Presented by The Hartford Jazz Society, the 59th Paul Brown Monday Night Jazz Series will be held in Bushnell Park for six consecutive Monday evenings beginning Monday, July 6 and concluding on Monday, August 10, 2026.
The series, honoring the late, great bassist and series founder, Paul Brown, is referenced in the Library of Congress as the “Oldest, free, continuously-run jazz festival in the United States.” Each year the Hartford Jazz Society presents a diverse program featuring musicians exhibiting the highest artistic excellence, many of whom are new to the Greater Hartford audience.
Each concert opens at 6PM, featuring a local musician or ensemble followed at 7:30PM by a headliner of regional, national, or international prominence. The Series includes the celebrations of Latin jazz, women in jazz, jazz for social justice and one or more “venerated elder” jazz artists.
All concerts are free and will be held at the Thomas D. Harris IV Pavilion at Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut. In case of rain, the concerts will be held at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church, 814 Asylum Ave, Hartford. All concerts will be broadcast live on WWUH radio at 91.3FM or WWUH.org. Rain date information is posted by noon on the day of the concert at www.hartfordjazzsociety.com.
2026 Paul Brown Monday Night Jazz Schedule:
- July 6th (Opening Night Celebrating our Venerated Elders): Thread City Jazz Trio w/ guest guitarist Steve Ohm with headliner: The Ed Cherry Organ Quartet
- July 13th (Celebrating Women in Jazz 1): Jen Allen and the ONE Project opening for headliner Endea Owens and the Cookout
- July 20th (Jazz and Social Justice Night): Earl MacDonald’s Black Square Ensemble with headliner: The Kojo Roney Experience
- July 27th (Latin Jazz Night): Emmanuel Rivera Latin Jazz Quintet opening for the Donald Vega Latin Jazz Quartet
- August 3rd (Celebrating Women in Jazz 2): Nairobi Mouning Trio and Friends with headliner: The Ethel Lee Ensemble
- August 10th (Contemporary Fusion/Smooth Jazz): Doug Jones Group and headliner: Ronald Lashley & Oneiki – Notes of Fusion
For more information, please visit https://hartfordjazzsociety.com/paul-brown-monday-night-jazz/
The 2026 Paul Brown Monday Night Jazz Series is sponsored by the following:
- Evelyn W. Preston Memorial Trust Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee
- Ensworth Charitable Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee
- Roberts Foundation for the Arts
- The Greater Hartford Arts Council
- Walton Bissell Foundation
- The Side Door Jazz Club
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- Hartford Jazz Society Members
The mission of the Hartford Jazz Society is to cultivate an appreciation of the sound, culture and love of jazz by presenting a variety of live events throughout the Greater Hartford community. Founded in 1960, The Hartford Jazz Society is the longest continuously operating jazz society in the country.
Photo by Caleb Oquendo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-trumpeter-during-a-concert-14364672/
