“Ready or not”, the Jefferson Street Jazz and Blues Festival is back. (We’re sure you’re ready.)

After a virtual celebration in 2020, the long-running Nashville Festival returns on July 24. While past events have taken place at Bicentennial Mall and Jefferson Street, this year’s festival is moving to Fisk University.

The festival will be hosted by the R&B group After 7 – best known for their 1990 hits “Ready or Not” and “Can’t Stop”. Following the death of original member Melvin Edmonds in 2019, the band recruited singer Danny “SkyHigh” McClain and are preparing to release a new album, “Unfinished Business”.

The rest of the festival lineup will be announced at a later date.

The festival is presented by the Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership with the aim of celebrating the rich musical heritage of North Nashville and Jefferson Street. the historically black thoroughfare teeming with nightclubs in the 40s, 50s and 60s and has hosted many musical greats including Little Richard, Etta James, Jimi Hendrix and Ray Charles.

Tickets cost $ 20 to $ 50 and are on sale now at nashvillejazzadbluesfest.com. Proceeds will go to the fundraising efforts of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, now in their 150th year.