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2022 Jersey City Jazz Festival

The ever popular Jersey City Jazz Festival is back for a two-day celebration the weekend of
June 4th and 5th in the Powerhouse Arts District. The free-to-the-public annual event will
feature fourteen bands on two stages, food trucks, a full bar, and a VIP experience at the 107
Morgan Street lot in Jersey City. The event is produced by the Jersey City-based non-profit
Riverview Jazz and presented by Exchange Place Alliance. The 2022 festival will coincide with
another beloved annual event - Bike JC's Ward Tour, Sunday, June 5th, which will culminate at
this year's jazz festival. There will also be an after-party jam session at Moore's Place on
Monticello Ave.

This year's lineup features no shortage of talent among the fourteen diverse musical acts.
Guitar aficionados will be in for a treat with an array of virtuosic performers including the
world-renowned Julian Lage (6/5, 4pm), modern gypsy jazz artist Gonzalo Bergara (6/5, 2pm),
flamenco master Andreas Arnold (6/4, 4pm), and the guitar-driven roots spiritual ensemble
Walter Parks and the Unlawful Assembly (6/5, 1pm). Hard core jazz lovers will be thrilled with
crowd favorite Winard Harper and Jeli Posse (6/4, 3pm), vocalist and WBGO on-air personality
Lezlie Harrison (6/4, 1pm), and jazz piano maestro David Kikoski (6/4, 2pm). As is the annual
Jersey City Jazz Fest tradition, both days will close out with dancing to salsa performances by
two legendary percussionists - Little Johnny Rivero (6/4, 7pm) and Johnny Rodriguez and the
Dream Team (6/5, 5pm). An eclectic set of dynamic groups round out the lineup. These include
acclaimed vocalist Svetlana, presented by NJCU (6/4, 6pm), the bass-fronted Afro Cuban jazz
power group Santi Debriano's Arkestra Bembe (6/4, 5pm), the hot-blooded percussion and
mighty brass sounds of Nation Beat (6/4, Noon), the New Orleans-based trad group Aurora
Nealand and the Royal Roses (6/5, 3pm), and the stylish Sounds of A & R (6/5, Noon). All
performances will be alternating on the hour between the Bank of America and Exchange Place
Alliance stages.

"We couldn't be more excited about this year's festival, " says Riverview Jazz director Bryan
Beninghove. "This is going to be a real JC-vibe party. Fourteen killer bands, food, booze, and a
pimped-out VIP tent - you really can't beat it. I mean the talent is top-notch, and it's a free event
for the community - Thank you, thank you sponsors, donors, and partners!"
The Jersey City Jazz Festival began in 2013 as a grassroots community concert and has
blossomed into one of the region's premiere cultural events. Beninghove points to the level of
talent in the area as a main reason for the astounding growth of the festival. "We have some of
the best players in the world here - and it's not just one style of music or jazz, it's everything! It is
so important for the community to experience this level of excellence, because it is unique and
special. Not everyone has access to great music and art, but we do here - and we want to
celebrate it with a big, free party for the people."

Admission to the two-day event is free-to-the-public, with a suggested donation of $10 per
attendee. For information on purchasing VIP tickets, directions, parking, volunteering, or links to
the artists, visit www.JerseyCityJazzFestival.com. For information on registering for the Bike JC
Ward tour, visit BikeJC.Org. The presenting sponsor of the Jersey City Jazz Festival is
Exchange Place Alliance and the Jazz Master sponsor is Bank of America. Other main
sponsors and partners include NJ PBS, Jersey City Cultural Affairs, Hudson County Cultural
Affairs, WBGO, Sawyer Smith Residential, Ketel One, Cort Furniture, and NJCU. See website
for full list of community partners and sponsors.



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