Downtown jamaica riddim and jazz festival
Where Jazz & Riddim Meets
Event details
RIDDIm & Jazz Festival
July 24, 2026
Jamaica Performing Arts Center
153-10 Jamaica Ave
Jamaica, NY 11432 Get directions
July 25, 2026
Rufus King Park
150-29 Jamaica Ave
Jamaica, NY 11435
Get directions
Soundtrack of summer
The Downtown Jamaica Riddim & Jazz Festival returns with a fresh sound and a deep groove, drawing from the heart of JCAL’s music programming—Riddim Section and Thursday Night Jazz.
This free outdoor celebration brings together headliners as well as emerging and midcareer artists on the grounds of Rufus King Park, welcoming all to move, listen, and be moved. This must-see culminating festival is headlined by the iconic Branford Marsalis Quartet! The free concert will present the Grammy-winning band on July 25, 6 pm at Rufus King Park.
Day 1 of the festival will take place indoors at Jamaica Performing Arts Center (153-10 Jamaica Avenue, featuring sets headlined by acclaimed musicians Steven Kroon and Dennis Collins. RSVP Here!
Learn more about the artists below.
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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.
The Branford Marsalis Quartet, formed in 1986, remains his primary means of expression. In its virtually uninterrupted three-plus decades of existence, the Quartet has established a rare breadth of stylistic range and has long been recognized as the standard to which other ensembles of its kind must be measured. The Quartet recently made it's Blue Note Records debut with the release of Belonging, a full album interpretation of Keith Jarrett's 1974 ECM album of the same name. But Branford has not confined his music to the jazz quartet context. He recently composed a classical suite commissioned by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. A frequent soloist with classical ensembles, Branford has become increasingly sought after as a featured soloist with acclaimed orchestras around the world, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and the Chicago, Detroit, North Carolina, and Düsseldorf Symphonies. And his legendary guest performances with the Grateful Dead and collaborations with Sting have made him a fan favorite in the pop arena.
Branford's screen credits as a composer include original music for: Rustin starring Colman Domingo, the History Channel's documentary Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom starring Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks starring Oprah Winfrey, and Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues. He received a 2021 EMMY nomination for the original music he composed and produced for Tulsa Burning in the Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score) category. His work on Broadway has garnered a Drama Desk Award and a Tony nomination for the acclaimed revival of Fences. He recently arranged and orchestrated the music for a new Broadway production on Louis Armstrong, A Wonderful World. His previous Broadway efforts include music for the revivals of Children of a Lesser God and A Raisin in the Sun, as well as The Mountaintop, which starred Angela Bassett and Samuel L. Jackson.
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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.
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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.
BRING FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS TO LIFE
Free events like the annual Riddim & Jazz Festival are at the heart of JCAL’s mission. 75% of expenses are covered by donations from supporters like you. Make a gift to keep the celebration going for free!

