2015 MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL
WHEN: Saturday, August 15th, noon to 9:00 PM
WHERE: Nishuane Park
ADMISSION: Free. No Tickets Required!
New Jersey’s eclectic arts town of Montclair will once again transform into a destination for thousands of elated music fans as the Montclair Jazz Festival produced by Jazz House Kids kicks off nine hours of world-class jazz.
This year, Jazz House Kids is proud to announce The Bravitas Group and Silver Family Foundation as the Festival’s new title sponsor. And, for the first time, the Montclair Jazz Festival will be streamed live so that music lovers around the globe don’t miss out on this grand event!
Artistic director Christian McBride and Mistress of Ceremonies, actor S. Epatha Merkerson, lead the stage action for the sixth annual Montclair Jazz Festival. (Right: Jose James)
Headliners this year are dynamic vocalist José James, the Paquito D’Rivera Quintet (right), and the Christian McBride Big Band featuring Melissa Walker. The world-class artists perform on the same stage with more than 150 multi-generational performers including festival favorites Radam Schwartz Organized, the Jazz House Faculty Collective directed by Ed Palermo, and Jazz House Kids award-winning student ensembles and vocal groups. The unique array of musicians and exceptional festival experience all come together under Jazz House Kids’ far-reaching mission to bring America’s original musical art form to the community and use jazz as an exciting teaching tool to mentor and apprentice young, emerging artists.
A sponsor kick-off mixer hosted by The Bravitas Group and Silver Family Foundation is planned for July 29th.
In early August, the Montclair Jazz Festival will launch its Mid-day Summer Concert Series, curated by festival artistic director Christian McBride and featuring special jazz guests alongside the Jazz House Kids’ acclaimed faculty. The special guest artists will also conduct master classes for more than 160 students at the Jazz House Summer Workshop, Jazz House Kids’ nationally recognized summer program. Held at Montclair State University’s outdoor amphitheater, the afternoon concerts are open to the public with No Tickets Required. (Above: Melissa Walker)
The festival weekend officially begins with the North Coast Brew Master Festival Kickoff on August 13th at Montclair’s Pig & Prince Restaurant, a dinner and an intimate sampling of highly-rated ales. These events, as well as a post-Festival jam session party at Egans & Sons West Orange, lay the groundwork for Jazz House Kids and its community partners to establish an annual destination festival in Montclair.
The Montclair Jazz Festival is a fun-filled day with entertainment for the entire family. Returning to the festival is the Family Jazz Discovery Zone sponsored by Macy’s, a collaboration among Jazz House Kids and partners Montclair Public Library and Montclair Art Museum, which will feature healthy snacks, music-related story books read by festival musicians, and a host of other kid-friendly art activities for wee-boppers and their parents. Also returning to the festival is the popular Beer Garden, sponsored by North Coast Brewing Co., which donates 100% of the proceeds to Jazz House Kids.
The distinctive and colorful jazz icon portraits by artist Andres Chaparro once again provide the face and overall texture of the Montclair Jazz Festival. This year’s featured artwork is Chaparro’s interpretive portrait of American bebop trumpeter Lee Morgan.
Richard Conde, acclaimed photographer whose work has been showcased in National Geographic, New York Times and numerous jazz publications, and official photographer for the Montclair, Newport, Exit 0 and Jazz Mobile Jazz Festivals, will also have work on display and for sale at the Montclair Jazz Festival.
The Montclair Jazz Festival is the brainchild of jazz vocalist and recording artist Melissa Walker, with creative direction from her husband, Christian McBride (right). Walker is the president and founder of Jazz House Kids, a Montclair-based nonprofit that has gained a reputation as one of the nation’s preeminent arts education and performance organizations. "We are thrilled that the Montclair Jazz Festival has metamorphosed into much more than one great music day in the park,” said Walker. “The Montclair Jazz Festival in the summer has become part of the fabric of our community, solidifying this town’s standing as a thriving arts and cultural destination all year round. We are thrilled that our festival’s expanded footprint continues to grow, bringing jazz to all quadrants of Montclair’s business and arts districts.”
Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor S. Epatha Merkerson, best known for her 17-season run as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on NBC's "Law and Order," for which she won three NAACP Image Awards, is back as the Montclair Jazz Festival’s Mistress of Ceremonies. WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM’s on-air host Gary Walker will serve as the stage host, providing an “inside scoop” on the many talented performers.
Artistic director Christian McBride is a four-time GRAMMY Award-winning bassist, composer and arranger. He has been one of the most important and omnipresent figures in the jazz world for more than 25 years. McBride fuses the fire and fury of a virtuoso with the depth of grounding of a seasoned journeyman. In addition to traveling the world with his critically-acclaimed Inside Straight quintet, the Christian McBride Big Band and as a sideman, McBride hosts and produces “The Lowdown: Conversations With Christian” on SiriusXM satellite radio, and National Public Radio’s “Jazz Night in America,” a weekly radio show and multimedia collaboration between WBGO, NPR and Jazz at Lincoln Center that showcases outstanding live jazz from across the country.
McBride is the recently announced winner of the Jazz Journalists Association's Willis Conover-Marian McPartland Award for Broadcasting in 2014. He also serves as Artistic Chair for Jazz House Kids.
