Dianne Reeves and Christian McBride at the 2015 TD James Moody Jazz Festival

It’s time for the 2024 TD James Moody Jazz Festival. With a packed calendar of events through Nov 24, this annual celebration of jazz in New Jersey is not one to be missed. With its nods to the history of the genre, breathtaking performances by current sensations, and its efforts to lift up new voices in jazz, the festival has been a gem in the New Jersey music scene for years.

The festival is named after saxophone and flute player James Moody (1915-2010). “One of the greatest kings of bepop, he became known in the jazz world as a resident of Newark, New Jersey,” NJPAC Jazz Advisor and musician Christian McBride explained in our feature on the 2015 festival. “He was the sweetest man in the world. In terms of his musical concept, he was all in.”

Bassist Christian McBride not only curates the festival, but also takes part—the 16 time GRAMMY nominee and 8 time winner and his Big Band will be performing with a star-studded vocal lineup on Sat, Nov 23, including NEA Jazz Master Dianne Reeves, who performed in our 2015 video above. You can also find Christian McBride features elsewhere in the State of the Arts archives for his roles in Jazz House Kids and Trilogy, with the legendary Chick Corea (1941-2021).

Also at this year’s festival is guitarist John Pizzarelli, who will be performing Fri, Nov 22 with singer Catherine Russell. They’ll be paying homage to Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra with the John Pizzarelli Trio. State of the Arts met John back in 2011, when he performed with his brother Martin and father, the legendary Bucky Pizzarelli (1926-2020), as the Pizzarelli Family Trio.

Dorthaan’s Place, another don’t-miss event this month, is a jazz brunch series curated by Newark’s First Lady of Jazz, Dorthaan Kirk. This year’s festival features GRAMMY nominated harpist Brandee Younger and her trio. Dorthaan Kirk is a legend in the scene: in 2020, she was awarded the NEA Jazz Masters Award for Advocacy. “She is always looking for ways to advance the music because she believes and understands that it is a music of joy and a music of cooperation—and great fun,” says NJPAC’s President and CEO John Schreiber in our 2021 feature.

Another exciting part of the week, also named for a New Jersey jazz legend, is the Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition on Sun, Nov 24. Singer and pianist Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990) grew up in Newark and left a lasting legacy in the city, including two GRAMMY awards, an NEA Jazz Master Award, and countless “Misty” memories of her unforgettable vocal prowess. The yearly competition, as Christian McBride put it, “has turned into one of the biggest spectacles in the jazz community.”

This year’s judges include Christian McBride, Madeleine Peyroux, Lisa Fischer, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Bill Charlap—who was also featured on State of the Arts. This prestigious stage offers a glimpse of the next greats in jazz. We met previous winner and sparkling success Samara Joy, who certainly didn’t “Linger Awhile” before scooping up three GRAMMY awards—not to mention, she’s just been nominated for two more. As Dorthaan Kirk puts it, “She has something in her, and I will just call it soul—something that you feel.”

This month, revel in the past, present, and future of jazz with NJPAC’s TD James Moody Jazz Festival. See here for a full calendar of events.