Liberty Jazz Festival Announces Lineup

  I  

The Liberty Jazz Festival runs Sept. 8-9 at Liberty State Park’s Green Ring in Jersey City, N.J., with the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island as backdrops.

George Benson, Branford Marsalis, Chuck Mangione and Christian McBride head a list of a dozen performers scheduled for this year’s concert.

For more details and a full list of artists, see nj.com/libertyjazzfestival.



  • Flea_by_Gus_Van_Sant_copy.jpg

    “Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”

  • 2026_Cecil_McLorin_Salvant_Sullivan_Fortner_Big_Ears.jpg

    Cécile McLorin Salvant busts out Jelly Roll Morton’s “The Murder Ballad” at Big Ears, here with pianist Sullivan Fortner.

  • JAM_posters_-_a_selection_cropped.jpg

    Each of the 25 JAMs has delivered a poster featuring a jazz legend that is sent out to schools across the nation. This year’s poster features Tony Bennett.

  • NikBaertschs_RONIN_by_Christian_Senti.jpg

    “We thought it’s important that Ronin has a new statement,” said Nik Bärtsch of his band’s latest album, Spin. “The sound is differently produced, so it reflects more of who we are.”

  • Stefano_Bollani_by_David_Morresi%3AUmbria_Jazz_copy.jpg

    Bollani demonstrates at the piano during a live Blindfold Test in Umbria, Italy, while writer Ashley Kahn, right, and translator Greg Burk look on.