The Saratoga Jazz Festival will return to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on its traditional weekend, Saturday June 24 and Sunday June 25, 2023!
New this year, per festival producer Danny Melnick: “All of the amphitheater groups will perform longer sets and we’ve built in more time in between sets to allow the audience to go from stage to stage more easily.”
Saturday June 24 Lineup
Amphitheater
Performances expected to begin at noon.
- Snarky Puppy
- Angelique Kidjo
- Cory Wong
- Tower of Power
- Chucho Valdes Quartet
- Cindy Blackman Santana Band
Charles R. Wood “Jazz Discovery” Stage
Performances expected to begin at 11am.
- Kurt Rosenwinkel
- Emmet Cohen Trio
- Claudia Acuna
- Carolyn Wonderland
- Glen David Andrews
- Nduduzo Makhathini
Sunday June 25 Lineup
Amphitheater
Performances expected to begin at 12:45pm.
- Bonnie Raitt
- Pat Metheny Side-Eye
- St. Paul & The Broken Bones
- Hiromi: The Piano Quintet feat. PUBLIQuartet
Charles R. Wood “Jazz Discovery” Stage
Performances expected to begin at 11:30am.
- Samara Joy
- Jupiter & Okwess
- Melissa Aldana
- Mark Guiliana
- Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars Centennial Celebration of Wes Montgomery, Tito Puente & Dexter Gordon featuring Clay Jenkins, Jimmy Greene, Michael Dease, Dave Stryker, Bill Cunliffe, Todd Coolman and Dennis Mackrel
Tickets
Tickets will be available to the general public on the SPAC website January 6th at 10 a.m. Tickets will start at $78. Before June 15th two-day passes are available at a 10% discount. Children 12 and under get half off tickets in the amphitheater and are free on the lawn. Full-time students with a school issued ID get 25% off tickets in the amphitheater, or $28 tickets on the lawn; a student ID must be presented at will call.
As always SPAC members are able to purchase tickets before the general public. New for 2023, SPAC members will also receive a discount of 15-20% on their ticket purchase, depending on their level.
2024 Festival
The 2024 festival dates have been set: June 29 and 30!
18 replies on “2023 Lineup”
Opening the festival on Sat 6/24 is the dynamic South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini. His latest album on Blue Note Records, “In The Spirit of Ntu,” which is a must listen, just won “Best Jazz Album” at the South African Metro FM Awards. This is a prestigious honor in S.A. and we are honored to be presenting him at the festival.
Last week the dynamic vocalist Claudia Acuña appeared on NPRs Tiny Desk Concert series. She’ll be making her festival debut on Saturday, June 24. Check this out! https://www.npr.org/2023/04/17/1169502262/claudia-acuna-tiny-desk-concert
Happy Pesach and Easter to those who celebrate. I learned a few days ago that Cindy Blackman Santana, the masterful drummer, is bringing an all-star band to the festival on Saturday June 24. She’s going to open the amphitheater with Ravi Coltrane on saxophones, Felix Pastorius on electric bass, David Gilmore on electric guitar, and Zaccai Curtis on keyboards. Wowsie! Then she’s gonna take off and play with Santana in Niagara Falls that night!
Saturday at the festival is gonna’ be crazy!
Wow! That’s a lineup! An amazing lineup just got better!
Hi Folks – I was on WAMC FM Radio today. You can hear the stream on demand here:
https://www.wamc.org/podcast/the-roundtable/2023-03-24/46th-annual-freihofers-saratoga-jazz-festival-preview
Best DM
If anyone wants to learn more about the festival, check out this interview I did on WVRK FM with Rita Ryan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opx6bdgkRb4&t=2235s
I’m coming
We are coming
Another legend sadly passed, Wayne Shorter. Per my records he played in ’86, ’88 (with Carlos Santana), ’01 and ’03.
Wayne Shorter was a peerless creative force whose music and grace will live on forever. How lucky we are to be here during his lifetime and to hear his music and playing on recordings and live in concert. He blessed the festival with his presence 6 times including with Weather Report (1981), with his band (1986), co-leading an all-star band with Carlos Santana (1988), with his stellar quartet featuring Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade (2001 & 2003), and with the all-star quartet with Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland and Brian Blade in 2004. We send love to his family, collaborators, friends and fans. Thank you Wayne!
The festival is thrilled to be presenting 3 Grammy Winning artists from last night. Multi-Grammy winners Bonnie Raitt and Samara Joy will both perform on Sunday, June 25 and Grammy winning band Snarky Puppy will headline Saturday, June 24. Congratulations to them and we can’t wait to have to you up at SPAC!
Tickets go on sale Friday Jan 6 at 10am at spac.org
Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival – 2023
SATURDAY, JUNE 24
Snarky Puppy
Angelique Kidjo
Cory Wong
Tower of Power
Chucho Valdes Quartet
Cindy Blackman Santana Band
Kurt Rosenwinkel
Emmet Cohen Trio
Claudia Acuna
Carolyn Wonderland
Glen David Andrews
Nduduzo Makhathini
SUNDAY, JUNE 25
Bonnie Raitt
Pat Metheny Side-Eye
St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Hiromi: The Piano Quintet feat. PUBLIQuartet
Samara Joy
Jupiter & Okwess
Melissa Aldana
Mark Guiliana
Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars Centennial Celebration of
Wes Montgomery, Tito Puente & Dexter Gordon featuring
Clay Jenkins, Jimmy Greene, Michael Dease, Dave Stryker, Bill Cunliffe, Todd Coolman and Dennis Mackrel
Wow, that’s an impressive lineup for this year! Great job Danny!
Hi Dan, I’m a 25yr plus patron of the SJF.
We would love to see ‘Maceo Parker’, (if he’s still in concert’, at a great venue like this, along with his “side-kick” Candy Dulfer. They put on an amazing show! Thanks
He’s not….
I remember when Maceo closed Saturday night in 2012! It was a great time!
According to Wikipedia, he turns 80 in February.
Cory Wong
Up and coming superstar!