Chuck D, Rakim And Speech To Perform With Christian McBride At THE 11TH ANNUAL TD JAMES MOODY JAZZ FESTIVAL

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) welcomes Hip Hop icons Chuck D, Rakim and Speech to perform with jazz great Christian McBride at the 11th Annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival on Saturday, November 19 at 8 P.M.

For one unmissable night, NJPAC unites the leading voices in jazz, hip hop and poetry. The legendary lineup includes hip hop stars Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Chuck D (Public Enemy) Rakim (Paid in Full) and Speech (Arrested Development). They will join award-winning poets and spoken word performers Nikki Giovanni, Jessica Care Moore, Mayor Ras Baraka and The Last Poets (Abiodun Oyewole, Umar Bin Hassan, and Babadon Babatunde); saxophonist Javon Jackson and Musical Director (and NJPAC Jazz Advisor) Christian McBride; as well as young poets from NJPAC's City Verses program. Blaring horns and baring souls, these masterful artists exclaim their vision of justice, change, and joy.

This unique partnership between NJPAC and Rutgers University-Newark celebrates the rich historical connection between jazz and poetry, creates opportunities for public engagement, strengthens community ties through the arts, amplifies the authentic voices of the people of Greater Newark, and engages a new generation of poets, jazz musicians and teaching artists. This program is supported through NJPAC and Rutgers-Newark's City Verses: Elevating Voices through Jazz and Poetry initiative, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

This year's program offers events combining jazz luminaries in collaboration with artists known for R&B, poetry, hip hop, and so much more.

The festival kick-starts November 10th with two powerhouse concerts: one of the today's most creative forces in the contemporary jazz scene, Terence Blanchard, will be joined by his E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet for a special tribute to Wayne Shorter; and American Idol winner Fantasia pairs up with one of the best new voices in jazz, Jazzmeia Horn (2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition winner). Tickets are on-sale now at njpac.org

For the 11th consecutive year, the festival is sponsored by TD Bank, which has supported the event since its inauguration, ensuring that the event annually includes free community performances and educational events, as well as mainstage concerts showcasing jazz superstars. "We know that music brings people together, and jazz, in particular, has a way of dissolving boundaries," says Martin Melilli, Market President at TD Bank. "We believe in the power of the arts to connect us all, and we are proud to sponsor a Festival that offers everyone in New Jersey so many ways to find joy, community and inspiration." Below is a complete schedule, along with information about the performances.