The Silver Spring Jazz Festival has announced the complete performance lineup for Saturday, Sept. 12, featuring two stages of live music from 3 to 10 p.m. at Veterans Plaza in downtown Silver Spring.
The festival is free and open to the public. It will feature a full day of jazz, funk, soul, and other musical styles, culminating in a performance by Grammy-nominated Cuban musician Cimafunk and his eight-piece band, La Tribu, at 8:30 p.m. on stage one.
The festival’s two-stage format allows performances to continue with little interruption as audiences view both stages consecutively and experience a variety of musical styles.
"The Silver Spring Jazz Festival is one of those great events where you can come downtown, hear outstanding music and spend the day with people from across our community," said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. "We’ve got an impressive lineup this year, from musicians with deep roots in our region to an international artist like Cimafunk. And I think it’s important that an event of this quality remains free and open to everyone. These are the kinds of public events that bring people together, introduce audiences to new music, and add to the energy that makes downtown Silver Spring such a unique place."
Schedule of Performances
- 3 p.m. Elijah Easton Trio (Second Stage)
- 3:30 p.m. Lil' Maceo (Stage One)
- 4:15 p.m. Alfred Yun (Second Stage)
- 5 p.m. The Paul Carr Quartet featuring Alison Crockett (Stage One)
- 5:50 p.m. Michael Hawkins and The Brotherhood (Second Stage)
- 7 p.m. Marcus Johnson (Stage One)
- 8:30 p.m. Cimafunk (Stage One)
Cimafunk
Grammy-nominated Cuban musician Cimafunk will headline the festival with La Tribu, his eight-piece band from Havana. His music fuses Cuban rhythms with funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz, and rhythm and blues. His name honors the Cimarrones, Cubans of African descent who resisted slavery. Cimafunk has performed at Coachella, Bonnaroo, Newport Jazz Festival, and NPR’s Tiny Desk.
Marcus Johnson
Silver Spring native Marcus Johnson has built a national reputation in contemporary jazz, with more than a dozen chart-topping albums. Johnson blends jazz, funk, rhythm and blues, and go-go influences into a smooth, groove-heavy sound. An entrepreneur, producer, and performer, he has been part of the Silver Spring Jazz Festival since its beginning.
Michael Hawkins and The Brotherhood
Bassist and bandleader Michael Hawkins is a respected voice in the Washington and Baltimore jazz communities, known for his deep pocket, warm tone, and compositional vision. His band brings a straight-ahead jazz tradition with a modern edge.
The Paul Carr Quartet Featuring Alison Crockett
Saxophonist Paul Carr is a mainstay of the Washington-area jazz community and the founder of the Jazz Academy of Music and the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival. The Paul Carr Quartet will perform straight-ahead jazz and songs honoring the legacy of John Coltrane. The performance will feature acclaimed vocalist Alison Crockett, whose soulful voice crosses jazz, soul, and rhythm and blues traditions.
Alfred Yun
Korean American jazz pianist and composer Alfred Yun brings a sound shaped by his upbringing in Korea and the United States. His compositions draw from jazz, hip-hop, K-pop, and traditional Korean music. Mr. Yun also has been selected as an artist-in-residence at the Music Center at Strathmore.
Lil’ Maceo
Lil' Maceo delivers old-school funk and rhythm and blues with contemporary jazz influences. He has shared stages with Prince, Cyndi Lauper, and Maceo Parker, and has performed throughout the country. His recent album is Closer.
Elijah Easton Trio
Tenor saxophonist Elijah Easton brings a hard-hitting sound honed on stages from the Kennedy Center to the White House. He has shared bandstands with Jon Batiste, Wynton Marsalis, and Benny Golson, and has performed in bands ranging from hard bop to future funk. His trio will bring improvisation, deep groove, and swing to jazz standards.
Those interested in entering the raffle for free VIP seating tickets can register on the Silver Spring Jazz Fest 2026 Eventbrite webpage.
Attendees are encouraged to use public transportation and bring blankets or low-back lawn chairs for seating. The festival is a short walk from the Silver Spring Metro Station on the Red Line.
The festival also will feature a brewery garden with yard games, comfortable seating, and festival food and beverages available for purchase from vendors and several breweries in the Silver Spring Arts & Entertainment District.
For more information about the Silver Spring Jazz Festival, including the complete lineup and event details, visit the Silver Spring Downtown website.