Norwalk to host first Horace Silver Jazz Festival on June 21

Norwalk will launch the first official Horace Silver Jazz Festival on June 21, 2026, at Factory Underground Studio as part of Make Music Day Norwalk. The free event will honor the Norwalk-born jazz legend with performances, education-focused programming, and an unveiling of a new portrait. Why it matters: - The festival gives Norwalk a new annual jazz event built around Horace Silver, one of the city’s most famous native sons and a major figure in American jazz. - The event ties local culture to Make Music Day and Father’s Day, adding a community and family-focused layer to the tribute. - The program highlights both jazz heritage and music education, with students, educators, and veteran performers sharing the same stage. What happened: - Factory Underground Studio will host the inaugural Horace Silver Jazz Festival on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at 1 p.m. at 16 Isaac Street in Norwalk, Connecticut. - The festival is presented as an official Make Music Day Norwalk event. - Admission is free and open to the public, but capacity is limited and tickets are available on Eventbrite. - Marc Alan of Factory Underground Studio is producing the event. - Horace Silver was raised near the festival site in Norwalk’s historic Wall Street neighborhood and graduated from Norwalk High School in 1947. The details: - JazzFC is supporting the festival along with funding and sponsorship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Connecticut Office of the Arts and the Norwalk Arts & Cultural Commission. - David’s Music Room, a private jazz instruction school led by David DeJesus, is also among the sponsors. - Mayor Barbara Smyth selected Marc Alan to serve as chairman of the Norwalk Arts & Cultural Commission. - The festival’s headliner is the Horace Silver Legacy Quintet, a group made up of musicians who worked directly with Silver. - The quintet includes Phil Bowler on bass, Vinnie Cutro on trumpet, Greg Wall on tenor saxophone, Mitch Schechter on piano and Steve Johns on drums. - Bowler and Cutro both performed and recorded with Silver. - Greg Wall, known as the Jazz Rabbi, is artistic director of JazzFC. - JazzFC is a Westport, Connecticut-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit. - NEA Jazz Master Horace Silver is best known for “Song for My Father,” one of jazz’s most recognizable compositions. - David DeJesus will perform with selected students from David’s Music Room to spotlight mentorship and music education. - The opening performance will come from the Fred Feeney Quintet and Special Guests. - Feeney is head of music for the Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts. - Lester G (Neddy) Smith and Friends are also scheduled to perform. - Smith is a professional musician, CEO/producer at NedGJean International Inc., bassist, recording artist, composer, songwriter, bandleader, educator, author and poet. - Smith has received The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and The President Volunteer Service Award. - Norwalk vocalists Bela Bardos will perform jazz standards with pianist Steve Sasloe. - Sasloe was formerly music director for Grammy Award-winning artist José Feliciano. - The closing set will feature drummer Joe Corsello and Friends. - Corsello is a Stamford native and retired police officer. - Corsello performed with Benny Goodman and maintained a decades-long musical partnership and friendship with Sonny Rollins. - His group includes Jim Mike Nunno on bass, Jim Olbrys on guitar and Jessie McGarty on vocals. - A new portrait of Horace Silver by Norwalk artist Robert Abriola will be unveiled during the event. - Abriola is a former EMI Records art director who worked on album projects involving members of The Beatles and other well-known recording artists. - Abriola also serves as president of the St. Philip Artists Guild and sits on the Norwalk Arts & Cultural Commission. - Food and beverages will be provided by the City of Norwalk Arts and Cultural Commission with support from the Department of Business Development and Tourism Department. Between the lines: - The event blends legacy acts with younger musicians, signaling a deliberate effort to turn the festival into both a tribute and a pipeline for jazz education. - The inclusion of artists with direct ties to Horace Silver gives the launch more historical weight than a typical local music festival. - The timing during America 250 observances adds a broader cultural frame to the celebration of jazz as an American art form. What’s next: - Organizers are positioning the festival as an annual event, which could make it a recurring fixture in Norwalk’s arts calendar. - The free admission model and limited capacity suggest demand could outpace available space if the festival gains traction. - Additional community involvement may follow as Make Music Day Norwalk and JazzFC continue building around the launch. The bottom line: - Norwalk is using Make Music Day to launch a hometown tribute to Horace Silver that mixes live jazz, education and local civic pride.