Northampton Jazz Festival stages its 15th annual event Sept. 25-26

The Jazz Fest spans two days with 26 live jazz performances scheduled throughout downtown Northampton

The Northampton Jazz Festival will bring 80 musicians to 17 downtown venues on Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26 for its 15th annual festival. 

The weekend’s events begin with the Jazz Strut on Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. in Pulaski Park when two student bands will kick-off the two-day festival. Free performances will continue at seven locations on Jazz Fest Day, Saturday, Sept. 26.

The headliner for this year’s festival is alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, performing at the Academy of Music on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Benjamin is a six-time Grammy nominee, arranger, composer, bandleader and educator, whose music blends R&B, several strains of jazz, and funk.

Benjamin’s warm, resonant tone, which has been compared to Johnny Hodges, lends itself to any form of music she chooses to play. Her acclaimed albums “Phoenix” (2023) and “Pursuance: The Coltranes” (2020) have firmly established her among jazz’s foremost artists, with praise from The New York Times, The Guardian and DownBeat.

Her newest album, “We Dream,” released on June 5 on Artwork Records, reflects a powerful response to the current time and a commitment to being, in her words, “a bright light in a dark space.” She will be performing with Oscar Perez on piano, Elias Bailey on bass and Jonathan Barber on drums.

Eugene Uman, artistic and executive director of the Vermont Jazz Center, who presented Lakecia Benjamin a few years ago, said, “Some people, at first glance, might think that Lakecia’s music is challenging, maybe even hard to listen to. But I see it differently. I have seen the way she assesses the audience so that the interaction between the artist and the audience becomes a dance that we all take part in, and she invites us listeners to actively participate. Lakecia is a consummate artist who knows how to present an accessible concert with moments of beauty, intensity, mellow vibes and virtuosity.”

Benjamin’s concert is the only ticketed event of the festival; tickets are $35 to $55 plus fees and are available at AoMTheatre.com or at the Academy of Music Box Office Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. Student tickets are $20 plus fees, and Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture tickets are available for this concert.

The full lineup of free daytime festival performances on Jazz Fest Day, Saturday, Sept. 26 is as follows: Ask Me About Jazz!, the interactive concert for elementary school children led by drummer Richie Barshay, with saxophonist Felipe Salles, pianist Mary DiPaola, and bassist Wes Brown, will take place from 11 a.m. to noon at Northampton Center for the Arts (pre-registration required); William Hill III performs two solo piano concerts at CLICK Workspace at noon and 1:30 p.m.; the Expandable Brass Band will march from Northampton Center for the Arts to Pulaski Park at noon; Jack Frisch, radio host of The Downbeat, will broadcast in Pulaski Park from 12:45 to 2:30 p.m.; Sarah Hanahan Quartet will perform two sets at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. at the Iron Horse; Pasquale Grasso, with bassist Paul Gill, will perform at The Parlor Room at 1:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.; Champian Fulton Quartet will play at Unitarian Society of Northampton at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.; Johnny O’Neal Trio, with bassist Joey Ranieri and drummer Itay Marchi, will play at 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Edwards Church; Bad News Jazz and Blues Orchestra will perform at Pulaski Park from 3 to 4 p.m., and Hot Club of New England will close out the day’s free concerts from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Pulaski Park.

At the Jazz Strut on Friday, Sept. 25, the Northampton High School Jazz Combo opens for the Smith College Jazz Combo at 4 p.m. at Pulaski Park, and local and regional musicians will then perform at the following breweries, bars and restaurants in downtown Northampton: from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Jon Fisher Trio at Northampton Brewery; Claire Arenius Mothership Trio at India House; and Jeff & Dawning Holmes at Spoleto; from 7:30 to 10 p.m. The Cruztet at Haze; Soulful Jazz Trio at GOMBO; Joe Belmont & Sean Riddle at Eastside Grill; and Jalbert, Hommel, Philippone & Ball at Progression; the Late Night Jam Session led by Kai Caban with special guest William Hill III closes it out at Toasted Owl from 10 p.m. to midnight.

Leading up to Jazz Fest Weekend, the Northampton Jazz Festival will once again partner with the Downtown Northampton Association in staging “Jazz Arts Night Out” on Friday, Sept. 11. Local musicians will play at these downtown locations from 5 to 8 p.m.: CLICK Workspace, Assemble, PINCH, Smith College Museum of Art and Forbes Library.

The performance schedule for all events is subject to change.

The Northampton Jazz Festival has become a welcome, anticipated music event that brings over 2,000 visitors to the city of Northampton, creating an uplifting, inclusive experience for all.

“We’re especially excited to bring Lakecia Benjamin to the Academy of Music this year as our headliner,” said Ruth Griggs, president of the board of the Northampton Jazz Festival. “Lakecia is the future of jazz. She is bold, she’s a composer, she’s a John Coltrane scholar, and she has collaborated with some of the most respected musicians in jazz today, such as Chris Potter, in her latest album, ‘We Dream.’ She blends multiple music genres into her music, bending toward the future this great American music tradition known as jazz.” 

The Northampton Jazz Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and is funded by local businesses, organizations, foundations and individuals which makes it possible to provide free live music to the general public. Business sponsorships and individual donations are available. For more information about donating to this year’s Jazz Festival, visit northamptonjazzfest.org/support-us.

Volunteers are needed to staff the Friday and Saturday events. To take part, visit northamptonjazzfest.org/volunteer.

For more information about the schedule, musician bios and music samples, visit northamptonjazzfest.org, email info@northamptonjazzfest.org or visit the Jazz Fest on Instagram and Facebook @northamptonjazzfest.