The 2026 Festival Schedule
WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE FREE CONCERT HELD ON THE COURTHOUSE STEPS IS SCHEDULDED FOR SATURDAY 10AM - 3PM. Bring your picnic, family and friends!
PLUS! 2 new venues: Friday Back Room Session to be held at The Interstellar Beer and Wine Lounge and Sunday Ciao, Jazz! at Pasta Cafe. We will miss our long time partner, Peppers Jazz on the Patio!!
Tickets for our smaller/more intimate venues tend to sell out fast. Don't despair yet, though! Call 254-592-1462 to be put on a waiting list. You will be contacted in order of listing if tickets become available for purchase due to cancellations. Our Premium & Weekender ticket deals will no longer be available if more than two venues sell out.
2026 OFFICIAL ROSWELL JAZZ FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
* denotes leader (subject to change)
Wednesday October 21
OPENING NIGHT!
Stellar Coffee Co. (ONLY 6 TICKETS LEFT)
315 N. Main 575 623-3711
'Acoustic Blues Opener with Yve Evans'
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tickets $50
Thursday October 22
Pueblo Auditorium
RISD Administration Bldg, 300 N Kentucky Ave.
School of Jazz: a program for students. The public is invited.
9:30-10:15. In the Beginning
Barrett*, Dendle, Francis, Jones, Malichi, Rubio, Vaché
10:30-11:00. The Hot Club
Raniolo*, Chevalier, Simon
11:15-12:00. It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't got that Swing
*Simon, Allen, Allred, Coots, Heitger, Redd, Robinson, Wanner
Reischman Memorial Park
308 N. Main
'Live Al Fresco' (Free Admission)
Five, 45 minute sets: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Set I: Piper’s Trio
Featuring: Piper,* Flanigan, Metz
Set II: Yve and Co.
Featuring: Evans,* Silva, Malichi
Set III: The Hot Club
Featuring: Raniolo,* Chevalier, Simon
Set IV: Down By the Riverside Jones,*
Featuring: Arntzen, Coots, Barrett, Rubio, Dendle, Francis
Set V: Blame It on the Bossa
Redd,* Unsworth, Metz, Allen, Francis, Raniolo
Pecos Flavors Winery and Bistro (ONLY 5 PREMIUM TICKETS LEFT)
412 W Second 575 627-6265
'Wine, Dine & Jazz'
6:00 -10:00 p.m. Tickets $50
**Six, 35 minute sets!**
5:30 - 5:55 Opener Wanner
Set I: The Hot Club
Raniolo,* Chevalier, Simon
Set II: Two Gentlemen Of Jazz
Sportiello* & Allen*
Set III: Duke and Friends
Arntzen, Heitger,* Unsworth, Metz, Wanner, Yve Evans (voc)
Set IV: The Allan Vaché Seven
Vaché,* Silva, Jones, Allred, Malichi, Dendle, Francis
Set V: Big Redd
Redd,* Tobias, Allred, Metz, Robinson, Sportiello, Flanigan
Set VI: Way Down South
Heitger, Vaché,* Piper, Coots, Barrett, Dendle, Rubio
Friday October 23
Reischman Memorial Park
308 N. Main
'Live Al Fresco' (Free Admission)
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Six, 40 minute sets!
Set I: Young Lions of Jazz
Waturu Nimori* andhis NMM I Jazz Band
Set II: Lunchtime Swing
Robinson, Flanigan, Piper, Coots, Redd, Heitger*
Set III: Bones & Brass
Allred,* Barrett, Heitger, Rubio, Piper, Coots
Set IV: Swingin’ with Arntzen
Arntzen,* Simon, Sportiello, Chevalier, Metz , Allred
Set V: Yve and Co.
Evans,* Silva, Malichi
The Interstellar Beer & Wine Lounge
Our first year at this exciting speak-easy style venue, next to The Liberty
315 N Main 575 623-3711
'The Back Room Session'
5:00 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. FREE
Raniolo*, Chevalier, Simon
The Liberty
312 N. Virginia (575) 627-2121
'TGIF Jazz!'
