The 18th New Mexico Jazz Festival, a collaboration between the Lensic Performing Arts Center and Albuquerque鈥檚 Outpost Performance Space, runs through September 29 with an impressive array of concerts in both cities. (The ticket prices shown below include service charges and are subject to change.)
疯客直播 Fe Events
Joshua Redman Group with Gabrielle Cavassa
An eight-time Grammy Award nominee, saxophonist Joshua Redman has recently expanded his musical scope to include a premier singer, Gabrielle Cavassa, winner of the 2021 International Sarah Vaughan Jazz Vocalist Competition, on his group鈥檚 most recent CD, where are we, and for this 疯客直播 Fe performance, featuring cuts from the album and more.
7:30 p.m. Friday, September 13; Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W. San Francisco Street; $54-$79; 505-988-1234;
Dave Holland New Quartet
National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and Grammy Award-winning composer and bassist Dave Holland has been described as 鈥渢he commander-in-chief of a first-rate, cutting-edge group鈥 by Downbeat. There鈥檚 a free, one-hour Meet the Artist conversation between Holland and jazz historian A.B. Spellman at the Lensic beginning at 5:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 14;聽Lensic Performing Arts Center聽$47-$75
Flugelhornist Dmitri Matheny will pay tribute to Henry Mancini during a jazz festival performance.
Dave Korn
Matheny Plays Mancini
Flugelhornist Dmitri Matheny and his band 鈥 鈥渟ome of the most accomplished musicians in the western United States,鈥 according to All About Jazz 鈥 honor Henry Mancini鈥檚 100th birthday with new arrangements of his film hits including 鈥淐harade,鈥 鈥淭he Days of Wine and Roses,鈥 鈥淢oment to Moment,鈥 鈥淢oon River,鈥 鈥淢r. Lucky, 鈥淭he Pink Panther Theme,鈥 and 鈥淭wo for The Road.鈥
7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 14; Chocolate Maven Unit B, 821 W. San Mateo Road; $38.79; 505-984-1980;
Meshell Ndegeocello
Vocalist, bass player, and keyboardist Meshell Ndegeocello brings her six-member band to the Lensic for a performance reflecting her wide-ranging interests and influences, including jazz, soul, R&B, hip-hop, and rock, all of which become part of what she says is a focus on 鈥渢he search for love, justice, respect, and resolution.鈥 Ndegeocello鈥檚 2023 album The Omnichord Real Book won the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album.
Sunday, September 15, 7:30 PM;聽Lensic Performing Arts Center;聽$47-$75
Carmen Bradford and the John Rangel Trio
Several times a year the 疯客直播 Fe School of Cooking sheds its daytime vibe to become an upscale jazz-themed supper club. Carmen Bradford, former soloist with The Count Basie Orchestra and vocalist on the 2024 Grammy Award-winning album Basie Swings the Blues, is joined by the John Rangel Trio; chef Peter O鈥橞rian orchestrates the accompanying three-course gourmet meal.
6:30 p.m. September 21;聽疯客直播 Fe School of Cooking, 125 N. Guadalupe Street.聽Call 505-983-4511 for ticket availability.
Albuquerque Events
Except for the free September 21 blues night concert, the following events take place at the Outpost Performance Space, 210 Yale Boulevard SE (two blocks south of Central) in Albuquerque near the University of New Mexico. Tickets for all Outpost concerts are $52.48 (including service charges) and are available at .
Jazzmeia Horn
Named by her music-loving grandmother, Jazzmeia Horn has been called 鈥渁mong the most exciting young vocalists in jazz, with a proud traditionalism that keeps her tightly linked to the sound of classic figures like Nancy Wilson and Betty Carter, but a vivacity of spirit and conviction that places her firmly in the present,鈥 by The New York Times. For her Albuquerque appearance, she鈥檒l be accompanied by Victor Gould, piano; Aiden McCarthy, bass; and Greg Artry, drums.
