James Moody Jazz Festival Starting Comes to NJPAC In November

Recognized by the world not only for their bold-face names, but especially by their superb talents, New Jersey Performing Arts Center's seventh annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival (November 4-18) is packed with performances by today's most listened-to luminaries on the jazz scene. NJPAC Jazz Advisor, six-time Grammy winner Christian McBride says, "I'm beyond excited to announce the seventh annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival at NJPAC. It's gonna be a good one, baby. There's something very, very special about jazz vocalists, and we're committed to making sure the legacy of jazz vocals is alive and thriving. This year we'll present the world's finest singers, from Dianne Reeves and Gregory Porter to Cécile McLorin Salvant and Lalah Hathaway, and will continue to search for the next greats through the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition -- the SASSY Awards -- which is always a huge hit."

NJPAC is proud to partner with TD Bank, the festival's title sponsor. For the 7th consecutive year, TD Bank's generous support and commitment to the arts has helped build the TD James Moody Jazz Festival into one of the most noteworthy jazz festivals in North America. "TD Bank is excited to sponsor and be a part of this jazz festival, which has grown into one of the country's best," says Martin Melilli, TD Market President. "We believe the opportunity to enrich our communities is both a privilege and a responsibility and TD is honored to support the jazz festival as an opportunity to enhance a more inclusive and culturally vital Newark."

Highlights from this year's festival include Grammy-winning jazz vocal giants Dianne Reeves & Gregory Porter (Nov. 8); an evening filled with Latin jazz rhythms and melodies at Congas y Canto with Sheila E., Eddie Palmieri, Tito Nieves, backed by Christian McBride and his Big Band (Nov. 9); multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Marcus Miller shares the stage with a few of his favorite musicians, David Sanborn and Lalah Hathaway (Nov. 10); Cécile McLorin Salvant, one the rising stars of the jazz world, performs her new song cycle Ogresse (Nov. 16); and, an exciting night for Swing fans, The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra with special guests Jon Faddis, Kurt Elling, Stefon Harris, and Catherine Russell (Nov. 15)!

That's not all! Don't miss Jazz Vinyl Revisited, where two Charles Mingus-themed albums (Joni Mitchell's Mingus and Terri Lyne Carrington's Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue) will be reimagined live, with vocalists Jo Lawry, Kate McGarry, and Luciana Souza perform Mingus, while Carrington and guests take on Money Jungle (Nov. 11); five finalists vie for the top spot at the 7th annual Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition -- the SASSY Awards (Nov. 18); a live performance of Antonio Sánchez's Oscar-winning film score for Birdman (Nov. 8); high-energy Hot Jazz from Django Festival Allstars with special guest Edmar Castañeda (Nov. 4); Guitar Passion -- three perspectives on the guitar from masters Sharon Isbin, Romero Lubambo, and Stanley Jordan (Nov. 9); hard-bop from the Eric Alexander Quartet at NICO Kitchen + Bar (Nov. 18); and, Daryl Sherman's tribute to Jerome Kern, Look for the Silver Lining (Nov. 10).

In addition to those exciting performances, this year's festival is filled with more hidden gems, such as Latin-tinged percussion with Grammy winner Bobby Sanabria & ¡Quarteto Aché! (free, Nov. 7); multi-instrumentalist Oran Etkin stars at the WBGO Children's Concert (free, Nov. 10); New Jersey's best young jazz musicians perform in the NJMEA All-State Jazz Band (Nov. 16); ongoing monthly jazz jam sessions at Clement's Place (15 Washington Street, Newark); premier bop stylist Roy Hargrove at Newark's Bethany Baptist Church (free, Nov. 3); and, Newark History Society and Sarah Vaughan's biographer, Elaine Hayes, discuss Vaughan's life (Nov. 13).

Also Part of TD James Moody Jazz Festival 11/03 - Bethany Jazz Vespers: Roy Hargrove Quartet (Free) 11/07 - Bobby Sanabria & ¡Quarteto Aché! (Free) 11/10 - WBGO Children's Concert: Oran Etkin (Free) 11/13 - Newark History Society Sarah "Sassy" Vaughan: The Life and Legacy of Newark's Own 11/16 - NJMEA All-State Jazz Band
For a complete schedule for TD James Moody Jazz Festival, click here.

Co-produced by NJPAC and WBGO Jazz 88.3FM, the TD James Moody Jazz Festival was inaugurated in 2012 and named in recognition of the jazz saxophone virtuoso from Newark. NJPAC's annual celebration of "America's classical music" is a spree of more than two dozen concerts and related activities - over half of which are free to the community. Guided by Christian McBride, NJPAC's Jazz Advisor, the festival has presented artists such as The Manhattan Transfer, David Sanborn, Tony Bennett, Wynton Marsalis, Al Jarreau, Dianne Reeves, Sérgio Mendes, Bill Charlap, Esperanza Spalding, Fantasia, Chris Botti, Pat Metheny, and the Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette trio, among many others.

TD James Moody Jazz Festival is intrinsic to Newark, a city renowned as the home and creative inspiration for jazz geniuses including Sarah Vaughan and pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith, and institutions such as Savoy Records, the Rutgers-Newark Institute of Jazz Studies and WBGO Jazz 88.3FM. Among the festival's unique events are concerts and special attractions held off-campus throughout Newark.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J., has the most diverse programming and audience of any performing arts center in the country, and is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey - where Great Performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 9 million visitors (including over 1.7 million children and families) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.