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, on Kean’s East Campus in Hillside. 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.

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.

Date: September 21, 2024

Time: 3:30pm

Location: The Lawn at Enlow Hall, 215 North Ave, Hillside, NJ 07205

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