The New Jersey Blues & Jazz Festival | Oct. 3rd – 27th, 2013

State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ presents the New Jersey Blues & Jazz Festival, October 3-27, 2013. This year’s performances include Herbie Hancock (10/3/13), Rutgers Jazz Ensemble featuring Randy Brecker (10/8/13), Béla Fleck’s Banjo Summit (10/13/13), B.B. King with special guest The Robert Cray Band (10/18/13), and Bob James and David Sanborn (10/27/13). The festival is sponsored by The Karma Foundation.

“We’re very grateful to the Karma Foundation for their generous support of this program, which has allowed us to present this wonderful festival annually for the last seven years,” said Mark W. Jones, State Theatre President & CEO. “We are also delighted to have Conrad Herwig and the distinguished Rutgers Jazz Ensemble join our series for the first time.”

Festival Line-up

Herbie Hancock
Thurs., October 3, 2013 at 8 p.m.
A true icon of modern music, there are few artists in the music industry who have had more influence on acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B than Herbie Hancock. As a member of the Miles Davis Second Great Quintet, he became one of the pioneers of the 60s avant garde jazz sound. Over the years, Hancock has won 14 Grammy® Awards and an Academy Award® for his film score for Round Midnight. His songs include “Canteloupe Island,” “Maiden Voyage,” “Watermelon Man,” “Chameleon,” “I Thought It Was You,” and “Rockit.”
Tickets range from $35-85.

The Fifth Annual ‘Prof’ Fielder Memorial Concert
featuring Randy Brecker
presented by Rutgers Jazz Ensemble I
Conrad Herwig, director
Tue., October 8, 2013 at 8 p.m.
The Rutgers Jazz Ensemble joins this year’s New Jersey Blues & Jazz Festival line-up! The Rutgers Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Conrad Herwig, is the top student jazz ensemble at Mason Gross School of the Arts. Joining the ensemble is Grammy® Award-winning trumpeter Randy Brecker, best known for his work with Blood, Sweat and Tears; The Brecker Brothers; and Larry Coryell’s Eleventh House.
Tickets are $22.

Béla Fleck’s Banjo Summit
Sun., October 13, 2013 at 7 p.m.
Generally considered the most accomplished master of the banjo, Béla Fleck began making waves with a series of progressive banjo-centric recordings in the 1970s and as a member of the Newgrass Revival in the 1980s. As the leader of the genre-busting Béla Fleck and the Flecktones since 1989, he has used the banjo to define the band’s one of a kind fusion of jazz, rock, bluegrass, and world music. Fleck will be joined by fellow pickers Tony Trischka, Bill Keith, Richie Sterns, Eric Weissberg, and Noam Pikelny. In performances ranging from solos and duets to full-tilt banjo blowouts, the concert stage will range from the traditional backdrop of bluegrass and old-time country music to the more unconventional banjo genres including jazz, classical, and rock music.
Tickets range from $25-55.

B.B. King
with special guest The Robert Cray Band
Fri., October 18, 2013 at 8 p.m.
Hailed as the King of Blues, B.B. King is considered one of the most accomplished jazz musicians of all time. King has released over 60 albums, including the definitive live blues album Live At The Regal (1965), and his iconic collaboration with Bobby “Blue” Bland, Together For The First Time (1976). His hits include “The Thrill Is Gone,” “Three O’Clock Blues,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Please Love Me,” “You Upset Me Baby,” “Sweet Sixteen, Part I,” and “Don’t Answer The Door, Part I.”

Joining B.B. King on tour is special guest, The Robert Cray Band. Five-time Grammy® Award-winning Blues guitarist and singer Robert Cray is a consummate performer. He has written and played with blues luminaries ranging from Eric Clapton to Stevie Ray Vaughn, from Bonnie Raitt to John Lee Hooker. Recently inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame at the age of 57, he is one of the youngest living legends to receive the prestigious honor.
Tickets range from $35-95.

Bob James and David Sanborn
featuring Steve Gadd and Scott Colley
Sun., October 27, 2013 at 8 p.m.
Modern jazz titans Bob James and David Sanborn share the stage in what will surely be an amazing night of jazz at its best. In 1986, alto saxophonist David Sanborn and keyboardist Bob James released their collaborative hit album Double Vision, which sold over 1 million copies and won a Grammy® Award for “Best Jazz Fusion Performance.” The album included the hits “Maputo,” “Since I Fell For You,” “Moon Tune,” and “You Don’t Know Me.” Now, they join forces again for their second album, Quartette Humaine. James and Sanborn will be joined by drummer Steve Gadd and bassist Scott Colley.
Tickets range from $35-75.

For tickets or more information, call the State Theatre ticket office at 732-246-SHOW (7469), or visit us online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org. The State Theatre ticket office, located at 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; and at least three hours prior to curtain on performance dates unless otherwise specified. For information on group outings and discounts, call 732-247-7200, ext. 517. Some additional ticket and transaction fees may apply.

State Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. The theater exists to enrich people’s lives, contribute to a vital urban environment, and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education. The State Theatre’s programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. The Heldrich is the official hotel of the State Theatre. Magic 98.3 is the official radio station of the State Theatre. The Star-Ledger is the official newspaper of the State Theatre. United is the official airline of the State Theatre.

State Theatre
15 Livingston Ave.,
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Ticket Office – 732-246-SHOW (7469)
Online –