2026 Lineup / Chronological

The Haberdasher Shows closes its 2026 season August 5 as the official San José Jazz Summer Fest Pre-Party, a free 21+ celebration of local art and music featuring Moni Valenzuela’s stripped-down trio, painter Arely Cardenas, and a shot at free Summer Fest tickets.

French Caribbean singer, bassist and fashion icon Adi Oasis is taking the music world by storm. Her 2023 debut album Lotus Glow — silky vocals, funky bass and retro-futurist production — has garnered over 30 million streams globally and earned features in Rolling Stone, Elle and Dazed.

Emerging from Southeast Los Angeles, The Altons are a fixture in the West Coast souldies scene and one of five premier groups on Daptone Records’ Penrose imprint. The band has grown from local nightclubs to the grand stages of Austin City Limits and Mexico’s Corona Capital festival.

Synchronicity is a classical jazz ensemble of alumni from various Bay Area big bands led by Jerry Kroth, a retired professor from Santa Clara University. The band specializes in classic jazz standards including those of Kenton, Basie, Oliver Nelson and Quincy Jones, with a few avant garde surprises thrown in.

SJZ’s beloved monthly all ages jazz jam gets a 3-hour Summer Fest edition with a theme worthy of the occasion. Saxophonist Michael Webster and his Quartet, who preside over the open jam every First Friday, turn the focus to one of the music’s towering figures: John Coltrane. The event is free, but pre-register to speed your entry.

Hailing from the West Coast, the Zydeco Flames burst onto the scene with their 1993 debut Hot Offerings and have been a regional favorite ever since, bringing the sizzling roots rhythms of Louisiana masters like Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco and Queen Ida to dancehalls and festivals across the country.

Joe Bataan is the King of Latin Soul, the originator of the New York style that paralleled Latin Boogaloo, anticipated disco and helped give a record label its name. From street corner doo-wop in the 1950s to one of the first rap records to chart, his career spans more than six decades of genre-bending musical vision.

New Orleans brass sensation The Soul Rebels built their sound on an idea — blending the pop music they loved on the radio with their hometown brass tradition, weaving in funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz and rock to create something wholly electrifying and modern.

The SOJ Big Band was formed almost 20 years ago in the south San Francisco Bay Area to play big band arrangements of gospel, swing, latin, R&B and jazz tunes. The band has performed steadily since its inception in front of enthusiastic audiences and fans of ball room dancing.

The 4th Annual Official Latin Tropical Stage After Party returns to Downtown San Jose with a full night of salsa, bachata and Latin energy at Blanco Urban Venue, headlined by Orquesta Taíno. Doors open at 8pm for dancers 21 and up, with pre-sale tickets at $20 and $25 at the door.

How does a 19-year-old from Vicksburg, Mississippi play his first Chicago gig and earn 165,000 Facebook views with 4,000 shares? If you’re Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport, who started playing harmonica and guitar at seven, you’re a rising star in the blues world.

Straight out of East LA, Thee Sinseers blend nostalgic soul with fresh innovation, led by multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer-songwriter Joseph Quiñones. Anchored by a full brass section, sweet harmonies and a tight rhythm section, they are bringing a unique sound to soul music with deep roots and a contemporary spirit.

Zapp redefined funk with their innovative use of the talk box, dominating R&B charts with monster hits like “More Bounce to the Ounce,” “Dance Floor” and “Computer Love.” Joining them is Tuxedo, the duo bringing a fresh wave of gangster boogie to the dance floor.

The Regional All-Star ensembles bring together talented students from across Monterey County, testing their chops on the bandstand while sharing great jazz with the community.

Mark Arroyo brings guitar-led improvisation to the San Jose Museum of Art for a 30-minute solo set, Saturday, August 8, 1:00–1:30 PM. Best known as the guitarist behind The Mark Arroyo Trio’s fully improvised sets around San Jose, Arroyo steps out on his own this time, guitar out front.

The Jazz On Tap Big Band is a passion project built from local and traveling pros, playing a challenging but crowd-pleasing repertoire at public and private events alike.

