Fall hasn’t officially started yet, but we’re already in full cornucopia mode. Just look at what’s on deck in our region during the coming week, spearheaded by an inspired edition of the Montco Jazz Festival. Then toss in A-listers like Bobby Watson and Pat Metheny, and local luminaries like Ruth Naomi Floyd. Get out there and hear something!
Spotlight: Montco Jazz Festival — Tuesday through Sept. 20, various locations
For its fifth anniversary edition, the Montco Jazz Festival has caught centennial fever, featuring a week’s worth of local artists in spirited tributes to jazz icons at 100. That includes Tony Bennett, who’ll be channeled by the young singer Lucas Beltran, in a free concert at the Montgomery Township Recreation Center (Wednesday). It also means Miles Davis, the focus of a show by trumpeter Josh Lawrence at Well Crafted Brewery in Ambler (Saturday).
Naturally there are tributes to John Coltrane, whose music will be reimagined by pianist Luke Carlos O’Reilly at Robinson Park in Cheltenham (Sept. 20); and Jimmy Heath, whose big band music will be tackled by Josh Lee and the Extended Family on Temple’s Ambler campus (Sept. 20). This also happens to be the 100th anniversary of The Criterions — aka The West Chester University Criterions Jazz Ensemble, the nation’s longest-running university jazz band. They’ll mark the occasion with a concert at Rivet: Canteen & Assembly in Pottstown (Wednesday).
The co-founder of the Montco Jazz Festival, and still its artistic director and driving force, is singer and songwriter Joanna Pascale. She’ll help kick things off with the Larry McKenna Jazz Orchestra, a repertory band devoted to her late mentor, in a free show at Whites Road Park in Lansdale (Tuesday). There’s a lot more on the festival lineup, much of it free of charge, so check the official website for more details.
Sept. 15 through 20, various venues, various ticket prices (many shows are free); tickets and information.
Jeff Kashiwa — Thursday and Friday, South Jazz Kitchen
Fans of smooth and contemporary jazz know saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa not only for his 1990s tenure with The Rippingtons but also because of his body of work since. The more devoted among them may even be familiar with Luminoso, the Brazilian-tinged album he released in 2024, featuring music of Joyce Moreno; it’s likely to inform this appearance on the Unscripted Jazz series at South.
Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., South Jazz Kitchen, 600 N Broad Street, $36-$48; tickets and information.
Bobby Watson Quartet — Friday and Saturday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
A robustly soulful alto saxophonist and bandleader who helped shape the sound of hard-bop from the 1970s on, Bobby Watson is still thinking about past, present and future — a point made implicitly by the title of his forthcoming album, Continuum. He’ll draw from that release here, leading a quartet with Jordan Williams on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass and Victor Jones on drums.
Sept. 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $30-$35, with dinner packages; tickets and information.
Pat Metheny and Side-Eye III+ — Saturday, Miller Theater
“World-building” is a phrase often affixed to prestige TV series or fantasy films, but it could just as easily apply to the musical output of Pat Metheny. As a guitarist and composer, his irreducible body of work is recognizable in an instant; that’s certainly true of Side-Eye III+, an album that augments his now-long-running Side-Eye trio, featuring keyboardist Chris Fishman and drummer Joe Dyson, with a few other collaborators. Catch them on this stop of a world tour.
Sept. 19 at 8 p.m., Miller Theater, 250 S Broad Street, $76-$180; tickets and information.
Ruth Naomi Floyd: Music for the Soul — Saturday and Sept. 20, South Jazz Kitchen
In her program “Music for the Soul,” Philadelphia-based composer Ruth Naomi Floyd sings spirit-forward music offered in tribute to Frederick Douglass, Marian Anderson, Octavius V. Catto and other heroes of African-American culture, including many who remain unsung. She has convened a special ensemble for the occasion, featuring saxophonist Craig Handy and pianist Aaron Graves.
Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., South Jazz Kitchen, 600 N Broad Street, $38; tickets and information.
