Newark, New Jersey is set to come alive this November as the 14th annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival returns, promising an eclectic mix of jazz, hip-hop, Latin rhythms, and socially conscious performances. Scheduled for November 8 through 23, 2025, the festival will primarily take place at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) while also spilling into other vibrant city venues, offering music lovers a citywide celebration of jazz culture and community engagement.
Curated by the nine-time Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian McBride, who serves as NJPAC’s Jazz Advisor, this year’s festival shines a spotlight on jazz as a vehicle for social justice. McBride, along with a team of curators, has assembled a lineup that bridges traditional jazz with contemporary influences, inviting audiences to explore the genre’s enduring role as a platform for activism and cultural expression.
The 2025 roster features a range of celebrated performers, including powerhouse vocalist Andra Day, legendary rapper Chuck D, tap-dance innovator Savion Glover, trumpet virtuoso Arturo Sandoval, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Stanley Jordan, neo-soul singer Ledisi, and Cuban singer-songwriter Carlos Varela, widely hailed as the “Poet of Havana.” The festival’s diversity reflects its mission to honor jazz’s rich history while embracing global sounds and the genre’s ongoing relevance in today’s cultural landscape.
A highlight of the festival is the “Represent!” show, a unique evening combining jazz, hip-hop, and spoken word with appearances by Rakim, Slick Rick, and Chuck D. This event exemplifies the festival’s theme, using music as a lens to explore social justice issues and the artist’s role in advocacy. Beyond ticketed shows, the festival emphasizes accessibility and community involvement with free performances such as Bethany Baptist Jazz Vespers, Jazz Jams, and the Dorthaan’s Place jazz brunch series, offering opportunities for Newark residents of all ages to engage with jazz firsthand.
The festival also continues to nurture the next generation of vocalists through the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, a global platform that showcases emerging talent and connects them with the broader jazz community. Educational and community-focused events, supported by TD Bank, complement the performances, providing workshops, panels, and discussion sessions that emphasize the historical intersection of jazz and activism.
Central to the festival’s identity is its namesake, Newark-raised jazz legend James Moody, whose legacy as a saxophonist, flutist, and composer embodies the artistic and cultural innovation the festival celebrates. The 2025 festival builds on this legacy by exploring jazz’s long-standing connection to social justice. Historically, jazz has been inseparable from the African American struggle for civil rights, from Billie Holiday’s haunting “Strange Fruit” to Charles Mingus’s pointed critiques of segregation in “Fables of Faubus.” Venues hosting jazz music have often served as spaces for integration, dialogue, and cultural exchange, and the TD James Moody Jazz Festival continues that tradition by pairing performances with panels like “Jazz & Justice: A Performance and Panel on Artists and Activism.” Speakers at this event will include Dorthaan Kirk, widow of jazz luminary Roland Kirk and Newark’s own “First Lady of Jazz,” alongside activists and jazz historians, engaging audiences in a dialogue about music’s enduring role in social change.
The festival’s schedule includes performances for both ticketed and free audiences across the city, ensuring that music, history, and activism remain accessible to everyone. For tickets, schedules, and additional festival information, visitors can explore the NJPAC website, where details about each show, panel, and community event are available.
With a lineup that spans legends and rising stars, traditional jazz and innovative blends, and performances that highlight music’s power to speak to social issues, the 2025 TD James Moody Jazz Festival promises to be one of the most dynamic arts events in New Jersey this fall. From Newark residents to visitors from across the state, audiences will have the chance to experience jazz at its finest while reflecting on its historic and contemporary significance. For more on the intersection of music, culture, and activism in New Jersey, explore Explore New Jersey’s music section to discover upcoming concerts, artist profiles, and local events.
