Cool Jazz Blasted Through Hot Day at First NoMad Jazz Fest

Madison Square Park was hot under the midday sun, but the Sunday afternoon of the inaugural NoMad Jazz Festival on Aug. 10 was keeping things cool through the spontaneous brilliance of jazz improvisation.

The NoMad Jazz Festival was a free weekend-long exhibition designed to raise awareness of The Jazz Gallery, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and the Flatiron NoMad Alliance, the event’s organizers. While infusing the park with jazz sounds that are a remnant of New York City’s rich musical heritage and its ongoing vibrant cultural energy, the event drew an overflowing crowd of onlookers who made themselves comfortable despite the limited seating.

Madison Square Park, a hub near the 23rd Street stations on the N, W, and 6 trains, is usually where busybodies grab quick meals at fast-food eateries such as the Shake Shack along the strip. Yet, the allure of pulsing jazz sounds beguiled passersby, drawing them in even as the hot weather threatened to enervate the crowd.

The venue offered about 30 chairs, but as the sun set and the arrival of Ravi Coltrane and Brandee Younger approached, the crowd expanded considerably. Between 7 and 9pm, during the event’s final performance, hundreds of people plopped down on their own lawn chairs and blankets, settling on the dusty ground to soak in the day’s jazz.

The festival opened with the Caracas Trio, a joyful blend of Afro-Caribbean, Brazilian, and Latin American jazz influences led by pianist Gabriel Chakarji, vibraphonist Juan Diego Villalobos, and percussionist Daniel Prim. They were joined by tap dancer Melissa Almaguer.

The festival’s MC, Lezlie Harrison—vocalist, WBGO host, and Jazz Gallery founder—welcomed attendees warmly. In an interview, Harrison said the crowd seemed to be having a great time in perfect weather. She described the Jazz Gallery as the main jazz venue in NoMad for over a decade, contributing significantly to New York’s music scene over its 30 years.

The inaugural Jazz Fest was a yearlong planning process, involving coordination with the NoMad Conservancy, Madison Square Park Conservancy, community boards, and city agencies. Harrison praised the NoMad Alliance for its role in making the event possible, joking that “they ordered the weather up perfectly for the day.”

Beyond the music, the festival also brought people together for fundraising, with attendees purchasing handcrafted fans to support the Jazz Museum and local jazz programs. Vendors offered albums and memorabilia, adding to a grassroots sense of community and appreciation.

Shannon Silver, a NoMad resident, told Straus News that she “just happened to be walking by and saw the festival in here, so stopped in the park.” She added, ”It’s really nice that they’re doing something for the community to bring people together and get people out on a Sunday in the park.”

Janet Luhrs, the first executive director of The Jazz Gallery, and Rio Sakairi, artistic director of the festival, spoke about the communal feel of the event. Luhrs told the crowd that “This music is nothing without you.” She recalled the Jazz Gallery’s 30-year history and how artists like Lizz Wright got their start on its stage.

Luhrs gave thanks to major sponsors and recognized the Rainbow Sound crew, who worked late into the night setting up the festival for its second day.

Harrison introduced Latvian vocalist Arta Jēkabsone, an award-winning musician who studied at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music under Janet Lawson, Reggie Workman, Billy Harper, and Andy Milne.

Jēkabsone reflected on her experience, calling it “truly amazing from music, organizing, and audience perspective.” She described the festival atmosphere as “like an extended family gathering” full of encouragement, support, laughter, hugs, and uplifting energy. Jēkabsone said performing outdoors at the festival “almost felt like performing at The Jazz Gallery.”

She explained that Artistic Director Sakairi invited her to bring back her 2021 Jazz Gallery Commission project, “Searching for a Song,” which had not been played since its concerts in November 2021. The opportunity to reunite with nearly all the original band members felt like a dream come true.

Jēkabsone said the outdoor staging was “quite a big setup—with a lot of moving parts and some very fragile instruments that would probably be happier to be played indoors.” She praised the tech crew, Rainbow Sounds Company, for supporting them every step of the way and making sure they felt comfortable onstage and could hear everything clearly. It took about 45 minutes to set everything up before their set began.

Jēkabsone recalled a little adventure just minutes before starting. “One of the harp strings snapped due to the weather conditions. Our harpist had to replace the string mid-performance, but everything worked out, and we managed to navigate it smoothly.”

Rehearsals for the project had been challenging to schedule, but the musicians managed to gather a few times. Jēkabsone said it felt like “revisiting the music and remembering how it sounded, and just enjoying the moment of making music together again.” She called it “very special” to be back on stage with these musicians and reliving the process of composing the music in such a unique setting.