Exchange Place Alliance Presents
Powered by the Community,
Funded by the People.
location
location
location
The main festival happens between Friday, May 29 and Sunday, May 31 across multiple stages on the Hudson River Waterfront at Exchange Place Plaza and features beautiful panoramic views of Manhattan. Between Tuesday, May 26 and Thursday, May 28, events are held in various venues across Jersey City.
Jersey City Jazz
&FOOD
Festival!
Jersey City is the culinary capital of NJ featuring some of the state's best restaurants. At the Jersey City Jazz Festival you can experience the taste of some of the region's best chefs in the food court, hit a food truck for a quick bite, or just grab a tasty beverage from one of our Festival bars curated by The Archer (recently named the best cocktail bar in NJ - Chowhound).
kid friendly community zone
Presented by the Jersey City Free Public Library, there will be arts & crafts (including instrument making with Honk NYC!), bilingual storytimes, percussion classes, and much, much more! Bring a kid!
shop between sets!
Step into a curated collection of artisan craft and timeless style. Between performances, browse a selection of handcrafted jewelry, bespoke apparel, and local artwork. It’s a sophisticated marketplace of unique goods and high-quality treasures, offering the perfect opportunity to find a one-of-a-kind piece to remember the weekend by.
.jpg)
VIP
...
VIP
ey, saluden a Tití "
Elevate your festival experience with exclusive VIP access.
Enjoy the best views from premium, reserved seating and relax in private lounge areas designed for comfort. Each VIP guest also receives access to Jazz Alley, access to private restrooms, complimentary tote bag curated with high-quality, festival-branded merchandise and essential items to enhance your weekend.
pre festival jazz week
begins May 26
Emily Braden is a celebrated, Harlem-based vocalist & songwriter. Here powerful vocals and magnetic stage presence captivates audiences around the world. Braden's live sets are a beautifully eclectic mix or stirring, soulful originals, world grooves and fresh takes on jazz standards.
Tim Berne is a composer, saxophonist and educator specializing in improvised music. He has been performing internationally since 1982 and has made over 50 recordings as a leader. “...one of the true thought leaders in progressive jazz - an unassuming yet undeniable force in the music for more than four decades…” - NY Times
Nobuki Takamen is a jazz guitarist and composer from Hiroshima, Japan, based in Jersey City since 2004. Blending the influence of jazz masters with artists such as Paul Simon and Jimi Hendrix, he has performed internationally at venues and festivals including Blue Note New York, Iridium Jazz Club, and the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
Nobuki Takamen Trio
Tues May 26 | 87 SUSSEX
.
.
.
wednesday 5/27
" Vocalist Fulton self-accompanies and solos on piano with harmonic sophistication, impeccable chops, a risk-friendly attitude and an idiosyncratic conceptual range spanning Bud Powell, Erroll Garner and several other way-stations, refracted into her own argot.” - Downbeat
Bassist Ian Kenselaar’s artistry spans across many different worlds, exploring concepts that are both experimental and inventive yet intuitively familiar. No matter the context, Ian’s playing is grounded in a hard-swinging approach that has served as a bedrock for some of this music’s greats, supporting the groove with intention and urgency, one quarter note at a time.
On a magical night in 2018 at Nectar's in Burlington, VT, three three musical masters—Russ Lawton, Scott Metzger and Ray Paczkowski—came together with alchemical synthesis, and created a fresh, so-tight-it's-free sound, permeated with technical prowess and a deep-pocket punch. The packed house fortunate enough to be in attendance that night witnessed the birth of something very special.
Join Grammy nominated drummer, organist, and producer Sed Marsh who has shared stages with Patti LaBelle, Angie Stone, and Donnell Jones. Performing with his band Eazier Sed Than Done, Sed brings decades of R&B, soul, jazz, and gospel rooted groove to every stage, making every room feel like home. This is followed by Live in the Garden Jersey City, a free, open jam session-mic and music collective co-founded by Anthony Wisdom where musicians, singers, rappers, and poets improvise together.
Sip Studios Presents
Sed Marsh &
Live in the Garden Jam
Wed May 27 | Sip Studios
thursday 5/28
Brooklyn Circle is a dynamic jazz collective rooted in the vibrant musical culture of Brooklyn, New York. Blending modern jazz with elements of soul, funk, and global rhythms, the group creates a distinctive sound that is both innovative and deeply grounded in tradition. Known for their tight ensemble playing and expressive improvisation, Brooklyn Circle brings together seasoned musicians whose individual voices shine while contributing to a cohesive, evolving groove.
Edmar Castañeda is a Colombian-born harpist, composer and bandleader recognized as one of the most original voices in contemporary jazz. A Latin Grammy nominee for Best Latin Jazz Album (Family), he has redefined the role of the harp through a singular technique that merges bass lines, harmony and melody simultaneously.
We like to play the "pops", taking Big Band Jazz, Blues and Great American Songbook and distilling it into short form danceable tunes with arrangements for our ten piece band. The mission of the band is to have fun and take casual listeners and turn them into Jazz fans.
