Music. Culture. Innovation.THE EDITORIAL COLLECTIONDallas Jazz · Community
Brass & Jazz in the Park Bridges Generations
A free West Dallas gathering will bring student musicians, working ensembles, and New Orleans brass traditions together on November 7. As the event honors Roy Hargrove, its lineup offers a view of how a local music scene carries its history forward. The afternoon concludes with a traditional Second Line led by Grand Marshal Michelle N. Gibson and the Big Easy Brass Band.
The story
A Dallas stage for jazz’s next conversation
Brass & Jazz in the Park returns to West Dallas on Saturday, November 7, 2026, with an afternoon built around live jazz, brass, dance, and a New Orleans second line. Presented by AT&T Performing Arts Center and The New Orleans Original BuckShop, the free event is scheduled for 1–4 p.m. at Mattie Nash-Myrtle Davis Park. Admission is free with RSVP, according to the organizer.
The 2026 program honors Roy Hargrove, the Dallas-raised trumpeter and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts graduate. The organizer frames the event as a tribute to the musical and cultural connections between Dallas and New Orleans. That framing gives this year’s lineup more than a commemorative purpose: it places young players, working bands, and culture bearers in the same public setting.
The published schedule starts with the Booker T. Washington HSPVA Jazz Band at 1 p.m., followed by Terence Bradford and Congo Square at 2 p.m. and The Thaddeus Ford Band at 3 p.m. At 3:45 p.m., Grand Marshal Michelle N. Gibson is set to lead a second line with the Big Easy Brass Band, Wild Apache Black Mardi Gras Indians, and BuckShop Kidz. The organizer says the festival grounds open at 12:30 p.m. and lists family art activities and Louisiana cuisine alongside the performances.
For artists, the story is the shared stage. A student ensemble appears on a bill with established performers and tradition bearers, while listeners can encounter the music without a ticket price. That is an editorial reading of the program, not a promise of career outcomes for anyone on it. For the wider Dallas music community, the gathering shows how a public event can connect education, live performance, neighborhood access, and cultural memory.
The event is listed for Mattie Nash-Myrtle Davis Park, 3710 N Hampton Rd, Dallas, TX 75212. Check the organizer’s page for the latest schedule and RSVP availability before traveling.