NoMad Jazz Festival in Madison Square Park
By Eva Kapanadze | Front Row Jazz | August 8,2026
Front Row Jazz was at Madison Square Park on Saturday, August 8th, for the closing day of the NoMad Jazz Festival. There'd been talk the day before of postponing the late show due to weather concerns — but thank you, Mother Nature, because Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day, and the crowd got to witness the full mainstage lineup exactly as planned.
Godwin Louis
Saxophonist Godwin Louis opened the main stage, kicking the day off with a set that set an early, high bar for everything that followed.
Yuhan Su Quartet
Yuhan Su – vibraphone & compositions Caleb Wheeler Curtis – saxophone Luke Stewart – bass Adam Cruz – drums
Su's quartet brought a shimmering, exploratory energy to the early afternoon, with Curtis's saxophone and Su's vibraphone weaving lines over a rhythm section that never sat still — Stewart and Cruz kept things moving without ever overpowering the group's more delicate textures.
Jaleel Shaw with special guest Camille Thurman
The afternoon opened with saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, joined by special guest Camille Thurman for a set that set the tone for the rest of the day — sharp, soulful, and full of the kind of tenor-and-alto interplay that makes a two-horn front line feel like a conversation.
George Cables Trio
George Cables – piano Alex Claffey – bass Jerome Jennings – drums
A festival mainstay and one of the great living voices on piano, Cables led his trio through a set built on taste and touch as much as technique — a masterclass in how much a trio can say with space.
The Jazz Gallery All-Stars featuring Renée Neufville
Closing out the mainstage, The Jazz Gallery All-Stars brought together a stacked lineup of veterans and rising voices:
Miguel Zenón – alto saxophone Nicole Glover – tenor saxophone Skylar Tang – trumpet Simon Moullier – vibraphone Charles Altura – guitar Ryoma Takenaga – bass Kendrick Scott – drums Dabin Ryu – piano and NoMad Jazz Festival alum Renée Neufville – vocals
With a front line this deep, the All-Stars set played like a showcase of where the music is headed — Zenón and Glover trading fire up top, Moullier and Altura filling in unexpected colors, and Neufville's vocals grounding it all with warmth. Kendrick Scott and Ryoma Takenaga anchored the whole thing, giving everyone room to stretch without ever losing the pocket.
It wasn't all about the main stage, either. The festival kept a full family and community area running throughout the day, with a kids' play zone offering building blocks and face painting, plus a Cornhole setup for the grown-ups.
Between sets, the park felt less like a concert and more like a neighborhood block party with a world-class house band.
By the time the last note rang out over the park, it was clear the postponement talk had been the only wrong call of the weekend. Free, outdoors, and stacked top to bottom — the NoMad Jazz Festival closed its 2026 run exactly the way a jazz festival should.
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