The San Jose Jazz High School All Stars Big Band brings together the Bay Area’s most talented high school musicians. At Summer Fest 2026, they’ll be joined by a very special guest: three-time Grammy Award nominee Gretchen Parlato.

The Regional All-Star ensembles bring together talented students from across Monterey County, testing their chops on the bandstand while sharing great jazz with the community.

San Jose’s M’sippi Slide delivers a powerful revival of classic blues, R&B and soul, blending timeless tradition with a fresh contemporary edge. Fronted by vocalist Lijah, whose commanding voice draws inspiration from Aretha Franklin and Etta James, the band creates performances that are raw, emotional and deeply authentic.

Parlor Greens is one of the most exciting new organ trios in heavy instrumental music, bringing together three individually stellar players into something even greater. Drummer Tim Carman, guitarist Jimmy James and organist Adam Scone combine blues, soul, jazz and funk into a sound that is wholly their own.

With a dynamic lineup spanning generations—ages 8 to 80—the extraordinary Jazz Education Ensemble proves that great music transcends all ages. Since 2015, they have wowed festival crowds and concertgoers with their electrifying performances, where young prodigies hold their own alongside seasoned jazz veterans.

Footnotes Jazz is a San Francisco Bay Area ensemble that showcases contemporary and original big band jazz. Its founding members once played together in the Foothill College jazz program, before going independent under the leadership of Lori Stotko.

Belén B is a Bay Area-based salsa singer, songwriter and bandleader blending salsa dura, son and timba with the expressive language of Latin jazz. Backed by her live band, Belén y Su Orquesta, she brings original music and classic influences together in performances defined by rhythmic intensity and commanding stage presence.

The SJZ High School All Stars is a regional, audition-based music education program for students interested in the study and performance of jazz. The program includes a large ensemble and a combo.

Louisiana native Curley Taylor began his professional career at 16 playing drums in his father’s band, Jude Taylor and the Burning Flames, deep in Louisiana blues, soul and zydeco. By 25, he had played with Louisiana legends including CC Adcock, Steve Riley and CJ Chenier, son of the “King of Zydeco” Clifton Chenier.

The musical focus of the LGS Band is dance, jazz, Latin and vocals in all styles. The classics from Miller, Basie, Brown, and Goodman are among the featured songs as well as more modern works by arrangers such as Nestico, Goodwin, Carter, Hefti, Wolpe and more.

Tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson brings a lifetime of jazz mastery to Summer Fest — forged in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and rooted in a Blue Note legacy spanning straight-ahead tradition to wildly eclectic territory. He’s joined by Nnenna Freelon and Charles McPherson for this extraordinary set.

Join a house band made up of alums from the San Jose Jazz High School All Stars U19s for a free, youth-focused community jazz jam during the Fest. If you’re 21 and under, bring your instrument and sign up for a slot. Or just take a break from the heat and listen as future jazz stars show you how it’s done.

Rush Hour Orquesta is a high-energy salsa band out of Los Angeles, founded by childhood friends Raul Membreno and Jonathan Patterson. Blending classic salsa with a modern edge, they bring explosive percussion, vibrant brass and infectious grooves to every stage they play.

The Ames Jazz Band is a big band rooted in the NASA Ames Research Center community. Drawing on classic jazz, blues and swing, the group has built a following across Bay Area clubs, dances and festivals — including previous appearances at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest.

Guitarist, banjoist, singer and songwriter Mitch Polzak is a larger-than-life entertainer from the West Coast — a Western Swing Hall of Fame inductee, twice-nominated Ameripolitan Music Awards artist and, not unsurprisingly, a relative of the notorious Ma Barker of the infamous Barker Gang. At 6’5″, he commands a room.

Afro-Cuban All Stars is the legendary Cuban orchestra at the heart of the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon, one of the most celebrated ensembles in the history of Cuban music. Founded by producer and bandleader Juan de Marcos González, the group has earned four Grammy nominations and made many of its members international stars.

