NEWSLETTER
From jazz and spoken word to rock 'n' roll, R&B, and hip-hop, Black music is a global language and innovation. Rooted in soul, rhythm, storytelling, resistance, and joy, it has shaped how people celebrate, express love, build identity and community, and imagine freedom.
June is Black Music Month, a time to honor the artists, sounds, and culture that have shaped generations and New York State’s soundscape. From Harlem, Queens, and the Bronx to Buffalo, Rochester, and Long Island, experience the cultural landmarks, festivals, museums, and theaters that continue to preserve and celebrate this legacy.
Jazz Clubs, Museums, & Events in New York State
Jazz stands as a cornerstone of American history, a Black musical tradition rooted in freedom and feeling. Almost every major jazz style of the past seventy years has been launched in New York, a legacy that thrives everywhere from New York City's historic clubs and museums to the vibrant jazz communities and festivals of Buffalo and Rochester.
CLUBS:
Blue Note (Manhattan - NYC)
Credit: @sawadamasaharu on Instagram
Catch a performance at Manhattan's legendary Blue Note. Since 1981, this Greenwich Village intimate venue has been one of the world’s premier jazz clubs.
Birdland (Manhattan - NYC)
Dubbed the "Jazz Corner of the World," Birdland offers top-tier jazz, weekly variety shows, a full Italian dining menu, and drinks across two intimate performance spaces.
Pausa Art House & Jazz Club (Buffalo - Greater Niagara)
Pausa was created with the mission to create an intimate art space hosting high-quality musicians spanning all genres from jazz and Americana to rhythm and blues, world music, classical, and Latin music.
MUSEUMS:
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem (Manhattan - NYC)
The museum preserves and presents jazz history, with Harlem positioned as a central place in the story of jazz culture. Explore it all and more through an extensive collection that features more than 100 hours of live radio broadcasts from 1935-1941, never-before-heard concert recordings from the legendary Benny Carter, and an exhibit dedicated to Sonny Allen’s Savoy Memories.
Louis Armstrong House Museum (Queens - NYC)
Visit the home where jazz legend Louis Armstrong lived and died, now a tribute to his life and legacy. The home remains furnished as it was when Louis and his wife Lucille lived there, offering viewers a peek into the intimate life of the couple, while its collection pays tribute to his public accomplishments and contributions to the world of jazz.
Colored Musicians Club and Jazz Museum (Buffalo - Greater Niagara)
Nestled in Buffalo’s historic Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor is the only continuously running all-Black-owned music venue in America, The Colored Musicians Club. The club has hosted some of jazz’s greatest, like Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Ella Fitzgerald. Experience the iconic venue for yourself (when it reopens from its current expansion project) at their Sunday night jazz series or at the club’s jazz history museum.
EVENTS:
Saratoga Jazz Festival (June 27-28 | Saratoga Springs - Capital-Saratoga)
A signature summer event at Saratoga Performing Arts Center that celebrates jazz and its influence on soul, funk, blues, R&B, roots, and more through a major outdoor festival experience. Ticket prices vary
Rochester International Jazz Festival (June 19-27 | Rochester - Finger Lakes)
One of the largest jazz festivals in America (and the largest in New York State), each June Rochester transforms into a walkable celebration of world-class live music. Over nine days, more than 1,750 artists perform in 300+ concerts across 19 venues, from iconic concert halls and intimate clubs to free outdoor stages. Ticket prices vary
Pine Grill Jazz Reunion (August 2 & 9 | Buffalo - Greater Niagara)
Since the early 1990s, the African American Cultural Center has hosted this beloved summer tradition, gathering generations for two weekends of live music, community connection, and cultural celebration in Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Buffalo's East Side. Free admission
Clarissa Street Reunion (August 15 | Rochester - Finger Lakes)
Clarissa Street was once a vital Black cultural and business corridor in Rochester's historic Third Ward. The reunion celebrates a neighborhood known for producing renowned jazz musicians in the 1940's, 1950's, and 1960's and is a wonderful celebration of the memories and the relationships that were formed there. Free admission
The History of The Harlem Renaissance
During the 1920s and 1930s, the Harlem Renaissance established Harlem as an epicenter of Black creativity. Musicians, writers, and thinkers turned the neighborhood into a vibrant stage for bold ideas and cultural expression. Today, Harlem remains the ultimate destination to experience this legacy. Its iconic theaters, archives, museums, and events connect visitors to the enduring energy of Black cultural excellence.
