Tucson Jazz Festival Thrives on Diversity & Community Engagement

By DownBeat I Jan. 5, 2026

Kirk Whalum Songs of Change will perform during this year’s Tucson Jazz Festival.
(Photo: Courtesy Rialto Theatre/Tucson Jazz Festival)

Each year, the HSL Properties Tucson Jazz Festival expands the experience of jazz throughout the Tucson community. This year, the festival promises its most inclusive celebration yet. From Jan. 16 to 24, with more than 20 performances across Tucson — including the free Downtown Jazz Fiesta and a range of artist outreach activities — this year’s event offers something for everyone.

Notable artists scheduled to appear at the festival include Cory Wong, Dee Dee Bridgewater with Bill Charlap, Emmet Cohen Presents: Miles and Coltrane at 100, Kirk Whalum Songs of Change, Gerald Clayton Quartet, Sullivan Fortner Trio, Cuba Meets Brazil featuring Chuchito Valdes & Diego Figueiredo, Anat Cohen Quartetinho, Joe Farnsworth Big Room Quartet, ELEW Plays Sting, Jeremy Pelt with UA Studio Jazz Ensemble, Terell Stafford and more.

The signature Downtown Jazz Fiesta on Monday, Jan. 19, showcases talent from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Corbett’s (340 N. 6th Ave.). Local food trucks and Corbett’s kitchen will serve up Tucson specialties, ensuring a lively experience for music lovers and families alike. The free, all-day event blends New Orleans brass-band traditions with the spirit of the Mardi Gras Indians.

Sponsored in part by Tucson Appliance Company, the Downtown Jazz Fiesta features non-stop performances on two stages with top local and national artists. Corbett’s Stage will present the THMS Jazz Ensemble; The Jazztechs; Liz Cracchiolo; Agua de Coco; and Soul Essential. The Main Stage will host the TJI Ellington Big Band; Joe Bourne: The Music of Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls; headlining act Cha Wa (which channels the street-culture energy of New Orleans); and the Low Down Brass Band.

The Tucson Jazz Festival’s mission is to inspire the discovery and celebration of live jazz and music education through community engagement anchored by a world-class downtown festival. Outreach programs led by visiting artists are among TJF’s most important activities — and, for Executive and Artistic Director Khris Dodge, among the most meaningful.

“Every time we bring world-class artists into a classroom or a neighborhood, you can feel something shift,” said Dodge. “A student who’s never heard live jazz suddenly realizes they can be part of that sound. Those sparks of connection — between music, culture and curiosity — are what this festival is all about.”

During their visit, Cha Wa will also headline a special school cookout at John B. Wright Elementary School, presented in collaboration with the UA School Garden Workshop, TUSD Food Services and Vantage Credit Union. The event celebrates community, culture and the joy of shared music and food.

The Children’s Museum Tucson will host a unique field-trip program where young professional musicians lead a live performance for 1st through 5th grade students, inviting them to join in and improvise as the session develops. Follow-up activities — including recordings, art projects and educational videos produced by the Tucson Jazz Festival — will extend the learning beyond the event. Featured artists include Jenny Scheinman, a violinist, fiddler, and songwriter whose work bridges folk and jazz traditions; and Braxton Cook, an Emmy-winning, Juilliard-trained saxophonist and vocalist who fuses jazz, soul and hip-hop.

“Seeing young people light up during these programs is the heartbeat of the festival,” Dodge said. “It reminds us that jazz isn’t a museum piece — it’s alive, it’s joyful and it belongs to everyone.”

For full details on the complete TJF lineup and to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE. DB