The CMC JazzFest (formerly the "Queen City Jazz Fest") features first-rate jazz indoors and out. More than 100 performers during two days of world class jazz, playing on two stages, celebrating 99 years with a new name and a new line-up!

•       New—National headliner performances added (James Brandon Lewis – Buffalo-born – and Kamal Abdul-Alim)

•       New—Jazz Coachella Happy Hour added, with prizes awarded

•       New—Name changed to CMC Jazz Festival (formerly Queen City Jazz Festival)

•       Festival celebrates 99 years, (2017 Centennial) 

This summer’s Colored Musicians Club Jazz Festival (formerly called the Queen City Jazz Festival, and still held at the historic site at 145 Broadway in Buffalo, New York) kicks off on Friday, July 29th at 5:00pm with a Coachella-themed, "high-style" fashion-forward happy hour event featuring The Walter Kemp 3oh! (BluJazz recording artist.)

The evening continues with Buffalo-born tenor Saxophone titan James Brandon Lewis (Okeh recording artist). Hailed by Ebony Magazine as one of “7 Young Players to Watch,” Lewis performs 7pm and 9pm shows.

On Saturday, the festival continues to showcase the talents of more than 100 Western New York jazz musicians, many of whom boast national and even international reputations.

All outside performances, and Saturday’s indoor performances from noon until 6:00pm are free of charge:

The complete CMC Jazz Fest Artist Roster is:

Friday July 29th, 2016 Historic Colored Musicians Club stage, Inside

 (Passes or Tickets only)

5:30pm - Walter Kemp 3oh! (Jazz Coachella Happy Hour)

7:00pm - James Brandon Lewis Trio (1st Show)

9:00pm - James Brandon Lewis Trio (2nd Show)

Saturday, July 30th, 2016, Main Festival Stage OUTSIDE (free of charge)

12 pm - George Scott Big Band

1 pm - Taylor Brown Quartet

2 pm - Janice Mitchell and the Jim Beishline Trio

3 pm - Toney Rhodes

4 pm - Houston Gardwell Collective

5 pm - John Troy Trio

6 pm - Brotha Perry Trio - Lamont

7 pm - Greg Millar Quartet

Saturday, July 30th, 2016, Historic Colored Musicians Club stage, Inside (free of charge)

12 pm - Jazz Wizz – Robert Merlin Davis

1 pm - Rick Strauss and ThreeO

2 pm - Dark Matter

3 pm - Carrol Mclaughlin Quartet

4 pm - Why Not? Kevin Doyle

5 pm - Alex McArthur Quintet

Saturday, July 30th, 2016, Historic Colored Musicians Club stage, Inside

 (Passes or Tickets only)

7:00pm - Kamal Abdul-Alim Quartet

9:00pm - Kenny Hawkins & the Allstar Band

Two additional Saturday evening concerts have been added to the expanded festival this year:

7:00pm recording artist Kamal Abdul-Alim, accompanied by George Caldwell, Sabu Adeyola, and Abdul Rahman.

9:00pm Kenny Hawkins All Star Band, with Rodney Appleby, Carl Johnson and Wade Hawkins.

The historic Colored Musicians Club Museum will be open for visitors on Saturday from 11 am until 6 pm. Souvenir festival posters and tee shirts are available for purchase. 

Festival sponsors are M&T Bank, LPCiminelli, Lafayette Hotel, Statler City, Piano&Organ Center, Try-it Distributors and Apples Haberdashery.