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 18
Bobby Broom Tribute to Russell Malone
Jazz guitarist Russell Malone, who was scheduled to perform in 疯客直播 Fe and Albuquerque with the New Mexico Jazz Festival, died at the tragically early age of 61 a few weeks ago. Guitarist Bobby Broom, accompanied by Malone鈥檚 backing trio, will offer this tribute to Malone. Broom is an equally celebrated player who has toured with tenor saxophone legend Sonny Rollins for many years.
7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 19
Keyon Harrold Group
Trumpeter, arranger, and songwriter Keyon Harrold first came into the spotlight for his work as the trumpet 鈥渧oice鈥 behind actor-director Don Cheadle in the award-winning film Miles Ahead, about the life and career of Miles Davis. As a bandleader, Harrold has created a new sound palette with his mix of jazz, Afrobeat, soul, spoken word, hip-hop, blues, rock, and American folk music.
7:30 p.m. September 20
Blues Night on Civic Plaza with Sue Foley and the Texas Horns, Zenobia, and Felix y Los Gatos (Free event)
Blues singer and keyboardist Zenobia, who made her Broadway debut in the rock musical Hair at age 18 and toured the U.S. in Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar, opens this free concert in downtown Albuquerque. She鈥檚 followed by Felix y Los Gatos, who refer to their sound as 鈥淕reen Chile Gumbo鈥 blues 鈥 a blend of Latin, blues, Tejano, New Orleans Swing, and Southwest Ranchera 鈥 and by Austin-based guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist Sue Foley, three-time winner of the Blues Music Award for best female traditional blues performance, accompanied by the Texas Horns.
6 p.m. September 21;聽Albuquerque Civic Plaza
The Aaron Diehl-Warren Wolf Duo
Pianist Aaron Diehl will be joined by vibraphonist Warren Wolf at Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque.
Evelyn Freja
Pianist Aaron Diehl plays with 鈥渕elodic precision, harmonic erudition, and elegant restraint,鈥 according to The New York Times, while Downbeat said, 鈥淒iehl gracefully melds two worlds, merging the improvisational spirit of jazz with the compositional intricacies of Western classical music.鈥 He鈥檚 joined on this concert by vibraphonist Warren Wolf, a member of the SFJAZZ Collective and Christian McBride鈥檚 Inside Straight group.
7:30 p.m. September 23
The Marc Ribot Trio with Mary Halvorson
Guitarist Marc Ribot has released 25 albums under his own name over a 40-year career. His 2014 release, Marc Ribot Trio Live at the Village Vanguard was included on many 鈥淏est of 2014鈥 lists including those of Downbeat and National Public Radio. Guitarist Mary Halvorson, a MacArthur Foundation 鈥淕enius Grant鈥 winner, has been called 鈥渙ne of today鈥檚 most formidable bandleaders鈥 by Francis Davis in The Village Voice.
7:30 p.m. September 25
The SFJAZZ Collective
The SFJAZZ Collective, which 鈥渂oasts as much or more collective talent, firepower and critical acclaim than any other jazz ensemble going,鈥 according to Downbeat, celebrates its 20th anniversary with a program that includes some of its past hits, reimagines others in new arrangements, and features a collectively composed suite inspired by the group鈥檚 history.
9:30 p.m. September 26 (7:30 p.m. show is sold out)
Tarbaby
The Tarbaby trio 鈥渟tretches the jazz fabric without ripping it apart and absorbs everything from Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus to John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, sending it all back in torrents of molten musicianship,鈥 according to Jazz Times.
7:30 p.m. September 27
Harriet Tubman
This New York-based band counts Jimi Hendrix, Ornette Coleman, and Parliament-Funkadelic as contributors to its musical DNA, and its unique sound is a soulful meditation on the concept of freedom. Their 2018 performance at the Earshot Jazz Festival was cited as the best live concert of the year by NPR jazz critic Nate Chinen. The Village Voice wrote of them, 鈥淎s free as their iconic abolitionist namesake, Harriet Tubman is an irresistible force of truth, beauty, and electric improvisation.鈥澛
