TD James Moody Jazz Festival Returns to NJPAC for 15th Year, Featuring Miles Davis, Zakir Hussain Tributes, and Ben Vereen at 80

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The Newark festival will feature tributes to Miles Davis and Zakir Hussain, plus a rare Ben Vereen performance.

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The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) has announced the line-up for the highly anticipated 2026 TD James Moody Jazz Festival taking place Friday, November 6 to Sunday, November 22, 2026.

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Attracting thousands of fans to the city of Newark for the past 14 years, this year's Festival presents the world's preeminent jazz and jazz-adjacent artists in manifold events including world premiere concerts, debut collaborations, and free performances too. This year's lineup bridges the gaps between historic icons and the visionaries of tomorrow, featuring tributes to Miles Davis , Zakir Hussain, and the Festival's namesake James Moody as well as a rare performance by Tony Award-winning Ben Vereen in a special 80th birthday celebration. Scroll down for a preliminary schedule of Festival events with more details to be announced later this summer.

Quote from John Schreiber , NJPAC President and CEO, “What we deliver every year at the TD James Moody Festival is the music you love, performed in new ways; the artists you cherish in surprising and unexpected combinations; as well as new faces and new sounds you'll want to hear more of."

Quote from Christian McBride , TD James Moody Jazz Festival Advisor and 11x GRAMMY Award-Winning Bassist, “This year at the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, we'll be remembering and celebrating some of the world's best musicians. Legendary sitar player Niladri Kumaar will pay tribute to one of the Arts Center's much-loved regular visitors, tabla superstar Zakir Hussain, who passed in 2024. The Moody All-Star Band will salute our festival's namesake, James Moody . We'll all help blow out the candles when Ben Vereen celebrates his 80th birthday the best way he knows how -- on stage! And Jon Faddis will lead 'Miles at 100,' a concert in honor of the great Miles Davis 's centennial year. So many of your favorite jazz musicians will be on hand at the festival, from Gregory Porter to Charles Lloyd. I'll be there too, playing with my good friend Bruce Hornsby as well as with the New Jersey Symphony. This is a lineup of one-of-a-kind performances you don't want to miss."

Quote from Martin Melilli, TD Bank Commercial Market President, “TD is honored to once again support NJPAC and the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, a celebration of music, culture and community that continues to inspire audiences year after year. We believe the arts play an important role in building stronger, more connected communities, and this festival is a powerful example of how jazz can educate, uplift and bring people together."

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/new-jersey/article/TD-JAMES-MOODY-JAZZ-FESTIVAL-to-Return-to-NJPAC-for-15th-Annual-Edition-20260527)._