Nile Rodger Setlist

Le Freak
Everybody Dance
Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)
I Want Your Love
I’m Coming Out / Upside Down / He’s the Greatest Dancer / We Are Family
Like a Virgin / Material Girl / Modern Love
CUFF IT
Get Lucky / Lose Yourself to Dance
Lost in Music
Notorious
Thinking of You
My Feet Keep Dancing
Chic Cheer / My Forbidden Lover
Let’s Dance
Good Times / Rapper’s Delight
all songs written by Nile Rodgers

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■ Jacksonville Jazz Festival
The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is an annual music festival that has been held for more than 40 years. The festival begins with the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition, followed by three days of live, free entertainment on multiple stages set in downtown Jacksonville. Years active:1979-1981 (Mayport), 1982–present (Downtown)

Day three of one of the world’s largest free Jazz festival, Jacksonville Jazz Festival got off to a rocky start. Like yesterday, severe lightning was to blame. Note that the storm was probably closer to Jacksonville Beach, but since it is within the 10-mile radius, and out of an abundance of caution, the city is pausing the gates to open until 4:30pm.

3:40 PM · May 24, 2026

⚠️ 3:40 PM UPDATE ⚠️

The Jax Jazz Fest is currently in a Code Blue due to cloud-to-ground lightning detected within a 10-mile radius of the event site. Gates will be held until at least 4:30 PM.

Attendees are encouraged to seek shelter in their vehicles.

Unfortunately, Rowan Tucker-Meyer, the winner of the 2026 Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition, would not be able to perform, as scheduled. Don’t worry, he was in the VIP section and still got the prize money!

Popup Brass Band

The gates were opened at around 5pm, and by the time it took for me to drive to the venue, Moonchild was just finishing up their set, playing about a 30-min set. As they walked off the stage, a local popup brass band came to the standing area and kept us entertained.

I didn’t quite hear the introduction to Sunday’s hosts, maybe I heard a ‘Joni’ or something. The guy host didn’t even say his name, I think he’s a DJ for a local radio station. As they were introducing Galactic, the band started playing them off! That’s fine, I don’t think anyone minded to finally start hearing music from Galactic with vocalist Jelly Joseph.

Initially Joseph had a leather jacket over her dress, but that didn’t stay on too long. As soon as the first song ended, it came off with Joseph exclaiming, “It’s hawt up here!” The temperature hit a high of 90°F, and it must’ve been scorching on stage. Down in the dance floor, at least we were getting a nice breeze from the docks.

Joseph would sing for a few songs, like “Lady Liberty”, and then take a break and let the Galactic play that funky New Orleans instrumental music. Lots of great horns and the band would carry on until Joseph returns back on stage.

Trivia: Galactic have had numerous guest singers. From Chris Lane to Theryl DeClouet (died in 2018) to Cyril Neville (yes, from the Neville Brothers) to Corey Glover (of Living Colour).

Starting a little late (due to the gates opening late), Kamasi Washington got a massive reception. I spoke to a guy who drove down from Gainesville to see Washington. He couldn’t believe this was free, as he walked in and walked right up to the front of the stage. He said the last two times Washington played nearby, he didn’t see him and regretted it.

Kamasi Washington

To be honest, I had forgotten I had seen Kamasi before, he was part of a much larger lineup at Rock the Garden 2018, and was lost in the shuffle. I just have very brief notes on his appearance: “Kamasi Washington introduced us to his father (Rickey Washington) on soprano sax for the jazzy song “The Rhythm Changes” (featuring Patrice Quinn on vocals). Quite fitting, especially on Father’s Day weekend.”

Washington’s set included a few tribute to his heroes, John Coltrane’s “Out of This World” and Miles Davis’ “’Round About Midnight” (with Patrice Quinn on vocals). The reasons for their celebration is that the two men would have been 100 this year.

Washington also played a few songs from Ryan Porter, the beloved L.A. jazz trombonist, who died at the age of 46 on May 16, 2026, due to injuries he suffered from a car crash in April.

The last song played was “Fist of Fury”, which seemed to be the set closer for Washington’s set (he also ended his set with “Fist of Fury” at Rock the Garden show). I might have previously mentioned this, but being a big Shaw Brothers fan, I know the song was taken from an old Bruce Lee film.

Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Nile Rodgers & CHIC. You might not know Rodgers’ name immediately, but the American song writer is responsible for so many hits of the disco age to the pop sound of the 80s. Just to name a few #1 hits: “Le Freak” (aka “Freak Out!”), “I’m Coming Out” (song written for Diana Ross), “We Are Family” (song written for Sister Sledge), “Let’s Dance” (written for David Bowie), and so many others.

Nile said he was operating on only a few hours of sleep, having just been in Dublin a few hours earlier! He had to make a detour to New York so he can get a change of clothing, but he’s now on stage at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and very happy to be here. He remarked that the last time he was in Jacksonville, that he “had a f**king great time.” He then saw the VIP audience in their chairs and remarked that they must be unfamiliar with his music, because they should get up and dance, “That’s the kind of music we play.”

Look, the man is a legend. I was surprised that his career actually extended well into the 2020s, with his work with Daft Punk and Beyonce, which he won “so many Grammys”, in his words.

My favorite was when he about to play his songs for Madonna. He was coming off six #1 albums, so he was hot s***, and everybody knew it. He was working with a new artist named Madonna (at the time) and he thought he knew what he was doing and pitched her the lead single should be “Material Girl”.

“Think of this way, when people see you, they’ll be saying ‘that’s the material girl’! ‘There goes that material girl!’ ‘Look at the material girl!’” but Madonna, being who she was, disagreed, “Well they can kiss my material ass!”

Instead, Madonna dictated the single is “Like a Virgin”, and just to put a point to it, she also named her album Like a Virgin. Of course, both songs proved to be hits, and so Nile Rodgers played a medley of those songs, and throwing in “Modern Love” (with vocals from Russel on keyboard) to close out the song.

What an epic conclusion to the Jacksonville Jazz Festival 2026! Let’s do it again next year!