The 2025 Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival returns this year for it’s 23rd season of all-day free music from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Jennings Landing.
The all ages festival features five acts throughout the day: Hot Club of Saratoga, Becca Stevens Trio, Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra, Moon Hooch and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe.
While at the festival, attendees can enjoy food, beverages and vendors on the grounds.
For the full lineup for the 2025 Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival, see below.
12:30 p.m. — Hot Club of Saratoga
Hot Club of Saratoga start the festival as Upstate New York’s premier gypsy swing ensemble. The group specializes in the sounds of Djando Reinhardt and the vibrant atmosphere of Paris in the ’30s. Hot Club of Saratoga has brought the swing sound to music venues, festivals, swing dances, weddings, corporate events and private parties since early 2013.
2:00 p.m. — Becca Stevens Trio
Two-time GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Becca Stevens will take the Jennings Landing stage with her sound that blends pop, jazz, indie-rock, folkd and world music with her classical and Appalachian roots. She founded the Becca Stevens Band in 2006, toured internationally and collaborated with famous musicians like David Crosby, Jacob Collier and Michael League of Snarky Puppy.
3:30 p.m. — Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra
Led by Bronx-born bassist Alex Torres, this 12 piece orchestra from Amsterdam, NY blends Afro-Caribbean rhythms including Salsa, Merengue, Cha-cha, Bomba, Plena and Latin Jazz. Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra has performed at hundreds of festivals, performing arts centers and events since their formation in 1980.
4:30 p.m. — Henry Johnson Award Presentation
During a short break, an Albany resident will receive the 9th Annual Henry Johnson Award for Distinguished Community Service. The award commends the winner for their support in arts & history, education, social justice or volunteerism.
5:00 p.m. — Moon Hooch
From their start playing subway platforms of NYC in 2010, Moon Hooch create music with unconventional sounds and techniques using found objects like traffic cones. Their inventive playing landed the band as openers for acts like Beats Antique, They Might Be Giants and Lotus while headlining their own marquee shows and appearing on NPR’s Tiny Desk in America.
6:30 p.m. — Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
The final performer of the night is Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe (KDTU) with rich jazz improvisations. KDTU has played for over 25 years from Japan to Madison Square Garden where they joined Dave Matthews Band and James Brown. Previously, KDTU performed at festivals like Bonnaroo, Jazzfest in New Orleans and the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco.
The jazz festival will close out with a fireworks show at 8 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the jazz festival is set to go on at the Corning Preserve Boat Launch. For more information or updates, see here.
Comments are closed.