2024 Jazz & Roots Music Festival
Fast becoming a tradition in Union County and beyond, the Jazz & Roots Music Festival, produced by Kean and internationally acclaimed bassist/producer Mike Griot, offers professional jazz, blues and reggae in a beautiful outdoor setting on The Lawn at Enlow Hall. Parking is on the main campus of Kean University.
Previous festival artists have included Dianne Reeves, BLUES People, Judah Tribe, Big Funk featuring Don Braden & Karl Latham, Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience, JSWISS, Dave Stryker Quartet, and the legendary Casey Benjamin. Join us on Saturday, September 21, 2024 @ 3:30 p.m.
Third World
Third World is one of the longest-lived Reggae bands of all time and one of Jamaica's most consistently popular crossover acts among international audiences. Mixing in elements of R&B, funk, pop, and rock and, later on, dancehall and rap, Third World’s style has been described as "reggae-fusion."
The group has 9 Grammy nominations and a catalog of charted smash hits, including (Now That We Found Love, 96 Degrees in the Shade and Try Jah Love), spanning over four decades, sold-out tours, a vibrant and loyal fan base and inspirational messages. We invite you to the sites and sounds of the legendary Reggae Ambassadors, Third World!
Stefon Harris & Blackout
Educator, vibraphonist and composer Stefon Harris has been heralded as “one of the most important young artists in jazz” by The Los Angeles Times. A four-time GRAMMY™ nominee, he is a seven-time Best Mallet player by the Jazz Journalist Association, the recipient of Lincoln Center’s Martin E. Segal Award, Downbeat Critics Poll Winner for Vibraphone (2015, 2013) and 2014 Expanded Critic’s Poll for Vibes from Jazz Times. He won a 2014 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album for Wonder: The Songs of Stevie Wonder as a member of the SFJazz Collective.
Solomon Hicks
Solomon Hicks, aka King Solomon Hicks, the 28-year-old guitar phenom from Harlem, New York City [guitarist, vocalist, and composer] invested in music from a very young age and started playing guitar at six years old. Solomon won the 2021 Blues Music Awards for Best Emerging Artist for his 2020 CD release, Harlem on Provogue Records. The set, produced/recorded by multiple Grammy Award winner Kirk Yano (Miles Davis, Public Enemy, Mariah Carey), showcases Hicks as a writer, player and interpreter.
DJ Prince Hakim
Influenced by the sound of the '80s and today, Prince Hakim, son of Robert "Kool" Bell of "Kool & The Gang" has grown up around music and funk all his life. As a kid, Hakim would spend summers with music mogul Jermaine Dupri, who DJ’d in his garage, selling tickets for a dollar a pop. Prince Hakim has traveled from New York to Tokyo sharing his passion, and spreading his message to "Celebrate Life.” Hakim has DJ’d at a number of events including, the Bonnaroo Music Festival, Art Basel in Miami and some of the hottest clubs in New York.
Sponsorship
Become part of the festival by sponsoring it! All proceeds will benefit Kean Stage through the Kean University Foundation. In compliance with IRS regulations, gifts to this event are tax-deductible to the extent that the payment exceeds the fair market value of the cost of services purchased to conduct the event. Thank you to Prudential and Vermella for their contributions!
Preservation $25,000
Premier $15,000
Tailored Tier
If none of the sponsorship packages listed meet your needs or you have another idea for creating a sponsorship arrangement, we are happy to discuss it with you.
Please get in touch with the Kean University Foundation directly to discuss: events@keanfoundation.org or call (908) 206-7306
Festival Vendors
Meet the participating vendors for the Jazz and Roots Festival.
FOOD VENDORS
- Cool Runnings Cuisine
- Hadez Food Truck
- BelleJohns Soul Food LLC
- Cold Stone Creamery
- Big John's Gourmet Burgers LLC Owner
- Amara's Caribbean
- Kona Ice
- QSINA8
- Lila's Kitchen
- Grandma Emmas Corp
- Jus' Tacos
SERVICES VENDORS
- Holleewood Jewels
- Cathysweethavens
- BeYoutiful Creations LLC
- Healngo
- Nillias Flair
- Fast Track Fashions, LLC
- Nitjuan Designs
VENDORS APPLICATION
Apply to be part of the festival and have your product/services seen by a large audience!