Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
Hyde Park Jazz Fest on Chicago’s South Side to Present 20th Edition
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
New Orleans trumpeter Kermit Ruffins will headline the Louis Armstrong Wonderful World Festival in Queens, New York, on July 16.
(Photo: Courtesy Basin Street Records)Keyboardist/vocalist Dr. John, an icon of New Orleans’ music, will headline the festival, along with funk-jazz trio Soulive and Crescent City trumpeter Kermit Ruffins. World-music bands Samba New York, Dahka Band and Folklore Urbano will round out the lineup, adding variety to an eclectic daylong program.
The festival is produced by the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College. Jeffrey Rosenstock, executive director of Kupferberg Center for the Arts said, “Not only did Louis Armstrong call Queens his home, he believed in ‘listening to all kinds of music,’ music that can be heard daily throughout our borough's multicultural communities. Louis traveled around the world sharing his music. Our goal this year is to celebrate his New Orleans roots, and showcase some of the incredible music being played in and around Queens by artists whose origins span the globe.”
The free, all-ages festival also explores the growing culture in Queens beyond music, providing opportunities for face painting, arts and crafts, dancing and a circus.
When not at the music stage or the activities, festival-goers can tour the Louis Armstrong House Museum, which will present a special exhibit for the festival. Armstrong lived at this location, now a National Historic Landmark, from 1943 until his death in 1971.
DownBeat subscribers will recall that the cover story for the October 2014 issue featured a photo session with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon at the Louis Armstrong House Museum.
The third annual Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful World festival will run from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 16. While the event is free, visitors are encouraged to register at the festival website.
A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.
Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
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