Skip to content
Travelers who come to the New York area for jazz often build their nights around Manhattan clubs. But a short trip across the Hudson opens up another essential chapter of the music: Newark, the city that raised Sarah Vaughan and James Moody and is home to the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers–Newark.
The 15th annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival runs from Friday, November 6, through Sunday, November 22, 2026. Across NJPAC, Clement’s Place and Bethany Baptist Church, the program pairs major concerts with free community events, giving jazz travelers a compelling reason to spend a night or two in Newark.
A look at the festival on stage
NJPAC’s video from the 2025 edition offers a look at the festival’s atmosphere and live performances. For the current lineup, artist photos and individual show details, visit NJPAC’s 2026 festival page.
What’s on at the 2026 festival
This year’s program is built around musical lineage and conversation. Trumpeter Jon Faddis leads a Miles Davis centennial program, while the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars honor festival namesake James Moody at Bethany Baptist Church. Sitarist Niladri Kumaar opens the festival with a tribute to the late tabla master Zakir Hussain.
Christian McBride, NJPAC’s Jazz Advisor, appears with Bruce Hornsby and also performs with the New Jersey Symphony in a program pairing his bass playing with orchestral music. Other highlights include Gregory Porter with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell, a separate WBGO Kids Concert where Russell introduces young listeners to Louis Armstrong, the Charles Lloyd Quartet with Bill Frisell, and Ben Vereen’s 80th birthday concert. The closing day features the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition.
Festival dates at a glance
These selections show the festival’s range, from jazz history and community performances to contemporary improvisation. Times are local to Newark (Eastern Time). Check the official NJPAC festival calendar for the full program, admission details and updates.
- November 6, 7:30 p.m.: Niladri Kumaar’s tribute to Zakir Hussain at NJPAC (ticketed)
- November 7, 6 p.m.: Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars at Bethany Baptist Church for Jazz Vespers (free)
- November 12, 7:30 p.m.: Miles @100 with Jon Faddis & Friends at NJPAC (ticketed)
- November 13, 8 p.m.: Gregory Porter with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell at NJPAC (ticketed)
- November 14, 1 p.m.: WBGO Kids Concert with Catherine Russell at Newark Museum of Art (check admission)
- November 15, 3 p.m.: Bruce Hornsby with Christian McBride at NJPAC (ticketed)
- November 19, 1:30 p.m., and November 22, 2 p.m.: New Jersey Symphony with Christian McBride at NJPAC (ticketed)
- November 19, 7:30 p.m.: Jazz Jams at Clement’s Place (free, RSVP required; confirm time)
- November 21, 3 p.m.: Charles Lloyd Quartet with Bill Frisell at NJPAC (ticketed)
- November 21, 8 p.m.: Ben Vereen’s 80th Birthday Concert at NJPAC (ticketed)
- November 22, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. seatings: Dorthaan’s Place jazz brunch with Wallace Roney Jr. at NJPAC (ticketed)
- November 22, 3 p.m.: Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition at NJPAC (ticketed)
This is a selected itinerary-planning guide, not a complete festival schedule. Details were checked against NJPAC on November 4, 2026. Festival programming and ticket availability can change, so confirm each event directly with NJPAC before booking travel.
Free community events and ticketed concerts
The ticketed concerts take place in NJPAC’s Prudential Hall, Victoria Theater and Chase Room, along with the NICO Kitchen + Bar brunch. The free events offer a different way into the city’s jazz life. At Bethany Baptist Church, Jazz Vespers brings together jazz and worship in a setting that has hosted the series since 2000.
At Clement’s Place, Jazz Jams are co-presented by NJPAC’s Jazz Advisory Committee and Rutgers–Newark’s Institute of Jazz Studies. Pianist James Austin Jr. leads a house band that welcomes musicians and singers of all levels to sit in, so travelers who play may want to bring their instrument. The November 19 session is free with RSVP.
Why Newark matters to jazz
Sarah Vaughan was born and raised in Newark, and the city’s annual vocal competition carries her name. James Moody, another defining jazz voice with deep Newark roots, is the festival’s namesake. Together, they make Newark more than a convenient place to sleep after a Manhattan show: it is a meaningful destination in the history of the music.
The city’s jazz story continues at the Institute of Jazz Studies, based on the fourth floor of Rutgers–Newark’s John Cotton Dana Library at 185 University Avenue. Founded from scholar Marshall Stearns’s collection and moved to Rutgers–Newark in 1966, the Institute is one of the world’s foremost jazz archives and research libraries. Visits are by appointment only, and Rutgers asks visitors to arrange them at least one week in advance.
Clement’s Place is near the Newark Museum of Art. Together with Rutgers–Newark, these venues can shape a music-and-culture afternoon or evening beyond the main concert hall.
Getting there and moving between venues
NJPAC is at 1 Center Street, roughly 10 miles from New York City. Newark Penn Station is the easiest arrival point for many travelers, with NJ Transit, Amtrak and PATH connections; it is about a 10-minute walk from the arts center. The Newark Light Rail also stops at NJPAC/Center Street.
Clement’s Place is a short walk north of NJPAC, near Washington Park and the Newark Museum of Art. Bethany Baptist Church is farther west at 275 West Market Street, so a taxi or rideshare is often the more comfortable choice after dark. Drivers should review NJPAC’s current parking guidance before arriving.
Two ways to plan a festival weekend
Opening weekend: November 6–7
Arrive in Newark on Friday afternoon and settle in downtown, then walk to NJPAC for Niladri Kumaar’s 7:30 pm tribute to Zakir Hussain in the Victoria Theater. On Saturday, spend time around Washington Park and the Newark Museum of Art before heading to Bethany Baptist Church for the free 6:00 pm Jazz Vespers with the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars. Arrive early, as it is a worship service as well as a concert.
Closing weekend: November 20–22
Arrive on Friday, November 20, and, if you arranged an appointment in advance, visit the Institute of Jazz Studies during its weekday hours. On Saturday, hear the Charles Lloyd Quartet at 3:00 pm in the Victoria Theater, then return to Prudential Hall for Ben Vereen’s 80th birthday concert at 8:00 pm.
On Sunday, reserve an 11:00 am or 1:00 pm seating at Dorthaan’s Place for brunch with the Wallace Roney Jr. Quartet (music starts 30 minutes after each seating), then stay for the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition at 3:00 pm before an evening train out of Newark. If you can arrive a day earlier, Thursday, November 19, adds Christian McBride with the New Jersey Symphony and the free Jazz Jams at Clement’s Place.
Build Newark into a longer music trip
Newark is close enough to Manhattan to fold into a longer New York stay, and during festival weeks it also works as a base of its own. If you would like a custom itinerary that pairs Newark’s concerts and archive with New York’s clubs, or connects it to a wider route through American music history, Musical Getaways can design the journey around your dates and the music you care about most.
Planning information sourced from NJPAC’s current festival and event listings, and the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers–Newark. Last checked November 4, 2026.
,_Newark,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}