Major Announcement: Summer Music Festival Lineups Announced + More
Jamaica Center for, we are thrilled to announce that the lineup for our Downtown Jamaica Riddim & Jazz Festival is set, and the headliner is the iconic Branford Marsalis Quartet! Join us on July 25, 6 pm at Rufus King Park for a free presentation of live music!
Save the date and RSVP here. Check out our other musical offerings below!
This free outdoor celebration brings together headliners as well as emerging and mid-career artists on the grounds of Rufus King Park, welcoming all to move, listen, and be moved.
About The Branford Marsalis Quartet: New Orleans-born Branford Marsalis is an award-winning saxophonist, band leader, featured classical soloist, and a film and Broadway composer. In the process, he has become a multi award-winning artist with three Grammys, a citation by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master and an avatar of contemporary artistic excellence.
Downtown Jamaica Riddim & Jazz Festival Day 1:
Dennis Collins and Steven Kroon
July 24, 7 pm
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
(153-10 Jamaica Avenue)
The Downtown Jamaica Riddim & Jazz Festival will kick off with performances headlined by Riddim Section favorites, Dennis Collins and Steven Kroon. Expect an evening of incredible live music by these two acclaimed artists.
About Dennis Collins: It has been said that the smooth, soulful voice of singer Dennis Collins, goes straight to the heart of all who hear him. A truly gifted artist, he is a member of a rare breed of singers, with the ability to interpret many different musical styles. Dennis has recorded and performed with artists such as James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Roberta Flack, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Jon Batiste, and many others.
About Steven Kroon: Steven Kroon has worked with such notables as Luther Vandross, Ron Carter , Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga and much more. He's played on an array of television shows from the Tonight Show to David Letterman, Jay Leno, as well as the Grammy’s. His band is a high-energy electrifying Latin Jazz Sextet. Their musicality consists of Jazz with the blend of Afro Cuban and Brazilian music.
Countdown to The Downtown Jamaica Riddim & Jazz Festival:
As we prepare to present our culminating festival, we're inviting you to our upcoming Riddim Section concerts. Take advantage of early bird two-for-$15 tickets for the below shows!
Riddim Section Presents: Andre White
May 27, 8 pm
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
(153-10 Jamaica Avenue)
JCAL's music series continues with a highly anticipated concert!
Join us for an exciting Riddim Section concert, headlined by Andre White! Riddim Section is a monthly concert series that explores the music of the African, Caribbean, and Latin American diasporas.
About the artist: Andre White’s name is synonymous with excellence in Steelpan. Whether arranging popular music for a 100-person orchestra, Composing the abundance of life-force in a jazz trio or left with the instrument alone on stage, White’s music is unmistakable in impact. It’s simple to call someone “prodigy” when they begin to teach themselves music at the age of 6; when he began playing with Long-Island based ADLIB Steel Orchestra.
Riddim Section Presents: Mark Adams & The Ubiquity Band
June 24, 8pm
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
(153-10 Jamaica Avenue)
Don't miss the season final of our Riddim Section series featuring Mark Adams & The Ubiquity Band!
Adams is a composer and musical director who has performed with legends such as Roy Ayers, Hugh Masekela, Lela Hathaway, Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah and more. Adams also debuted as on Broadway in the musical ‘Five Guys Named Moe’ and ‘The Color Purple’.