On Saturday, September 14, JAZZ HOUSE KiDS presented the 15th annual MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL Downtown Jamboree. The festival set a new attendance record, drawing over 25,000 music fans along half a mile of Bloomfield Avenue in the heart of Montclair, New Jersey’s downtown corridor. Festival headliners included Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton, Kenny Garrett: Sounds from the Ancestors, Steve Turre Sextet, Jerome Jennings & ILL Philosophy, Brianna Thomas, Edmar Castañeda, and Christian McBride, the festival’s music director and curator, with his band Inside Straight. JAZZ HOUSE KiDS founder, festival producer, and vocalist Melissa Walker closed the Uptown Stage with the JAZZ HOUSE Collective. Last week, McBride and Walker were profiled by The New York Times at their home in Montclair.
“I was beyond thrilled to see the region’s community come together to help us celebrate the MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL turning 15,” said Walker. “It is a testament to the power of jazz to unite, bringing people together from all walks of life, young and old, and to literally dance in the streets with neighbors and strangers. I want to give a big shout-out to our signature sponsors, Friends of the JAZZ HOUSE members, and fans who make this ‘free’ festival possible. We are incredibly grateful to Essex County for allowing us to close Bloomfield Avenue, the main thoroughfare of Montclair, as well as to our local, state, and national government officials and partners who supported this glorious day, inspiring us all. Our extraordinary team working behind the scenes was stellar! If you drove through town at 1:00 am that night, it was as if we weren’t even there. Now that’s magical!”
“This year’s MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL had something for everybody, bridging generations of legendary artists and up-and-coming talent,” said McBride. “The overall vibe was a joyful celebration of music, including some of my favorite funk & soul classics at the Block Party. What a dance party to close out our 15th!”
“Beautiful music everywhere!” Lisa Fischer said of the festival. “Smiles, laughter, and joy… So many people came from all over… the vendors were rocking, the food was yummy, and I had the BEST time connecting with the audience and the music. Kudos to all the staff, and major love and shout-out to Jazz House Kids, Melissa Walker, and Christian McBride. I love you both for what you’ve given and what you’ve accomplished.”
The MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL is the most popular jazz festival in the greater NYC area that’s free to the public. The 2024 Downtown Jamboree welcomed music fans along nearly half a mile of downtown Montclair’s Bloomfield Avenue commercial corridor, which was closed to vehicular traffic, with hundreds of retailers and restaurant storefronts. This year’s event was jam-packed with talent on multiple stages, 170+ food and artisan vendors in the Rao’s Homemade Marketplace, and the Verizon Family Jazz Discovery Zone in the Wellmont Arts Plaza. After eight hours of live music on two stages, the Montclair Jazz Festival transformed into a giant 15th Anniversary Celebration Block Party as DJ Brother Mister (AKA Christian McBride) and special guest, New Jersey’s own DJ Prince Hakim, took over the Downtown Jamboree stage for a dynamic funk & soul dance party.
About JAZZ HOUSE KiDS
Now in its third decade, the nationally recognized JAZZ HOUSE KiDS transforms lives using the power and legacy of jazz through world-class education and performances that create avenues of access, learning, career development, and community building. Recently featured on CBS Mornings and The Kelly Clarkson Show and celebrated by global superstar STING, the organization and its students have received more than 150 awards and honors for excellence in jazz and jazz education. JAZZ HOUSE has two locations: its headquarters in Montclair, NJ, and a satellite program in New York City in collaboration with Trinity Church Wall Street. Every day of the week, through a series of in-school programs in New Jersey and out-of-school programs in Montclair and Lower Manhattan, JAZZ HOUSE helps young people gain an artistic edge, fostering community leaders and global citizens who help build thriving communities. JAZZ HOUSE produces 150+ free public concerts per year to audiences close to 150,000, including the organization’s far-reaching cultural signature program, the award-winning MONTCLAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL, the largest free jazz festival in the NYC area, attracting 25,000+ attendees to downtown Montclair each year.
