All-star benefit concert supports the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival and celebrates music as a force for community and connection

This January, Springfield audiences will have a rare opportunity to experience the heartbeat of New Orleans music while supporting one of the city’s most beloved cultural traditions. Take Me to the River: New Orleans, an all-star benefit concert for the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, comes to the Hope Center for the Arts on Friday, January 9, 2026.
Co-presented by Blues to Green and the Hope Center for the Arts, the concert is inspired by the award-winning documentary Take Me to the River: New Orleans, which explores the city’s deep musical heritage through cross-generational collaboration. On stage will be an extraordinary lineup of New Orleans artists, including Cyril Neville, Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr., Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, Omari Neville, Ian Neville, Robert Mercurio, Joe Ashlar, Brian Richburg Jr., and project director and filmmaker Martin Shore.
Blending funk, R&B, soul, brass-band fire, and Mardi Gras Indian tradition, the performance captures the communal energy that defines New Orleans music. Legendary artists perform side by side with the next generation, improvising across genres and generations in a way that feels both timeless and alive.
The concert also carries special meaning for Springfield. Saxophonist Charles Neville—of the famed Neville Brothers—spent his later years in Western Massachusetts and was deeply connected to the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival during its early growth. Charles Neville is featured prominently in the Take Me to the River film, and the participation of multiple members of the Neville family in this concert continues that legacy, honoring a musical lineage that bridges New Orleans and Springfield.
Proceeds from Take Me to the River: New Orleans directly support the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, which has brought world-class music, cultural celebration, and arts education to downtown Springfield for more than a decade—always free and open to the public. Produced by Blues to Green, the festival creates an inclusive, welcoming space that brings people from diverse cultural communities throughout the region together through music, art, and shared experience.
In addition to the concert, the Hope Center for the Arts will host a free public screening of Take Me to the River: New Orleans on Saturday, January 3 at 4 p.m., offering audiences a deeper look at the stories and collaborations behind the music.
Together, the film and concert form a celebration with purpose—one that honors cultural heritage, strengthens community, and helps ensure that Springfield’s signature summer festival remains free and accessible for years to come.
Take Me to the River: New Orleans takes place Friday, January 9, 2026 at 7 p.m. at the Hope Center for the Arts, 150 Bridge Street, Springfield. Tickets and information are available at hopecenterforthearts.org. ■