Above: JAMS FF 2K26 featured an impressive lineup of local, regional and national talent, with internationally recognized performers helping to make the festival a memorable celebration of music and entertainment.
The national acts included EU (Experience Unlimited), featuring Sugar Bear, who brought the crowd to its feet with the classic Go-Go party anthem “Da Butt.” Also featured was Stokley, formerly of Mint Condition, who showcased his distinctive vocals and dance moves with a selection of beloved R&B favorites, including “What Kind of Man Would I Be,” “You Send Me Swingin’,” “She,” and “Pretty Brown Eyes.”
The regional lineup featured CJack Run Presents, Kevin Stephens & Free Spirit, Magnetic Flow, Brownskin, and TT315, bringing a diverse range of sounds and performances to the festival stage.
Together, the national and regional performers delivered an energetic evening celebrating classic R&B, funk, soul, and contemporary sounds, continuing the tradition of JAMS FF as a showcase for outstanding musical talent and live entertainment.
2025 Rose Royce
2025 David Bank's Enchantment
2024 TMF (The Music Forever)
Above: TMF (the Music Forever). TMF is the band who for decades toured and performed as Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. Maze's original band member, Ronald “Roame” Lowry, (percussionist and bg vocalist); who performed on every recording made by the group, is keeping the music alive with this new endeavor. The Funk Fest crowd thoroughly enjoyed TMF's lead singer Chris Walker's soulful renditions of Maze's biggest hits on the Capital Records and Warner Brothers labels, like “We are one," Golden time of day,” and their anthem hit “Before I let go.” The crowd got up and partied hard to their new single “Let me love you.”
2024 Raydio
Above: Raydio featuring Arnell Carmichael performed at Funk Fest 2k24. In 1980, the Arista recording artists, then known as Ray Parker Jr and Raydio, sang about being in “Two places at the same time" when they struck gold with their hit of the same title. Parker Jr., now performs only occasionally, overseas, while at the same time, co-lead singer Arnell Carmichael carries on the group's legacy domestically. Arnell's was the high tenor voice that was heard on some of their late 70s gold record hits like “Jack and Jill” and "You cant change that." With Parker Jr. performing overseas and Carmichael performing domestically, shows that you can in fact be in two places at the same time. The festival's opening Acts were: C Jack Run Presents (youth acts); Shawn Seals & SMX: Stroke featuring Isreal Hagan; and Akuma Roots (reggae). CP Lacey of Showtime at the Apollo emceed the event.
2024 Emcee CP Lacey The Executioner
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