Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
Hyde Park Jazz Fest on Chicago’s South Side to Present 20th Edition
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
Donald Harrison is among the headliners at the Quantum Leap Music Festival, to be held Aug. 14–17 on Long Island.
(Photo: Faena)It’s festival season in the world of jazz, blues and beyond. And as updates come in to DownBeat, we’ll send them out to you. Here’s this week’s batch!
Donald Harrison’s Quantum Leap Music Festival
North Fork, Long Island, New York
Aug. 14–17
The Quantum Leap Music Festival has announced its full lineup with headliners Donald Harrison, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Leo Nocentelli of the Meters, The Preservation Hall Legacy Band, The Headhunters plus Cyril Neville, Zaccai Curtis and more. Go to nola2nofo.com for more info.
Englewood Jazz Festival
Hamilton Park, Chicago
Sept. 18–20
The Englewood Jazz Festival has announced that it will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Festival founder and saxophonist Ernest Dawkins will open the fest with a new work titled Great Black Music–Ancient To The Future. The piece is dedicated to the founders of the AACM. Go to englewoodjazzfestival.org for more info.
44th Annual Savannah Jazz Festival
Savannah, Georgia
Sept. 19–21
The Savannah Jazz Festival offers 15 free events including Spyro Gyra, Kirk Whalum, a celebration of James Moody’s centenniel, Anat Cohen, Jocelyn Gould, Rodney Jordan, Tony Monaco and more. Go to savannahjazz.org for more info.
Monterey Jazz Festival
Monterey, California
Sept. 26–28
In addition to a killer lineup that includes Gregory Porter, Christian McBride & Ursa Major, Marcus Shelby, John & Gerald Clayton, Dianne Reeves, Ledisi, Mr. Sipp, Keyon Harrold, Delfeayo Marsalis, Cory Wong and more, the fest has announced a special collaboration whereby SFJAZZ will sponsor acts in the Pacific Jazz Café. Acts include Benny Green, Sullivan Fortner, New Jazz Underground, Tyreek McDole, Brandon Woody, Caity Gyorgy, Christian Sands, Camille Thurman & Darrell Green and more. Go to montereyjazz.org for more info.
Jazz@ThePoint
Somers Point, New Jersey
Oct. 16–18
Hosted by the South Jersey Jazz Society, Jazz@ThePoint will highlight artists from the Garden State under this year’s banner of “Jersey Fresh.” Performers include John Pizzarelli, Howard Paul, Michael Pedicin, Paul Jost and Matt Cappy. Go to southjerseyjazz.org for more info. DB
A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.
Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
“It was just that suddenly … I could hear it,” Ravi Coltrane said of an epiphany he experienced during his late teens regarding his father’s music. “And it was almost like a calling, like something saying, ‘Hey, man, come on. It’s time to get serious.’ And the first time you really tune in and dial in and focus like that, it can be very life-changing.”
Sep 22, 2026 1:39 PM
Editor’s Note: Tomorrow, Sept. 23, is the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth. In honor of the tenor and…
Camille Thurman took to the stage alongside bassist Kenny Davis and drummer Tommy Campbell for a rendition of Johnny Mercer’s “I’m An Old Cowhand” that recalled Rollins’ epochal 1957 trio outing Way Out West.
Oct 6, 2026 1:33 PM
As emcee Mark Ruffin noted at the commencement of an epic tribute to saxophonist Sonny Rollins at the Cathedral of…
Record producer Bob Thiele’s classic photo that became the cover of John Coltrane’s landmark album A Love Supreme.
Sep 22, 2026 1:36 PM
A tribute to John Coltrane is one thing, but there is much more to the iconic saxophonist’s 100th anniversary…
Ravi Coltrane (right) makes a point during a live Blindfold Test at the Umbria Jazz Festival while pianist Greg Burk (far left), journalist Ashley Kahn and trumpeter Terence Blanchard listen.
Oct 20, 2026 12:53 PM
The pairing of Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane was billed as “The Miles/Coltrane Legacy,” a tour celebrating…