Los Tocayos was born in a Santa Cruz garage during the pandemic — two Stephens, a neighborhood full of collaborators and a shared obsession with Caribbean rhythm. Pianist Stephen Peterson and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Vahle draw on Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Puerto Rican and Yoruban traditions for music built to make you dance.

Orquesta Akokán burst onto the global music scene in 2018 with a no-holds-barred take on Cuban mambo, earning a Grammy Award nomination, a Billboard Latin Music Award and a Songlines Music Award along the way. Led by producer Jacob Plasse and pianist and arranger Michael Eckroth, the ensemble draws its name from a Cuban Yoruba word meaning “from the heart.”

Raised in Oakland, California, guitarist Jubu Smith spent more than 25 years as lead guitarist for Maze featuring Frankie Beverly while also making his mark early on with Tony! Toni! Toné! His sound—warm, raw and spiritual—is rooted in the gospel church and polished on the world’s biggest stages.

The Green Feather Jazz Society is a community band of tremendously talented musicians whose first priority is to bring jazz music back into our communities. They are a group of veteran players from the local jazz scene, performing as a full-size 18-member jazz orchestra.

Patti LaBelle is one of American music’s living legends; a two-time Grammy Award winner and 13-time nominee whose voice has left an indelible mark across six decades of R&B, pop and gospel. The Philadelphia native first charted in 1962 with The Bluebelles before rising to global acclaim with the genre-bending trio Labelle.

Sabrosas Latin Orchestra is San Diego’s first and only all-female salsa band — and a 501(c)(3) organization now celebrating seven years of community, music and fun. Founded to unite female musicians around a shared love of salsa and Latin music, the band brings infectious energy to audiences throughout Southern California.

Olas Perdidas is an innovative new band that fuses the vibrant, rhythmic traditions of Son Jarocho from Veracruz, Mexico, with the cinematic, evocative sounds of spaghetti Western music — a unique soundscape that bridges coastal Mexican folk and the rugged, dusty trails of the Wild West.

Come join us for a soulful experience at the San Jose Marriott! Indulge in a delicious brunch while enjoying the uplifting sounds of gospel music intertwined with smooth jazz melodies. Don’t miss this memorable Sunday morning filled with good food, great music, and even better company.

Add some soul to your Summer Fest Sunday. Urban Sanctuary and Recovery Café in downtown San Jose, an easy walk from the festival grounds, hosts Soulful Sunday with a free concert and mini-brunch.

Sunday morning, join our friends at First Unitarian Church of San José for a celebration with a jazz accent. A special collection will benefit our Progressions initiative.

Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra is a massive, 20-piece all-star ensemble drawn from the fabled West Coast ska scene, with a horn section three times the size of most ska groups. Fifteen years in, they remain one of the most powerful live acts in traditional ska — headlining festivals and iconic venues across the US and Europe.

Mr. Clifford’s Young Jazz All Stars, directed by musician and educator “Mr. Clifford” Samoranos, is the youngest group of gifted musicians presented by San Jose Jazz — a next-generation ensemble that embodies the enduring American legacy of jazz.

Guitarist Johnny Vernazza and Anthony “The Fallbrook Kid” Cullins bring together two generations of California blues in a sound that’s classic, timeless, and completely their own — a psychedelic soul convergence built on decades of stagecraft.

The East Bay Jazz High School All-Stars is a pre-professional music academy for high school jazz musicians. Its two ensembles — big band and combo — rehearse weekly and perform frequently from January through June under the direction of Spencer Sussman.

Come join us for a soulful experience at the San Jose Marriott! Indulge in a delicious brunch while enjoying the uplifting sounds of gospel music intertwined with smooth jazz melodies. Don’t miss this memorable Sunday morning filled with good food, great music, and even better company.

Full Spectrum Big Band has been delighting Bay Area audiences with traditional and modern big band sounds since 1996. Led by drummer and director Carlos Almeida, the group brings together seasoned musicians with a shared passion for keeping jazz vibrant and alive in the community.

