and expression in the country.

The 12th annual event will take place on May 30 and 31 with an eclectic lineup. But visitors to the festival didn’t have to wait long to partake in the celebration: the days leading up to the event have been filled with performances, continuing through Friday evening. 

“With the city growing, the people gravitate towards it. In all my time playing, even internationally, you see people from all walks of life coming together in one place,” said Winard Harper, who has been playing at the festival for the past 12 years.

Harper has lived in Jersey City for the past 40 years and has been performing jazz as a percussionist for just as long. He attributes the longevity of the event to the music, saying it’s important to “American history itself.”

“It’s not just important to world history, but American history itself,” says Harper. “Music was this beautiful jewel for the downtrodden. Those who fall in love with it want to contribute to it, and the music itself grows from what everyone puts into it,” said Harper.

Another performer, John Hébert, noted how the festival has grown over the years. The jazz bassist began playing for the Jersey City Jazz Festival back when it was a smaller affair at Riverview Park. After taking some time away, he returned to the festival in 2024 leading a group of musicians and will play several shows throughout this weekend. He said that the festival founder Bryan Beninghove’s work has helped the festival reach new heights.

“To start, it was just a great idea, and seeing it, you wonder just how long it could last. It was cool, but the idea of having a Jazz festival in Jersey was not something I had on my radar. We’ve built an audience, and it’s a testament to his vision,” Hébert said.

This year’s lineup of musicians and bands include the New Orleans funk group The Rumble; Downbeat jazz group of the year, Artemis; LA keyboardist/producer and Kendrick Lamar collaborator Sam Barsh; winners of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition Winners April May Webb and Tyreek McDole; WBGO’s Next Gen Collective; the Riverview Jazz All-Stars led by Beninghove; the NJCU Jazz Ensemble; and the United Children’s Music Program’s Latin Ensemble. 

Other performers include mainstays from the festival’s history, including Harper and  Jeli Posse, Steven Bernstein’s MTO featuring Catherine Russell, and an all-star lineup of musicians featuring Hébert, Fred Hersch, Bennie Wallace, and Billy Drummond.

On Friday, Harper and Posse will perform open the night at the RWJBarnabas Stage. In the Heights, The Statuary will present trumpeter Kali Rodriguez Peña, while Brennan’s will have a live show with James Austin Jr.’s “Songs in the Key of Wonder.” Orion Turre will have a special happy hour performance at the Hyatt Regency along with an official jam session hosted by guitarist Charlie Sigler at the Hyatt House.

Then on Saturday, the brass parade will play through the plaza with Honk NYC from 3 to 3:45 p.m. starting at the RWJBarnabas Health Plaza Stage. Dancing will also have a prominent presence with swing dance classes leading into a performance by the Robert Edwards Big Band. Salsa Fever on2 will also host classes that will go into a performance by the Astoria Salsa Company, an NYC salsa group with a Colombian flavor led by percussionist Samuel Torres. 

The festival will have its official closing party with Winard Harper at Moore’s Place on Sunday. 

This year’s festival is partnering with the Jersey City Free Public Library for a community zone and with the HONK Brass Band organization, where kids can make their own brass instruments to participate in the parade. Last year’s festival saw an estimate of 25,000 people in attendance. While free to attend, the event relies on ticket sales for tent and VIP access. 

A full schedule of events and shows for the Jersey City Jazz Festival can be found online at riverviewjazz.org/jersey-city-jazz-festival