James Moody Jazz Festival
| TD James Moody Jazz Festival | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The late jazz saxophonist James Moody | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Jazz festival |
| Frequency | Annually in November |
| Venue | New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark Museum of Art, others in the city |
| Location(s) | Newark, New Jersey |
| Inaugurated | October 15, 2012 |
| Sponsor | TD Bank |
The James Moody Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival held in Newark, New Jersey.[1][2]
Background[edit]
The festival, organized by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center has been a fall gathering of musicians and audiences held at various Newark venues since 2012.[3] Jazz musician Christian McBride oversees and curates the event.[4] The festival is named for jazz saxophonist James Moody.[5]
Venues[edit]
Various locations throughout Newark host festival events.[6] Sites include the Newark Museum of Art, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark jazz club Clement's Place, Bethany Baptist Church, and NICO Kitchen + Bar.[7]
Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition[edit]
The festival hosts an annual jazz vocalist competition named for Newark-born jazz singer Sarah Vaughan. The event, as of the 2020s, is open to solo vocalists of all nationalities who are not signed to a major record label. The competition judges contestants on criteria "that includes vocal quality, intonation, ability to swing, individuality, and improvisation."[8]
Initially open only to female vocalists, in the early 2020s the competition began allowing male vocalists to apply.[8] The competition is also known as the "Sassy Awards" for Vaughn's nickname.[9][10][11] In 2023, the winning vocalist was Tyreek McDole.[12][13]
Winning vocalists by year[edit]
Winners to date are:[14]
2012: Cyrille Aimee
2013: Jazzmeia Horn
2014: Ashleigh Smith
2015: Arianna Neikrug
2016: Deelee Dubé
2017: Quiana Lynell
2018: Laurin Talese
2019: Samara Joy
2020: Gabrielle Cavassa, Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim
2021: G. Thomas Allen
2022: Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso
2023: Tyreek McDole
See also[edit]
- WBGO (88.3 FM), the Newark jazz radio station
- Institute of Jazz Studies in Newark
- Jazz & Roots Music Festival at Kean University in the Newark vicinity
- "The Coast," jazz nightclub-friendly area of Newark in the early 20th century
- List of Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition winners
- McDonald's Gospelfest, gospel music festival held annually at Newark's Prudential Center
- North to Shore Festival, music and comedy festival held annually in Newark
- New Hope Baptist Church of Newark
- Newark Black Film Festival
- The Turf Club, midcentury jazz and R&B venue and last remaining known live-music structure in Asbury Park, New Jersey's Black entertainment district. Venue is undergoing restoration for live music.
- Chicken Bone Beach Jazz series on Missouri Avenue Beach in Atlantic City
- Exit Zero Jazz Festival in Cape May, New Jersey
References[edit]
- ^ Chinen, Nate (April 1, 2013). "James Moody Jazz Festival Announces Lineup". ArtsBeat.
- ^ "TD James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival Taps Newark's Heritage - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. October 7, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-10-07.
- ^ Jazz, All About (November 22, 2023). "Jazz news: Tyreek McDole Wins 12th Annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition". All About Jazz.
- ^ "New Jersey's TD James Moody Festival Offers Diverse Series". downbeat.com. October 28, 2016.
- ^ NJ.com, Entertainment Desk | NJ Advance Media for (November 3, 2013). "James Moody deeply connected to musicians playing fest named after him". nj.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "TD James Moody Jazz Festival is Explosive and a Jazz Lovers Delight (Nov. 19-21 at NJPAC)". Jersey Indie. November 17, 2021.
- ^ Lustig, Jay (September 15, 2023). "Dave Grusin tribute, Gladys Knight and more booked for 12th TD James Moody Jazz Fest". NJArts.net.
- ^ a b "Inside the prestigious Sarah Vaughan competition for vocalists". KNKX Public Radio. August 5, 2022.
- ^ "Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition official site". NJPAC.
- ^ Police, Jazz (November 9, 2023). "One Last Look Back – The 2022 TD James Moody Jazz Festival".
- ^ Wild, Stephi. "12th Annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival Returns to NJPAC in November". BroadwayWorld.com.
- ^ "Vocalist Tyreek McDole wins 2023 SASSY Award". JAZZ.FM91. November 23, 2023.
- ^ "Gallery 3". TYREEK MCDOLE.
- ^ "Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition". NJPAC.