Annual West Orange Jazzfest At OSPAC Set for October 7, 2023

2023 Annual West Orange JazzFest
Saturday, October 7, 2023
2:00-9:00 PM
Doors open at 1:30 PM

The Annual West Orange Jazz Festival is almost here! Saturday, October 7, 2-9 pm at the Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center located at 4 Boland Drive in West Orange New Jersey.

Jazz lovers!—jazz jazz and more jazz!
We welcome you to enjoy a day of world-class entertainment.

Meet Your Hosts: Greg Burrus and Lynette Sheard

Your hosts for the evening will be singer, actor and producer Lynette Sheard and Live Music Producer and Festival Curator Gregory Burrus of Gregory Burrus Productions.

Meet the Performers

Charisa—the Violin Diva, 8:15 PM

Charisa Rouse is a progressive in-demand violinist, vocalist & innovator. Charisa is “The Violin Diva". Her music is described as “The sweet lilt of a violin bow caressing its strings. The sparkle of a blues that reaches the rafters, and then trails down again in a melodious cascade of scat. This is “ Something you've never seen before, but you fall in love with in an instant. Charisa is Soul. Jazz. Rhythm and Blues, HipHop and more. Come early and stay late as Charisa and her band will be a very special performance that you don't want to miss..

Guitarist, Warren Battiste, 8 PM

A New Orleans legend, 98-year-old New Orleans native son and unsung hero in the annals of jazz, guitarist Warren Battiste. Selected as a Jazz All Star in 2000 by New Orleans Magazine. In 2000 received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Jazz by New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Ty Stephens & SoulJaazz, 7 PM

SoulJaazz led by Ty Stephens. a multi-talented urban-tinged adult-contemporary jazz, soul, R&B, and Broadway performer are going to knock you out! Ty Stephens and the SoulJaazz band have performed around the world, gaining international audiences together and separately have performed with a whos' who in the industry such as Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Billy Preston, Eddie Kendricks, Chuck Mangione, Nile Rogers, Hugh Masakela, Wayne Shorter, Jon Lucien, Harry Belafonte, Diane Reeves, the Temptations, Beyonce, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, LL Cool J, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Sting, Little Richard, Sam & Dave, Cindy Lauper, Roy Ayers, Merv Griffin, Pharoah Sanders, George Benson, Tito Puente and many more.

Leonieke Scheuble Generations of Jazz, 6 PM

Hot House Magazines “Best Up & Coming Young Artist" and International Woman in Jazz award winner, Leonieke Scheuble, brings her “Generations of Jazz Band" featuring legendary award winning musicians.Bill Crow at 98 has performed with Roy Haynes, Stan Getz's, Gil Evans, Marian McPartland, Gerry Mulligan, Zoot Sims, Dizzy Gillespie and more. Chuggy Carter has performed with Donny Hathaway and Patti Labelle at the Newport Jazz Festival. Ilya Lushtak on guitar and vocals has played with such greats as Hank Jones, Barry Harris, Cedar Walton, Jimmy Cobb & Frank Wess. Nick Scheuble has performed extensively in Europe, toured with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, has worked with Wynton Marsalis, Ray Barretto, Dave Valentin, Chico Mendoza, Peter Bernstein, Bill Crow, Vince Giordano, Mike LeDonne amongst others.

Nat Adderley, Jr. Quartet, 5 PM

Nat Adderley Jr, has a stellar history across Jazz, R&B and Broadway. In high school, he performed and wrote music for his father's (Cornetist Nat Adderley Sr.) group, the legendary Cannonball Adderley Quintet. Later he became a Grammy nominated pianist and longtime songwriter for Luther Vandross, In addition to his work with Vandross, Adderley has worked with several other notables as he has arranged the songs for Aretha Franklin's 1983 album, Jump To It, the string section for Doc Powell's Grammy nominated song “What's Going On" and Natalie Cole's song “When I Fall in Love." Adderley was also a keyboardist for R&B singer Valerie Simpson and has worked with Natalie Cole, Kirk Whalum, Johnny Gill, Regina Carter amongst others. Recordings of Adderley playing piano were used by playwright August Wilson for his play The Piano Lesson in 1990.

JD Warren & the Rudiment, 4 PM

This phenomenal band is making incredible waves on the international and local Jazz Scene. Drummer Jeremy Warren has performed before 90,000 fans in South America and performance / recording history includes notables Deanna Martin (Daughter of Dean Martin), Andy Milne, Lenny Pickett, John Scofield, Luis Bonilia, Antonio Hart,, Don Braden and many more. Vocalist Dermel Warren's beautiful voice is being recognized on the live music scene and has performed for Valerie Simpson, Yolanda Adams, The Manhattans, Shirley Brown, Bobby “Blue" Bland, Bobby Womack, Lenny Williams, Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, & Mint Condition plus more. Add in stellar musicians Gil Defay-trumpet, Ansy Defay-tenor sax, Joel Desroaches-piano, and Ben Rubens on bass, you know this is going to be hot!!!

Carlos Frias & Circulo Social, 3:15 PM

Having recently opened for Tito Puente, this Latin Jazz, World Music percussionist is a singer songwriter, visual artist, drummer and percussionist. In the music you can hear the heart of the Caribbean, peasant chant, the voice of those speaking against injustice accompanied by Afro Caribbean rhythms.

Mecadon McCune Trio, 2:30 PM

Proud to open our festival with 18-year-old “Jazz House" kid, and rising star who has been awarded the $10,000 James Moody Scholarship to study Jazz Performance at Montclair State University. McCune also performed in the Rising Stars opening act at the New Jersey Jazz Society's Jersey Jazz LIVE! concert in Madison, NJ. He will lead his trio with bassist Sam Konin, a Charles Mingus Electric Bass Award winner and Pianist James Bally a Westfield NJ Musical Club 2020 Scholarship Winner. Come early and catch this future of jazz performance.



This promises to be an unforgettable day of live music.
Please tell a friend and share our info. Come spend a great day with us.

There will also be a beer and wine garden, many food vendors, community tables and more. Free parking and indoor restrooms are available.

General admission: $10—bring your own lawn chair.
Premium seating: $20—includes a pre-set chair in the front of the stage.
Special group rates are available for groups of 10 or more.