Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival
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bluestogreen.org The festival was inspired by Charles’ life of using music to overcome systemic racism and bring diverse people together. Festival Impact
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The Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival is a free, annual music & arts festival in the heart of downtown Springfield, MA, brought to you by Blues to Green, a small but mighty community-based nonprofit. The Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival is a program of Blues to Green, a nonprofit organization founded by Kristin Neville, wife of saxophonist Charles Neville of The Neville Brothers. Every August, the free festival offers:
o Music and culture of the African diaspora
o Jazz – modern, big band, New Orleans, & Afro-Cuban
o Blues, funk, soul, Latin, African, & world music
o National legends & local talent
o Local youth dance & theater troupes
o Arts & crafting activities for all ages
o Talks on music of the African diaspora & its connections with racial and climate justice
o Diverse local craft & food booths
The festival promotes arts access, social justice, environmentalism, & economic revitalization for Springfield. Free world-class music and family-friendly arts activities accessible to people of all incomes
2. Showcasing how Black and Latinx communities have shaped American music
3. Bringing together people of all ethnicities and backgrounds, urban and rural
4. Drawing visitors to enjoy Springfield and bring hundreds of thousands in economic stimulus
5. A platform for city artists, artisans, merchants, and nonprofits to reach thousands
6. Showcasing eco-friendly practices and programs
7. Developing Springfield into a thriving cultural hub of the Pioneer Valley
Inspired by the life and music of the legendary Charles Neville, the mission of Blues to Green is to utilize music and other arts to center the cultures of the African diaspora within American culture, nurture personal freedom, strengthen multicultural community, and catalyze action for racial and climate justice.
Tonight: Celebrate the 2026 NEA Jazz Masters! 🎶
Blues to Green is proud to celebrate this year’s honorees: Carmen Lundy, Airto Moreira, Patrice Rushen, and Rhonda Hamilton, recipient of the A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy.
Blues to Green Executive Director Kristin Neville was honored to serve on the panel that selected this year’s NEA Jazz Masters, helping recognize artists and advocates whose extraordinary contributions have shaped jazz and its legacy.
The NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert takes place tonight at 8 PM PT. Can’t watch live? The concert will be archived and available to watch afterward on the NEA website.
Watch live or later: https://www.arts.gov/honors/jazz
Congratulations to the 2026 NEA Jazz Masters!
09/10/2026
🏆Six-time GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist Lakecia 🎷Benjamin will headline the Northampton Jazz 💃🏽Festival performing her new album We Dream at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, MA,
🎫Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM💙💚
Lakecia Benjamin We Dream | Academy of Music Lakecia Benjamin We Dream Featuring Oscar Perez (Piano), Elias Bailey (Bass), and Jonathan Barber (drums) Six-time GRAMMY nominee Lakecia Benjamin is an al ...
💙Blues to Green 💚 sends
A huge THANK YOU to Mayor Domenic Sarno, Springfield Focus TV / WTCC 90.7, and No Sleep Productions for helping shine a light on the work of Blues to Green and the power of community!
Real change happens when we come together, show up, and lend a hand. 🙌🏽🌎
Now we’re calling on YOU: Get involved. Volunteer. Bring your energy, your ideas, and your heart. Every helping hand makes a difference!
💚 Blues to Green — turning community spirit into community action.
The 2026 Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival proved once again that music can connect generations, cultures, and communities. From the soulful power of the blues to the vibrant energy of jazz and roots, Springfield came alive with incredible talent, passionate audiences, and a shared love of music.
A huge congratulations to everyone who made this year’s festival a success—artists, organizers, volunteers, sponsors, and, most importantly, the community that showed up and showed out! 💚🎶
Blues to Green. Roots to future. Springfield to the world.
💙💚Blues to Green: A Journey Through Music, Culture, and Community
What a beautiful journey it is when music becomes a bridge between communities, cultures, and generations.
Our Blues to Green work is rooted in a bold, transformative mission: using the power of music, arts, and cultural connection to inspire healthier, stronger, more vibrant communities. It is visionary, courageous, inclusive, restorative, and deeply community-centered work—work that reminds us that culture can be a catalyst for connection and positive change.
Today, that mission takes us on a special journey with the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival, traveling to Rockport, Massachusetts, to hear and experience the extraordinary Cuban pianist Zahili Zamora.
There is something profoundly powerful about making the journey together—to listen, to learn, to experience another culture, and to allow music to expand our understanding of one another. Zahili Zamora’s artistry carries the rich spirit of Cuba while reaching across borders through rhythm, improvisation, history, and emotion.
This is what Blues to Green is all about: building bridges, opening hearts, celebrating cultural excellence, and creating transformative experiences through music.
From the blues to jazz, from Springfield to Rockport, from the roots of American music to the vibrant traditions of Cuba, we celebrate the beautiful truth that music connects us all.
The journey continues—and the mission grows stronger with every note.
Blues to Green & 2026 Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival would like to Thank Focus Springfield Community TV for their support and dedication to our music festival💙💚
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Court Square
Springfield, MA
01103