Complete Lineup Set for 2024 Hudson Jazz Festival

Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House revealed the complete lineup of the 2024 Hudson Jazz Festival (October 4-6). Taking place during the stunning autumn season throughout the bucolic town of Hudson in Upstate New York, this year's Festival celebrates several firsts: a free outdoor block party launching the start of the Festival; a city-wide expansion to several different venues; and a shift from Winter to Fall to take advantage of the region's famous leaf-peeping season. Having grown in both size and reputation since it first began in 2018, this seventh annual Hudson Jazz Festival presents world class headliners with wide-ranging musical influences and styles in a celebration of music, art, and community. 

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase not just some of the most exciting jazz artists of today, but the unique beauty of our region during the spectacular fall season,” says Hudson Hall Executive Director Tambra Dillon.

The 2024 Hudson Jazz Festival mainstage lineup at Hudson Hall features “performers that delight audiences with their ability to effortlessly integrate tradition, innovation, and fun!” says Festival Curator Cat Henry.

Cameroonian-American vocalist and two-time Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition finalist Ekep Nkwelle kicks off the festival with an evening dedicated to the indomitable spirit of Ella Fitzgerald; Downbeat magazine's “25 for The Future” trumpeter Riley Mulherkar headlines the Saturday evening slot; and jazz pianist and “master of melody” (Downbeat) Ethan Iverson closes out the mainstage on Sunday afternoon with his “truly remarkable” trio (Jazzwise). Media personality and host of the popular jazz podcast Artimacy, Keanna Faircloth, joins the festival as host.

New for 2024, the Hudson Jazz Festival expands city-wide with the addition of three new festival venues. Hudson brewery and taphouse Return Brewing hosts the Hudson Jazz Festival Opening Night Party with live music by Phat, Incorporated (Oct 4), jazz pianist Jesse Fischer at the The Half Moon (Oct 5), while Wayne Tucker and the Bad Mothas offers festival goers a chance to wind down their weekend in style at Kitty's Backyard (Oct 6). The festival vibe permeates throughout town all weekend thanks to popup performances by Bard College Jazz musicians and local jazz artists. 

Also new for 2024, the festival begins with a free Community Day on Saturday, September 28. The day includes an outdoor block party, an art exhibition in Hudson Hall's first floor galleries, and Melanie Charles' Make Jazz Trill Again (MJTA): Trill Mega Jam. Vocalist/flutist Charles leads a high-energy set featuring an all-star ensemble.Cat Henry adds, “Melanie Charles is an artist that ‘takes us on a journey that embodies the soul of jazz' (NPR) and a central figure in a vibrant musical community made up of loving, talented, and innovative musicians, poets, DJs, and artists.”  Following the set, audiences are invited to participate in a community jam session.

Hudson-based artist Reginald Madison curates the 2024 Hudson Jazz Festival visual arts exhibition at Hudson Hall, opening at Community Day (Sep 28) with an artists reception. Titled Between the Cracks, the exhibition features his own work alongside Hudson Valley artists Nchota Badila, Lyle Ashton Harris, Francine Hunter McGivern, Shanekia McIntosh, Sedat Pakay (1945-2016), Rando, Kianja Strobert, and Lenox, MA-based artist Jim Youngerman.  

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HUDSON JAZZ FESTIVAL COMMUNITY DAY, Sep 28

When: Saturday, September 28, 2024 from 2:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Where: Hudson Hall & Outdoors at City Hall Place
Tickets: Free; reservations recommended. To reserve your spot or for more information, visit HudsonHall.org or by phone at (518) 822-1438.
Kickstart the Festival with a Hudson Hall Community Day! Bring your friends, neighbors, kids, and lovers and kick back at a block party on City Hall Place with BBQ by Chef Cleveland Samuels and music by Kuumba Dance & Drum, wander through the opening of a new exhibition in Hudson Hall's first floor galleries, and join a free, all-ages jam session with the Make Jazz Trill Again (MJTA): Trill Mega Jam.
 

2:00pm (City Hall Place - next to Hudson Hall):

Community Drum Circle with Kuumba Dance & Drum
BBQ by Chef Cleveland Samuels to support the AME Zion Church
 

3:00pm (Hudson Hall Performance Hall):

Make Jazz Trill Again: Trill Mega Jam
Grab your instruments and join the the Make Jazz Trill Again (MJTA): Trill Mega Jam – a high-energy, improvisation-centered jam session with an all-star house band led by Melanie Charles on vocals and flute, with Yunie Mojica on vocals and sax, Zacchae'us Paul on keys and key bass, Jerome Jennings on drums, Malik Kiyoshi McLaurine on upright, and E Bass and DJ OOOChild on the turntables. 
MJTA is a movement for the people, by the people. Musicians and music lovers of all backgrounds and skill levels are welcome! 
 

4:30pm (Hudson Hall First Floor Galleries):

Between the Cracks: Exhibition Opening Reception with the Artists, music by DJ Fulathela
Curated by Reginald Madison; featuring Nchota Badila, Lyle Ashton Harris, Francine Hunter McGivern, Shanekia McIntosh, Sedat Pakay (1945-2016), Rando, Kianja Strobert, and Jim Youngerman. 

