The Montclair Jazz Fest brought community resources and nearly 12 hours of non-stop music under the vast genre umbrella to North Jersey audiences on Saturday September 13. The all-day event, which was free to attendees, featured an art show, local vendors, and performances from jazz mainstays and emerging talent alike. The event is the brainchild of vocalist Melissa Walker, who founded non-profit organization Jazz House Kids with her husband and Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian McBride. Together, the duo has used the organization as a platform to provide artistic and educational resources, including the free jazz fest, classes, and more to children and NJ community members for over a decade and a half.
The festival kicked off at 11 a.m. with a procession from Church Street to the festival area in Lackawanna Plaza that featured second line group Gotham Kings, who popped up at unexpected junctures like the art gallery and vendor areas, throughout the day to deliver a New Orleans-coded, rousing performance that had attendees circling around the group in dance. The main stage, sponsored by McBride’s World at Sea, a cruise featuring the bassist and set to sail in 2026, and hosted by WBGO correspondent Lezlie Harrison, was truly illustrative of the vast array of styles that fall under the jazz umbrella. Jose James, who replaced the originally announced vocalist, Jazzmeia Horn, five days before the show without explanation, Christian McBride’s Ursa Major, Luisito Quintero, and Lakecia Benjamin each delivered a unique performance that incorporated elements of hip hop, Afro-Cuban rhythm, funk, and more.
James’ group, which featured breakout saxophonist and Jazz House alumni Ebban Dorsey, paid tribute to funk/R&B legends with reinterpretations of classic tunes like Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You” and Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day.” Christian McBride and his latest outfit, Ursa Major, delivered a mix of originals and standards that included a smooth, funky version of Herbie Hancock’s “Dolphin Dance,” taking a moment to acknowledge the presence of legendary jazz drummer Billy Hart, and Quintero’s band kept the audience on their feet as they danced to rhythms of Cuba – including a tribute to recently deceased Latin Jazz pioneer Eddie Palmieri with a performance of “Vamanos Pa’l Monte.”
Lakecia Benjamin capped off a day of full band performances with an energetic set of Coltrane-fueled, funk-infused madness, before McBride returned as DJ Brother Mister – spinning jams well into the event. “We’re going to celebrate life and love and music,” Benjamin proclaimed to audiences as she took the stage. “Our music is about spreading love and joy and peace and power and freedom.”
While the main stage performances proved exciting and engaging, there was an abundance of resources available to attendees under the surface. Among the local vendors was an art gallery, a health tent, and information about Jazz House Kids, which hosts classes for children and adults, and boasts several financial aid and scholarship options. Jazz House Kids students and alumni performed throughout the day on the Emerging Artist Stage, showcasing strong voices in the future of the genre that encompasses so many communities and styles.
The festival was largely fueled by volunteers, passionate about the organization’s mission. One volunteer, Cindi Murray from Newark, NJ, learned about the organization while searching for a music school for her daughter and niece — little did she know she would become a student herself. “I came in, I tried to hide in the back of the class,” said Murray, a vocalist who has studied with renowned vocalist Kate Baker through the program. “I call myself the cowardly lion of song, but Kate said, ‘your ass is gonna get up there and sing that song,’” she laughed, as she recalled her first performance as a lead vocalist. “This is truly a judgment-free zone, and it’s a safe haven … it’s a great place to be nourished and a great place to grow into what you can become.”
For more about Montclair Jazz Fest programming and Jazz House Kids visit jazzhousekids.org.