The spirit of jazz will come alive this autumn in the Hudson Valley from October 3 to 5 with the 2025 Hudson Jazz Festival, a weekend-long celebration of modern jazz, welcomed by the historic Hudson Hall.
The 2025 Hudson Jazz Festival, hosted by Keanna Faircloth, will spotlight rising artists such as the Julius Rodriguez Group, the Caity Gyorgy Quartet, and Joel Ross’ Good Vibes.
The Julius Rodriguez Group blends jazz, funk, gospel and R&B into a soulful and boundary-defying sound. Rodriguez has been called a “prodigy of jazz clubs” (New York Times) and his music “nothing short of mesmerizing” (WRTI). A New York native, Rodriguez is a rising star hailed as “a torchbearer among a cohort of young New York players bringing history into the future” (NPR). A GRAMMY-winning collaborator with legends like Roy Hargrove and Meshell Ndegeocello, Rodriguez will open the festival on Friday, October 3 at 7 p.m.
Canadian vocalist Caity Gyorgy, a two-time JUNO Award winner, brings a mix of vintage flair and modern energy to this year’s festival. Known for her pristine vocals, scatting, and retro-inspired originals, Gyorgy delivers a fresh take on the Great American Songbook. Her music nods to the golden age of jazz while adding a distinctly modern twist. She performs Saturday, October 4 at 7 p.m.
Vibraphonist and composer Joel Ross will close out the festival on Sunday, October 5 at 5 p.m., bringing the Good Vibes to Hudson Hall. A standout artist on the Blue Note label, Ross has quickly risen to prominence, earning accolades for playing that “erupts through the layers of lush arrangements like consistent currents of electricity.” (Downbeat). His latest release, nublues, offers a bold and modern take on the blues tradition.
… an intravenous injection of live music: even when the mainstage concerts were not happening, music wafted through the streets, and Hudson suddenly felt like the hippiest place in NY.
New York City Jazz Record
Beyond the mainstage performances at Hudson Hall, the festival’s reach extends across the city with Sounds Around Town.
The festival weekend kicks off with an after-hours dance party, led by genre-defying keyboardist BIGYUKI. A dynamic force in NYC’s music scene and collaborator with A Tribe Called Quest, Kamasi Washington, and Lauryn Hill, BIGYUKI blends jazz, soul, hip-hop, and electronica into a high-energy live set, setting the tone for an unforgettable weekend. The party will take place on Friday, October 3 at 9 p.m.
In an after hours homage, Hudson-based bassist, Tristen Jarvis explores the expressive power of the instrument- which can be the heartbeat, soul, and sometimes, the songwriter in a band- through spotlighting bassist-composers from jazz giants like Charles Mingus, Oscar Pettiford, and Scott LaFaro to electric innovators like Jaco Pastorius, Thundercat, and Paul McCartney. He also highlights today’s dynamic artists, including Endea Owens and Dezron Douglas. The performance will take place on Saturday, October 4 at 9 p.m.
Closing out the series on Sunday, October 5 at 2 p.m., The Gotham Kings turn The Caboose garden into an all ages New Orleans-style street party. Led by two-time GRAMMY nominee Alphonso Horne, the group draws from the early jazz of Louis Armstrong and the King Oliver Creole Jazz Band, bringing jazz history to life with rags, stomps, funk, hip hop, and lashings of Big Easy joy.
The 2025 Hudson Jazz Festival member presale tickets begin Friday, June 27 at 10 a.m., with general public on-sale tickets starting Tuesday, July 1 at 10 a.m.
For tickets and full festival details, visit the Hudson Hall website.
2025 Hudson Jazz Festival Lineup
Fri. Oct. 3- Julius Rodriguez Group- Hudson Hall mainstage
Fri. Oct. 3- HJF25 Opening Night Dance Party Feat. BIGYUKI- Second Ward Foundation
Sat. Oct. 4- Caity Gyorgy Quartet- Hudson Hall mainstage
Sat. Oct. 4- Tristen Jarvis: Deep Tones for Peace- Park Theater
Sun. Oct. 5- Joel Ross’ Good Vibes- Hudson Hall mainstage
Sun. Oct. 5- Alphonso Horne & The Gotham Kings- The Caboose
→ Continue reading at NYS Music
