JazzBuffalo Poll Winners Highlight Festival
One of the most meaningful parts of the Buffalo Jazz Festival is that it’s truly built by and for the community. This year, the festival is proud to feature a lineup filled with JazzBuffalo Poll Winners—the artists who our community has voted as their favorites in categories that celebrate talent, creativity, and contribution to the jazz we all love.
On Sunday, August 31, we’ll welcome an extraordinary group of performers and JazzBuffalo Poll Winners to Ellicott Street, each of whom represents the best of Buffalo’s thriving jazz community:
- Rising Star: Vanessa Vacanti – a gifted and emerging vocalist whose artistry has captured hearts and put her on the path as one of Buffalo’s brightest jazz voices.
- Piano: Ian Liedke– a vibrant pianist emerging as one of our most versatile and creative performers..
- Drums: Abdul-Rahman Qadir – a powerhouse behind the kit, bringing both rhythm and energy to every performance.
- Electric Bass: Nate Kalnitz – fast emerging as one of the region’s most visible and innovative jazz bassists.
- Jazz Artist of the Year: Abdul-Rahman Qadir – a performer, educator, and mentor whose presence in the community has elevated jazz in Buffalo for numerous years.
- Large Jazz Ensemble: My Cousin Toné – a favorite large jazz ensemble bringing the joy of the Great American Songbook to the community with an 8-piece ensemble plus vocalist Katy Carr.
- Latin Jazz Band: Wendell Rivera’s Latin Jazz Ensemble – a dynamic, high-energy group that brings Salsa and Latin Jazz rhythms and joy to the stage.
What makes this year’s Buffalo Jazz Festival so special is that it reflects the voices of the community. The JazzBuffalo Poll has been a decade-long way for fans to recognize and uplift the musicians who bring jazz to life in our city. By featuring these winners, the festival becomes more than just a gathering—it becomes a true celebration of the artists that Buffalo audiences know, love, and want the world to hear.
(Paul Hage & Mirage have been consistently nominated in the JazzBuffalo Poll in the Jazz World category for their unique brand of Mediterranean Jazz.)
(My Cousin Toné and Wendell Rivera Latin Jazz Ensemble features previous nominees and winners in the annual JazzBuffalo Poll, also!)
The Buffalo Jazz Festival is about civic pride, renewal, and putting our city’s identity on the map as a destination for jazz. And when our community’s favorites take the stage, it reminds us that this music belongs to all of us. Together, we’re shaping the story of Buffalo jazz for years to come.
