NEWARK, NJ (For Release 06.22.26) – As part of the 15th annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival, GRAMMY® Award-winning trumpeter, pianist, composer, and producer Nicholas Payton makes his NJPAC debut on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 8:00 p.m., in a highly anticipated performance with special guest pianist Jon Batiste. A native of New Orleans, Payton premieres Louis Armstrong at 125: A New Orleans Celebration—a one-night only concert curated exclusively for the Moody Festival. Joining Payton and Batiste are fellow New Orleans luminaries: bassist Reginald Veal, and drummer Herlin Riley, alongside a seven-piece horn section. Conceived in honor of the 125th birthday of the incomparable Louis Armstrong (1901-1971), the program revisits Armstrong classics and experiences new works inspired by his enduring legacy. Armstrong’s genius transformed American music and helped introduce the spirit of New Orleans to the world.
As a leading voice in American popular music, the GRAMMY® Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, producer, arranger, essayist and social activist defies musical and artistic categories. A New Orleans native and one of the most original creative voices of his generation, Nicholas Payton has built a singular body of work across the spectrum of Black American Music (BAM). As The Chicago Tribune reported, “No descriptive label or category could be affixed to Payton's solos, which were as brashly original as they were technically imposing.” According to NPR, “Payton's genius virtuosity captivated both faithful fans and anyone in the NPR crowd just discovering his music for the first time.”
The seven-time GRAMMY®, Academy and Emmy Award-winning singer, songwriter, composer and pianist Jon Batiste is renowned for his genre-defying approach to music and his commitment to inclusivity and cultural exploration. Born and raised in New Orleans, where his family had deep roots in the city’s jazz community, Jon Batiste was playing drums with the Batiste Brothers Band at age 8, and, after switching to piano as his main instrument, released his debut album Times in New Orleans at 17. He gained widespread fame as the bandleader for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015-2022) and won an Academy Award for co-composing the Pixar film Soul.
With an illustrious career spanning over 40 years, Reginald Veal is one of the living legends of the jazz bass world. Hailing from New Orleans, he has worked with numerous incredible artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Ahmad Jamal, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Ellis Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Cassandra Wilson, Brandford Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., Dianne Reeves, and more. Reginald is the original bassist for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
Drummer Herlin Riley, born into a New Orleans family with a deep line of drummers, emerged in the late ’70s and early ‘80s to anchor the bands of pianist Ahmad Jamal and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis with his commanding, elegant rhythmic presence — a style rooted in the Crescent City’s rich musical soil. Now at the top of his game, he continues to innovate within the New Orleans drumming tradition.
Louis Armstrong: at 125: A New Orleans Celebration is part of the 15th annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival taking place in Newark, New Jersey, from November 6-22, 2026. For the complete Festival line-up, please visit NJPAC.org/moody.
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About NJPAC
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is an anchor cultural institution for both the city of Newark and the state of New Jersey. It is an artistic, cultural, educational and civic center where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings communities together both on and off our campus – on stages, in schools and community settings – providing access to the arts for all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists, while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Social Impact programs, NJPAC leverages the arts to advance positive outcomes in education, health and well-being, civic engagement and community development. NJPAC has attracted more than 12.7 million visitors (including more than two million children) since opening its doors in 1997. Learn more at njpac.org.
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