Maxwell, Black Star, Erykah Badu, Dave Chapelle to appear at Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa Valley

Robert Glasper

Robert Glasper performs at the Frost Amphitheater in Palo Alto on July 15, 2021. Glasper curated the inaugural Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa Valley. Matt Pang/STAFF.

Maxwell, Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli (Black Star), and Thundercat will headline a new two-day jazz and soul music festival in the North Bay this summer.

The inaugural Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa Valley will take place on July 30 and 31 at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena. It’s the brainchild of musician Robert Glasper, who will be the festival’s artist-in-residence, performing with Erykah Badu, Ledisi, D Smoke, Terrace Martin and BJ the Chicago Kid, and with appearances by Dave Chapelle.

Also on the lineup are a who-who of artists: Maurice “Mobetta” Brown with Anderson .Paak, Flying Lotus, The Soul Rebels with GZA and Talib Kweli, Corinne Bailey Rae, Emily King, Keyon Harrold, Domi and JD Beck, Phony PPL, Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott), Derrick Hodge, Th1rt3en (Pharoahe Monch, Daru Jones and Marcus Machado), Butcher Brown, Isaiah Sharkey, and Frédéric Yonnet. Artists will sit-in on each other’s sets.



The festival originated with Glasper’s annual monthlong residence at the Blue Note New York called “Robtober,” Blue Note Entertainment Group President Steven Bensusan said in a news release. At this event he curates shows and collaborations of jazz, R&B, hip-hop, soul and comedy.

“It is our plan to create an outdoor festival style version of Robtober in the spirit of a traditional jazz festival featuring spontaneous collaborations and once in a lifetime improvised performances,” Bensusan said.

The performances will take place on three stages at the winery. Food will be offered by renowned local restaurants, and there will be wine tastings and other VIP add-ons. Additionally, there will be an afterparty on July 30 with performances by DJ Jazzy Jeff and and Erykah Badu (as DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown) and other guests.

Two-day passes cost $385 for general admission and $850 for VIP. They’re available now at the festival’s website.

Blue Note already hosts an annual jazz festival in New York in June, and will also host one in Miami Beach this year.

No Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *