Nathan-Paul and The Admirables will play Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. Cascade Plaza during the 2025 Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival
Nathan-Paul and The Admirables will play Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. Cascade Plaza during the 2025 Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival (Photo courtesy of the Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival)

This year’s 10th Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival kicks off Thursday, Sept. 4, and runs through Saturday, Sept. 6, in Akron.

Outside of headliner Kirk Whalum’s Saturday evening performance at the Knight Stage, all of the events are free and open to the public.

Multiple venues downtown and in Akron will play host to the festival, including Lock 3, Musica, BLU Jazz+, the Akron Art Museum, the Akron-Summit County Public Library downtown, the Mustill Store Stage and Cascade Plaza.

Thursday, Sept. 4

Pulse
5:30 p.m.
Akron Art Museum

JT’s Electrik Blackout
7 p.m.
Akron Art Museum

Ronell Regis’ Musical Testimonial
8:30 p.m.
BLU Jazz+

Garrett Folger’s Jam Session
10 p.m.
BLU Jazz+

Local act SmokeFace will play at 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6 at Musica during the 2025 Rubber City Jazz and Blues Fest.
Local act SmokeFace will play at 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at Musica during the 2025 Rubber City Jazz and Blues Fest. ( Courtesy of the University of Akron)

Friday, Sept.  5

Jon Lampley Free Masters Class
4 p.m.
Guzzetta Hall, 228 E. Buchtel Ave.

Barbara Rosene
5:30 p.m.
Akron Main Library

Kevin Robert Martinez’ Reclamation Band
7 p.m.
Akron Main Library

Jennifer James Trio
8 p.m.
BLU Jazz+

Theron Brown
9:30 p.m.
BLU Jazz+

Wave Magnetik
10:30 p.m.
Blu Jazz+

The Theron Brown Trio, featuring Jon Lampley, will perform Sept. 5 at 9:30 p.m. at BLU Jazz+ during the 2025 Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival.
The Theron Brown Trio, featuring Jon Lampley, will perform Sept. 5 at 9:30 p.m. at BLU Jazz+ during the 2025 Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival. (Photo courtesy of the Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival)

Saturday, Sept. 6

Rachel Osherow & The Hang
11 a.m.
Mustill Store Stage, 57 W. North St.

Tim Mirth Trio
12:30 p.m.
Mustill Store Stage

George DeLancey Sextet
2:30 p.m.
Cascade Plaza

The Michael Weber Show
3:15 p.m.
Akron Art Museum

Max Schlenk
3:45 p.m.
Cascade Plaza

Aaron Smith & RDAA
4:45 p.m.
Akron Art Museum

Norside
5 p.m.
Cascade Plaza

Jon Lampley & Night Service
6:15 p.m.
Akron Art Museum

Nathan Paul & The Admirables
6:30 p.m.
Cascade Plaza

The Michael Austin Project
7 p.m.
Lock 3

Bethany Joy
7 p.m.
Musica

Ashton Blake
8 p.m.
BLU Jazz+

Bobby Selvaggio’s Red Rhinoceros
8:15 p.m.
Musica

Kirk Whalum
8:30 p.m.
Lock 3
Tickets required

Sammy DeLeón
9:15 p.m.
BLU Jazz+

Smokeface
10 p.m.
Musica

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.