A two-time Grammy nominee, René Marie has spent two decades turning jazz into something deeply personal, drawing on Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington while blending in folk, R&B, and country. The Arts Desk praises her ability to make lyrics come alive.

DJ Turbo Sonidero entertains the crowd between acts on Sunday starting at 2pm. A San Jose native and cumbia innovator, he splices traditional cumbia with rap and electronic edges into what he calls Kumbia Obscura, a dark and at times futuristic twist that has become his signature sound.

Demo 3 is a self-organized, youth jazz combo with fresh energy fueled by vintage spirit. They are comprised of dedicated high school musicians from the Sacramento area and have a deep respect for jazz. They are passionate about contributing to the rising youth jazz scene and can frequently be found sharpening their skills at jam sessions and playing at community events.

Sacramento-bred harmonica player and vocalist Kyle Rowland honors the rich traditions of American blues, soul and gospel with a sound shaped by legends like James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Billy “Boy” Arnold and Hubert Sumlin — masters who passed along not just technique but hard-won secrets of the craft.

The Swing Solution is a classic big band spanning eight decades of the form — from the forties through the swing revival of the nineties and beyond. Expect vocals, dancing and jazz with the killer solos that brought the crowd to its feet at last year’s Summer Fest.

The San Jose Jazz Summer Camp Ensemble made up of some of the brightest high school talents from this year’s Summer Jazz Camp, held at Santa Clara High School.

Destiny Muhammad brings harp to the SJMA lobby from 3–3:30pm, no ticket required. A jazz harpist with a “Celtic to Coltrane” sound, Muhammad blends jazz and storytelling into music SFJAZZ calls masterful, built on the legacy of Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane.

Combo Tezeta is a Bay Area band playing a danceable blend of instrumental cumbias, chichas and música tropical inspired by psychedelic Peru of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Layering reverb-fueled surf rock onto cumbia foundations, they deliver the musical echoes of the past to the present.

Cory Wong is a Grammy Award-nominated guitarist, producer, variety show host and podcast host whose momentum shows no signs of slowing. A member of both Vulfpeck and the Fearless Flyers, Wong has built a solo career with his energetic performances and signature rhythmic style that command sold-out crowds on iconic stages around the world.

The San Jose Youth Symphony (SJYS) Jazz Ensemble is a premier big band comprised of the Bay Area’s most dedicated young musicians. Led by acclaimed director Ricky Martinez, the ensemble delivers high-energy performances of sophisticated repertoire, ranging from traditional swing to contemporary video game music.

McKinley James is equal parts old soul and modern man, breathing new life into classic sounds with his debut album Working Class Blues. Armed with an electric guitar and sharp songwriting chops, he creates a mix of American rock & roll, amplified soul and raw rhythm & blues alongside father Jason Smay.

Gio Chamba is an Electropical-Cumbia duo from Houston, Texas, formed by Gio Alejandro and Coffee Guzman. Blending electronic production, hip-hop and traditional cumbia, their sound feels both modern and familiar — driven by bass-heavy grooves, psychedelic guitar lines and high-energy live performance.

Founded in 2007 by bassist Timm Walker — also a core member of the Elvin Bishop Band and appearing with the Zydeco Flames at Summer Fest on Friday, August 7 — BeaufunK has built a reputation as one of the Bay Area’s premier funk units, delivering a powerful groove rooted in the rich tradition of Bay Area funk and R&B.

Few artists embody the heart and soul of their city like Trombone Shorty. The most recognizable ambassador for New Orleans music today, Troy Andrews first appeared at Jazz Fest at age four, performing impromptu with Bo Diddley. He has never stopped rising, including a memorable Summer Fest set in 2011 that is still being talked about.

Rooted in the Colombian diaspora and forged in the crucible of New York City’s music scene, Combo Chimbita has carved out a singular space in Latin alternative music. The group’s sound is expansive and psychedelic, anchored by the shamanic intensity of vocalist Carolina Oliveros, and impossible to ignore.