Swingadelic
Thurs May 28 | Brennan Courthouse
Exchange Place Alliance Presents
the LINEUP
friday 5/29
More info coming soon
FRI 4-6 PM
Happy Hour at the Hyatt Regency
Artist TBA
FRI 8 PM
Nate Smith
RWJBarnabas Plaza Stage
The Mike Lee Trio feature's Mike Lee's Award winning compositions as well as his unique approach to the saxophone trio. The group draws on the trio work of Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson. His jam sessions are well regarded and combines a high performance level while still being welcoming and inclusive.
FRI 9 PM-Midnight
Official Jam Session
hosted by Mike Lee
Hyatt Regency
"If it sounds good, it IS good."
Duke Ellington
saturday 5/30
12 PM
1:30 PM
A multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and Hammond organist who began his musical life as a drummer and percussionist before reinventing himself as a bandleader at the organ. With a deep understanding of jazz, Latin, and Soul that he seamlessly blends with the Blues and Americana
Moses Patrou
3:30 PM
5 PM
5:30 PM
Join us on the pier for a free dance class presented by Salsa Fever on 2
Free Dance Class!
7 PM
free!
free!
sunday
5/31
pier stage
may 30
RWJBarnabas Plaza Stage
1 PM
3 PM
Grammy-winning saxophonist, composer and producer Joe Lovano is fearless in finding new modes of artistic expression. With a Grammy Win for his 52nd Street Themes and 14 other nominations, he has won DownBeat Magazine ’s Critics and Readers Polls countless times as Tenor Saxophonist, Musician of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year and Triple Crowns from DownBeat.
Joe Lovano Trio Tapestry
5 PM
GO VIP!
Elevate your festival experience with exclusive VIP access. Enjoy the best views from premium, reserved seating and relax in private lounge areas designed for comfort. Each VIP guest also receives access to Jazz Alley, access to private restrooms, a complimentary tote bag curated with high-quality, festival-branded merchandise and essential items to enhance your weekend
jazz alley
may 30
$ DAY PASSES & WEEEND PASS
12 PM
2 PM
The Jazz Orishas quintet is Melvis Santa’s most recent band. Orishas are Afro-Cuban
deities that represent essences of nature and our shared humanity. Jazz, stemmed also
from African roots, originated as a music of liberation. With this band Melvis brings this
connection to new spaces through original composition and storytelling, while centering the women’s perspective in Afro-Cuban Jazz music of today.
Melvis Santa
4 PM
6 PM
The Eddie Palmieri Experience is a one-of-a-kind project celebrating the groundbreaking legacy of Latin music legend Eddie Palmieri, “The Sun of Latin Music,” whose revolutionary work reshaped salsa and Latin jazz. Blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms, bold arrangements, and powerful improvisation, the ensemble brings his distinctive musical language to life with authenticity and energy.
The Palmieri Experience
8 PM
sunday 5/31
RWJBarnabas Plaza Stage
Free!
12 PM
LISTEN is an immersive live music experience that invites audiences into a shared space of presence and connection. Blending crystal singing bowls into ensemble format, it creates a musical environment where people can arrive exactly as they are, carrying the stress or exhaustion of the day, and leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more connected.
Andromeda Turre
3:30
Join us on the pier for a FREE dance class presented by Salsa Fever on 2
Free Dance Class!
5 PM
5:30 PM
Jpoin us on the pier for a FREE dance class presented by Salsa Fever on 2
Free Dance Class!
7 PM
free!
pier stage
may 31
Charlie Sigler is a New York–area jazz guitarist and bandleader whose playing blends deep swing, blues feeling, and a modern sensibility rooted in the living jazz tradition. His music reflects a balance of tradition, groove, and spontaneity, with a sincere connection to audiences.
Charlie Sigler Organ Band
1 PM
“There may have never been a major tenor player who shouts less, and who sounds less egocentric,than Aldana... The music is contemplative and searching, even grasping. Its quietude in the moment isdeep, yet its intensity burns like an underground fire. Her horn is the voice of her heart.”
• Stereophile: June 2022 Jazz Record Review
Melissa Aldana Quartet
3 PM
Jeff "Tain" Watts is an acclaimed American jazz drummer and composer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Known for his explosive power, complex rhythms, and technical mastery, he gained prominence through his work with the Wynton and Branford Marsalis quartets, winning multiple Grammy Awards.
Jeff "Tain" Watts
5 PM
GO
VIP!
Elevate your festival experience with exclusive VIP access. Enjoy the best views from premium, reserved seating and relax in private lounge areas designed for comfort. Each VIP guest also receives access to Jazz Alley, a complimentary tote bag curated with high-quality, festival-branded merchandise and essential items to enhance your weekend
jazz alley
$ DAY PASSES & WEEEND PASS
may 31
Info coming soon
Artist TBA
12 PM
2 PM
4 PM
The Roy Hargrove Big Band continues to bring its signature sound to the people, electrifying audiences everywhere. The legendary powerhouse ensemble features an all-star cast of mostly original band members, alongside a few bright young talents, embodying Roy’s music and spirit as they carry his legacy forward.
Roy Hargrove Big Band
6 PM
jcjf outposts
HDSID Presents:
Groove on Grove:
A Riverview Jazzfest Showcase
Wed, May 27 • 6-9pm
Grove Street PATH Plaza