VENUES:
The Apollo Theater (Manhattan - NYC)
The Apollo Theater is a legendary Harlem landmark and one of the most influential stages in Black music and entertainment history. For generations, it has helped launch and celebrate iconic artists, including Stevie Wonder, James Brown, and Billie Holiday, showcasing the world’s best jazz, soul, R&B, hip-hop, comedy, and spoken word.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (Manhattan - NYC)
Explore exhibits and dive into a rich digital collection of exhibitions, books, articles, photographs, audio and video streams that provide a better understanding of the Black community and history.
The Studio Museum in Harlem (Manhattan - NYC)
Experience Black history and art at the Studio Museum in Harlem, a hub for artists of African descent locally, nationally, and internationally and for work that has been inspired by Black culture.
Harlem Renaissance Multimedia Walking Tour (Manhattan - NYC)
Embark on a walking tour that will immerse you in the Harlem Renaissance through the places, figures, and stories connected to the cultural movement.
The Voice, Rhythm, and Power of the Black Arts Movement
Spoken word distills the power of Black storytelling into performance, rhythm, and social commentary. In New York, the craft is closely connected to the energy of jazz, the creativity of the Harlem Renaissance, and the urgency of social change. By the 1960s, the Black Arts Movement strengthened this art form through theater, poetry, music, and community-centered art. Today, spoken word is a way to claim identity, challenge injustice, and transform everyday experience into cultural expression.
SPOKEN WORD EVENTS & SITES:
poetry me, please presents: Bet On Yourself SLAM (June 6 | Manhattan - NYC)
Photo courtesy of Cafari Reid
A Live Poetry Slam Competition bringing poets and audiences together for performance, competition, music, food, and community. Ticket prices vary
National Black Theatre (Manhattan - NYC)
Founded by Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, the National Black Theatre is a historic Harlem institution dedicated to Black theatrical expression, storytelling, performance, education, and cultural self-definition.
Gil Scott-Heron Amphitheater (The Bronx - NYC)
Located in St. Mary's Park, this amphitheater honors Gil Scott-Heron, often called the grandfather of hip-hop. His work connected spoken word, jazz, soul, and political commentary, helping shape the sound and message of socially conscious music.
Rico Gatson’s “Beacons” Mosaic Installation (The Bronx - NYC)
“Beacons” is a public art installation housed in the 167 St station. The sourced portrait photographs turned into glass mosaic connect everyday travel spaces to Black cultural memory.
The Pulse of Black Music Culture: R&B and Hip-Hop
R&B and hip-hop carry forward the rhythm, innovation, and storytelling at the heart of Black music. These sounds shaped neighborhoods, influenced fashion and language, and helped define global pop culture.
Nurtured from blues, gospel, jazz and soul, R&B showcases smooth styles of Black emotion, vocal power, and love songs. Hip-hop grew from neighborhood creativity in the Bronx, where DJs, MCs, dancers, and artists turned block parties into a new cultural movement. Across New York State, R&B and hip-hop continue to strengthen the pulse of Black Music Culture.
EVENTS:
The Rochester R&B Festival (September 5 | Rochester - Finger Lakes)
The Rochester R&B Festival offers a current music-centered experience that brings major R&B and hip-hop artists to Blue Cross Arena. The festival highlights Rochester’s place in New York State’s ongoing Black music landscape and celebrates the lasting influence of R&B on contemporary culture. Ticket prices vary
Rock The Bells Festival (August 15 | Elmont - Long Island)
Rock The Bells is a major hip-hop celebration honoring the culture, legacy, and evolution of rap music through legendary artists, live performances, DJs, and fans. Ticket prices vary
VENUES:
Palace Theatre (Albany - Capital-Saratoga)
The historic Palace Theatre in Albany is in the heart of New York’s Capital Region. The landmark venue brings audiences together for concerts, cultural performances, comedy, film, and community events.