6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Tickets $40
5:30 - 5:50 Opener Wanner
Set I: Swing That Music
Tobias*, Barrett, Allen, Wanner, Metz, Silva
Set II: Cookin’ with Hillary
Smith*, Sportiello, Robinson Simon, Malichi
Set III: Blue Redd
Redd*, Coots, Unsworth, Wanner, Tobias, Arntzen
Set IV: Yve Evans Trio
Evans*, Malichi, Flanigan
Set V: In Good Company
Allred, Rubio, Vaché, Francis, Dendle,* Jones
Saturday October 24
Roswell Jazz Festival on Courthouse Lawn
400 Block N. Main (Free Admission)
10:00 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Savor the beautiful day with this free outdoor event for the whole family and all of your friends!
Set 1: 10am-10:45am, Do You Know What it Means? Heitger,* Barrett, Arntzen, Coots, Piper, Rubio, Dendle. Set 2: 11am – 11:45am, Redd is Blue Redd,* Wanner, Tobias. Silva, Coots, Robinson. Set 3: 12pm – 12:45pm, French Kiss Chevalier *, Raniolo, Flanigan. Set 4: 1pm – 1:45pm, RJF In Good Company Dendle,* Francis, Malichi, Rubio, Jones, Allred, Vaché, Otero (voc)
Set 5: 2pm – 3pm, Courthouse Blues Tobias, Allen, Smith Flanigan, Metz, Sportiello, Redd*
Artesia: Ocotillo Performing Arts Center
310 W Main St. - Free Admission
5:00-6:30 pm. Jazz in the Streets
Dendle*, Edmunds, Francis, Gordon, Mutnick, Otero, Rubio
Pecos Flavors Winery and Bistro Brunch (Sells out early)
412 W Second 575 627-6265
'Jazz For Brunch'
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Tickets $45 (brunch not included)
Pecos Flavors is offering a brunch buffet for ticket-holders only for a special price. Doors for ticket-holders open at TBA
9:30 - 9:50 Opener Wanner
Set I: The Cool Cats
Vaché, Malichi, Wanner, Barrett,* Robinson, Silva
Set II: The Hot Club
Raniolo,* Chevalier, Simon
Set III: Expresso Express
Coots*, Piper, Allen, Unsworth
Set IV: Swingin' at theWinery
Arntzen, Flanigan, Sportiello*, Metz, Evans (voc)
Bone Springs: Jammin' with Special Friends
Set I: Rossano Sportiello, 2026 Guest of Honor
The Liberty
312 N. Virginia (575) 627-2121
'Saturday Night Jazz Main Event'
6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Tickets $40
5:30 - 5:50 Opener Wanner
Set I: Guest of Honor Presentation
Set II: Great Scott
Robinson,* Smith, Tobias, Barrett, Malichi, Flanigan, Wanner, Raniolo
Set III: Two Gentlemen of Jazz
Sportiello* and Allen*
Set IV: Swing That Music
Heitger,* Sportiello, Raniolo, Arntzen, Silva, Metz, Evans (voc)
Set V: At the Keys
Evans, Piper, Wanner, Sportiello
Set VI: RJF In Good Company
Dendle,* Francis, Rubio, Allred, Otero, Jones, Vaché, Malichi
Sunday October 25
First United Methodist Church
200 N Pennsylvania (575) 622-1881
' Worship in Jazz' (Free Admission)
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Evans, Francis, Barrett,* Redd, Edmunds, Jones, Coots, Unsworth
Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art
409 E College (575) 623-5000
'The RJF 2026 Grand Finale!'
Tickets $35
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Set I: Présentation des Trois
Rainolo, Allen, Chevalier*
Set II: Good Vibrations
Redd*, Raniolo, Coots, Unsworth
Set III: Yve and Co.
Evans*, Unsworth, Malichi
Set IV: ll Maestro
Rossano Sportiello
Pasta Café
(will most likely sell out early)
Our first year at this cozy Italian venue for the final concert of the 2026 Festival
1208 N Main (575) 624-1111
'Ciao, Jazz!'
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Tickets $10
Set I: Stéphane Grappelli Tribute
Chevalier*, Raniolo, Redd (d), Unsworth
Set II: RJF Closer
Redd, Sportiello, Jones, Allen, Barrett, Francis, Raniolo, Chevalier, Unsworth, Malichi*