Mark your calendars! The Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival on the Green will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2025. The free music will begin at noon and run until 9:30!
Vocalist Dani G brings an exceptional band to the Festival, putting her style of swinging jazz to the Great American Songbook and popular classics. Joining her is an exceptional ensemble featuring Glenn Dinetz on keyboard, Tony Ventura on bass, and Jeff Rizzo on drums. Tony brings his extensive Broadway experience from productions such as “Rent,” “Little Shop of Horriors,” and “Godspell.” In addition to this line-up, their special guest will be Grammy Award-nominated saxophonist John Michalak. John’s resume includes collaborations with many music greats such as Julio Iglesia, David Lee Roth, Englebert Humperdinck, Gloria Estefan and Ricky Martin. He brings a wealth of expertise and flair to the stage and Dani G. is a great way to start this year’s Festival!
The official touring big band of the United States Army, the 19-piece ensemble plays a diverse repertoire including big band swing, bebop, standards, traditional and popular tunes. The group appears across the country as well as overseas! The rigorous schedule and its reputation has earned the title of “America’s Big Band”! Its performances provide some of the most versatile programming of any big band and always receive glowing reviews. Not only does the big band play all over the country, but it often appears in joint concerts with some top groups including the Boston Pops, the National Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, and even the Cincinnati Pops at Carnegie Hall. Their many appearances at international jazz festivals in Montreal, Newport, Toronto, Brussels, and the Netherlands have always garnered enthusiastic acclaim!
BLUES People has been together less than five years, but its four members have been establishing their individual credentials for a long time — working with some of the biggest names in music including Sue Foley, David Sanborn, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Kool & the Gang and Ms. Lauryn Hill (just to name a few).
Their blues credentials are obvious, but they have mixed funk, soul, jazz and rock into what they call “The New Sound of NYC/North Jersey Blues.” Named for the seminal book by Newark’s Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones) entitled Blues People, the band lives up to that legacy. With Kelvin Cooper singing lead and playing outstanding guitar, Ron Thompson standing out on keyboard, Mike Griot distinguishing himself on the bass, and Gene Lake pulling it all together on drums — the band has already made its mark.
Their debut album, The Skin I’m In (PWI Entertainment) earned a nomination for “Best New Artist Debut Album” at the Blues Blast 2024 Music Awards… and for two years in a row, they won the North Jersey Blues Society International Blues Challenge — as well as becoming two-time semifinalists at the prestigious Memphis International Blues Challenge.
King Solomon Hicks is a 30-year-old guitar prodigy from New York City who is well-known to Jersey audiences. Originally known for his jazz work, he has for the past few years, made a name for himself in the blues world. His 2020 release Harlem (Provogue) won the “Best Emerging Artist” Award given by the Blues Music Award and he can be heard regularly on Sirius Bluesville Radio. A member of the Blues Foundation, he has appeared at B.B. Kings, the Joe Bonamassa Blues Cruise, the Festival De Blues in Spain, and many other festivals and clubs around the world. He has performed with a long list of top artists including Tony Bennett, George Thorogood, the Marcus King Band, Jimmy Vivino, Davy Knowles, Gregg Allman, Eric Gales, Elvin Bishop, and Jeff Beck. Hot House Jazz Magazine recognized him with its Rising Star Award in 2017 and he has not looked back.
Guitarist and singer-songwriter Samantha Fish may still be in her thirties, but she has become one of the top blues artists in the world! Her latest recording, Paper Doll (Rounder) was just released, and her previous seven albums have not only reached the top of the blues charts, they have all been critically acclaimed. She has won Blues Blast Awards, Blues Music Awards, 22 Independent Blues Awards, Living Blues Awards and 13 Offbeat’s Best of the Beat Awards! She has opened for the Rolling Stones, has been nominated for a Grammy Award, and is featured regularly on Sirius Bluesville Radio.
In Memory of Linda Kiger Smith
Linda Kiger Smith died at home in Tewksbury in 2021 after a long battle with Metastatic Breast Cancer. She and her husband Don Jay Smith were residents of Morristown’s Historic District for many years before downsizing and moving to Hunterdon County. In addition to the two of them being co-founders of MPAC, known to long-time residents as The Community Theatre, they joined with Mayor Tim Dougherty in 2011 to start the Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival. Every year they produced what has become one of the most popular summer music festivals in the area with Linda being responsible for selecting and contracting the artists. Just like last year’s Festival, This year includes some of the talented artists she has worked with over the years. She is survived by her spouse, partner and best friend of 41 years and three children Rebecca, Allison and Charles.
In Memory of Michael Fabrizio
Michael Fabrizio passed away suddenly on June 2021. He became Executive Director for the Morristown Partnership in the mid-nineties and it was in 2011 that he worked with Linda and Don Jay Smith to create the Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival with Mayor Tim Dougherty. The Morristown Partnership serves as the fiscal agent for the festival. When he left the Partnership to assume the role of ED for the Morristown Parking Authority, he continued to serve on the festival board. Michael is survived by Lisa his wife of 28 years and his three children Gabriella, Zachary and Matthew.
Take advantage of the special very low hotel rates that the Best Western Morristown Inn is making available for visitors to the festival. Call them at 973-540-1700 or click below for more information. Just tell that you are a festival patron.
To reserve your room, go to THE BEST WESTERN PLUS MORRISTOWN INN
Please send your donation to:
c/o Morristown Partnership
14 Maple Avenue
Suite 201
Morristown, NJ 07960
If you would like to add your name to our email list, contact us at: info@morristownjazzandblues.com
The 2024 Festival has been made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors.
MAPLE FW LLC
Festival produced byinfo@morristownjazzandblues.org