The Westcott Theater (Syracuse - Finger Lakes)
Photo courtesy of Westcott Theatre
The Westcott Theater is a live music venue in Syracuse that hosts a wide range of concerts and cultural events, including R&B, hip-hop, themed nights, tribute shows, and community-centered programming.
The Hip Hop Museum (Bronx - NYC)
Dubbing itself “The Official Record of Hip Hop,” this museum is in the heart of the birthplace of the cultural movement, and their collection spans 30,000 objects.
1520 Sedgwick Avenue / Hip Hop Boulevard (The Bronx - NYC)
At an intersection in the Bronx, inner-city kids started a movement that would change the world. The 1520 Community Center (located at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue) is not only an official Historical Landmark, but as far as the Hip Hop community is concerned, the sacred ground that is the birthplace of Hip Hop.
Hush Hip Hop Tours (Manhattan - NYC)
As the world’s first hip hop tour experience, Hush has spent more than 20 years setting the standard for how the culture is shared, honored, and experienced in New York City. Led by cultural architects and influential voices still shaping the scene, each tour is an interactive story-driven journey through Harlem, the Bronx, Brooklyn or Queens.
Cultural Celebrations Across New York State
New York comes alive with the global movements, traditions, and cultural connections of the African diaspora. These rich legacies thrive through celebrations of music, dance, food, storytelling, theater, and community gatherings.
EVENTS:
AFRO-SANKOFA Festival (August 7 | Buffalo - Greater Niagara)
Celebrate the Global African Diaspora at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum during the AFRO-SANKOFA Festival! Enjoy music, fashion, dance, education, art, food, and community, celebrating the rich heritage of the African diaspora. Free admission
Sankofa Hudson Black Arts & Cultural Festival (August 14-15 | Hudson - Hudson Valley)
The Hudson Sankofa Black Arts & Cultural Festival looks at the past, present and possibilities for the future, through the lens of people of color. Come down to Henry Hudson Riverfront Park for a weekend of music, dancing and a colorful parade! Free admission
International African Arts Festival ( July 3-5 | Brooklyn - NYC)
Photo courtesy of the International African Arts Festival
One of Brooklyn’s largest and longest-running celebrations of African culture in America that is celebrating its 55th year of bringing together art, music, dance, fashion, and food from across the African diaspora in a vibrant, multi-day experience. Ticket prices vary
The Black Culture Festival (July 24-25 | Rochester - Finger Lakes)
The Black Culture Festival celebrates Black heritage, creativity, and community through music, food, art, cultural performances, educational talks, fashion, poetry, youth showcases, and local Black business vendors. Free admission
VENUES:
The Billie Holiday Theatre (Brooklyn - NYC)
Photo courtesy of The Billie Holiday Theatre
A historic Brooklyn landmark dedicated to Black artistic excellence. The Billie is a cultural center for both innovation and inclusion, empowering emerging artists and celebrating Black storytelling, performance, dialogue and civic engagement, and community.
WUFO Black Radio History Collective (Buffalo - Greater Niagara)
WUFO Black Radio History Collective
The WUFO Black Radio History Collective preserves the legacy of Black radio in Western New York and celebrates the DJs, broadcasters, artists, and community voices that helped shape Buffalo’s music culture. Located within the historic WUFO radio station, the Collective connects visitors to the role Black radio played in sharing R&B, soul, gospel, hip-hop, news, and community stories.
Discover more inspiration through I LOVE NY Black Travel blogs, seasonal guides, and curated experiences, and be sure to tag your travels using #ILoveNY and #iSpyNY.