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HUDSON JAZZ FESTIVAL LINEUP, Oct 4-6
hosted by media personality Keanna Faircloth

When: Friday-Sunday, October 4-6, 2024, times vary
Where: Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House, 327 Warren Street, Hudson; Return Brewing, 725 State Street, Hudson; The Half Moon, 48 South Front Street, Hudson; Kitty's Backyard, 60 South Front Street, Hudson, NY.
Tickets: Festival passes, single tickets, and more information at HudsonHall.org or by phone at (518) 822-1438.

Friday, October 4 at 7pm
EKEP NKWELLE: ELLA FITZGERALD – AGAINST ALL ODDS
 

“This woman will win GRAMMYs” – Der Bund on Ekep Nkwelle
Lady Ella. The First Lady of Song. The Queen of Jazz. For more than half a century, Ella Fitzgerald was jazz royalty. But few know the immense challenges she faced on her road to success, or that it once led to a girls reformatory school in Hudson, New York. 

At only 25 years old, Cameroonian-American vocalist Ekep Nkwelle is just a few years older than Ella was when she became a household name. Like Ella, Ekep is forging her own path to success – from the vibrant streets of Washington, DC to the heart of New York City's jazz scene, Ekep's extraordinary talent has earned her a prestigious Juilliard Career Advancement Grant and a reputation as Jazz at Lincoln Center's latest rising star.

In an exclusive Hudson Jazz Festival performance, Ekep Nkwelle channels Ella Fitzgerald's indomitable spirit with an evening of song drawing from her own material and the timeless tunes of the Great American Songbook.
 

Friday, October 4 at 9pm
HUDSON JAZZ FESTIVAL OPENING NIGHT PARTY

Featuring PHAT, INCORPORATED
Return Brewing (725 State Street, Hudson) 

Let's party! Come celebrate the opening of the 2024 Hudson Jazz Festival with local brews and live jazz funk courtesy of Phat, Incorporated. 
 

Saturday, October 5 at 7pm
RILEY MULHERKAR QUARTET

Riley Mulherkar, trumpet
Chris Pattishall, piano
Barry Stephenson, bass
Chris Icasiano, drums

Riley Mulherkar is on the brink of stardom. Just this year, the young trumpeter has been recognized as a one of Downbeat magazine's “25 for The Future”; his debut album ranked as one of the 20 Best Albums of 2024 (So Far) by the Boston Globe, and he's in demand by some of the best in the business, including Wynton Marsalis, Anna Deavere Smith, and Alan Cumming. With a hybrid sound that pays tribute to the oldest jazz traditions with 1960s jazz funk grooves and a style that is “folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music), catch Mulherkar's intimate Hudson Jazz Festival debut before he goes stratospheric. 

A faculty member of The College of Performing Arts at The New School, founder of the Joye in Aiken Jazz Camp, and a former ambassador for Jazz at Lincoln Center's “Jazz for Young People” program, Mulherkar is a passionate educator and jazz advocate. He gives a free masterclass to Hudson High School students on Saturday, October 5 ahead of his 7pm show.
 

Saturday, October 5 at 9pm
JESSE FISCHER

The Half Moon (48 South Front Street, Hudson)
Jesse Fischer, keyboard
Irwin Hall, saxophone
Kyle Miles, bass
TBA, drums

“Jesse Fischer plays with astounding energy; creative ideas seem to issue forth from his hands to his instruments at a geyser-like rate” – Downbeat
Known for his vibrant blend of jazz, funk, soul and folk, Jesse's Fischer's uplifting music features rich harmonies, intricate rhythms, and a deep understanding of groove. Catch Jesse play tracks from his recent release Resilience, re-imagined arrangements of classic 60's/70's jazz from his Flipped series, along with some brand new music. 
 

Sunday, October 6 at 3pm
ETHAN IVERSON TRIO

Ethan Iverson, piano
Reuben Rogers, bass
Gerald Cleaver, drums

“Iverson can do it all, while never abandoning his distinctive touch. He really does rank among the half-dozen or so top jazz pianists around” – Stereophile
A founding member of the game-changing jazz collective The Bad Plus, pianist Ethan Iverson “stands as a passionate dynamo at the crossroads of jazz and classical music” (Downbeat). Hot off the heels of his 2023 Blue Note release, Technically Acceptable, Wisconsin-bred Iverson closes the 2024 Hudson Jazz Festival with his signature wit, style, and the kind of deep passion and knowledge of jazz that earned him his Time Out New York title as one of the 25 essential New York jazz icons: “Perhaps NYC's most thoughtful and passionate student of jazz tradition—the most admirable sort of artist-scholar.” 
 

Sunday, October 6 at 5:30pm
WAYNE TUCKER AND THE BAD MOTHAS

Kitty's Backyard (60 South Front Street, Hudson)

Wayne Tucker, trumpet
David Linard, keyboard
Miles Tucker, saxophone
Tamir Shmerling, bass 
Cory Cox, drums   Whether you're hopping a train back to the big smoke or winding down your festival weekend, grab a drink, some food, and while away the cool autumn evening in Kitty's Backyard to the lush arrangements and energetic grooves of NYC-based Wayne Tucker and the Bad Mothas. Known for their steady schedule of dynamic street performances during the 2020 shutdown, the group gives the American Songbook a welcome update, including selections by Michael Jackson and Earth Wind & Fire. 

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