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"Front Row Jazz — an independent visual media platform celebrating jazz culture, history, and legacy through photography, stories, and the moments that make this music timeless."

Front Row Jazz
Ravi Coltrane at Charlie Parker Jazz Festival — Shot by Eva Kapanadze for Front Row Jazz

Bird Still Sings: Charlie Parker Jazz Festival 2026

By Eva Kapanadze | Front Row Jazz  August 8, 2026

Every August, New York remembers how to listen. For one weekend, two parks become sanctuaries — Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park and the East Village's Tompkins Square Park — and the whole city seems to lean in. This year marked the 34th edition of the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, honoring one of the greatest musicians in jazz history, in the very streets where he once lived and played. Front Row Jazz was there for both closing days, and what we witnessed felt less like a concert series and more like a conversation stretching across generations.

Inside the Vanguard: James Brandon Lewis Quartet Brings Omni Home

Front Row Jazz was in the room on Sunday, July 5th — closing night, 8:00 PM show — as the James Brandon Lewis Quartet wrapped a historic run at the Village Vanguard. The band took the stage at the legendary basement club to present music from their new album, Omni, released on Intakt Records, and the set felt every bit like the celebration it was billed to be.

By Eva Kapanadze | Front Row Jazz  July 5, 2026

Saturday, August 15th marked Front Row Jazz's first time covering the Montclair Jazz Festival, and it did not disappoint. The day kicked off with Gotham Kings, led by Alphonso Horne, who opened the festival in true New Orleans fashion with a second-line parade down Bloomfield Avenue — instantly setting the tone for a day built on community and celebration.

Spirit & Soul of Jazz at the Montclair Jazz Festival

By Eva Kapanadze | Front Row Jazz  

Village Vanguard - James Brandon Lewis, Aruán Ortiz, Brad Jones, Chad Taylor.

Village Vanguard - Aruán Ortiz, James Brandon Lewis, Brad Jones, Chad Taylor | Photo © Eva Kapanadze |  Front Row Jazz 

Montclair Jazz Festival - The Gotham Kings led by trumpeter Alphonso Horne - Photo © Eva Kapanadze - Front Row Jazz

Jazz is more than a genre — it is a visual language of motion and rhythm, a living archive of human expression that transcends time and borders.

We celebrate the cultural impact of jazz across generations. Every frame is a testament to the moments that make this music timeless.

This is not just photography. This is jazz history, told one image at a time.

Joe Levano & Marilyn Crispell

Joe Lovano & Marilyn Chrispell  |  Photo © Eva Kapanadze  |  Front Row Jazz 

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