Jazz Bridge proudly presents the Fishtown Jazz Festival, in partnership with Penn Treaty SSD and Mural City Cellars.
Please join us on Saturday, September 26, 2026, for an afternoon and evening of live jazz featuring four outstanding musicians who call Fishtown home:
2:00 PM - Victor North
3:45 PM - Tom Cohen
5:30 PM - Mary Ellen Desmond
7:15 PM - Morgan Wallbridge
Mural City Cellars
1831 Frankford Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19125
The festival is FREE and open to the public. Bring a chair and enjoy an afternoon of live music celebrating Fishtown's local jazz community.
Rain date: Sunday, September 27, 2026.
About Victor North:
Victor North came to Philadelphia from Alaska, after a year at Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts, to immerse himself in the "City Of Brotherly Love's" rich jazz culture where so many of his musical heroes got their start. Playing in bands led by Mickey Roker, Charles Fambrough, Orrin Evans, John Swana, Jimmy Bruno and Elio Villafranca were all deeply formative experiences. Victor spent much of 2018 and 2019 touring with Legendary Jazz Organist Joey DeFrancesco, and continues to lead his own groups and work as a sideman throughout the Philadelphia/Tri-State Area.
About Tome Cohen:
Philadelphia drummer Tom Cohen has built a distinguished career performing jazz and Brazilian music as both a bandleader and sideman. He has collaborated with acclaimed artists including Chris Potter, Joey DeFrancesco, Uri Caine, Orrin Evans, Shirley Scott, and Donny McCaslin, while also serving on the faculty at Temple University. His most recent release, Embraceable Brazil, showcases his deep appreciation for Brazilian music through inventive arrangements and thoughtful production.
About Mary Ellen Desmond:
Vocalist Mary Ellen Desmond has been performing professionally for over 30 years from venues in the Philadelphia / New Jersey area to the legendary Tavern on the Green in New York City's Central Park West as well as accepting engagements in Japan. JazzTimes Magazine has described her as a "confident, musical, swinging stylist who is simply a joy to hear. Her voice is sweet, clear, and pure with a deceptively wide range, attractive vibrato, and superior intonation." Classically trained she is recognized as a crossover artist covering a variety of styles and repertoires with a primary focus on jazz standards and the American Songbook. A.D. Amorosi of The Philadelphia Inquirer refers to her as "a Philadelphia treasure". Ms. Desmond performs currently at area clubs, concerts and churches and teaches voice on the faculty of Community College of Philadelphia.
About Morgan Wallbridge:
Morgan Walbridge is a Philadelphia-based vibraphonist and composer whose work spans across jazz, funk, fusion, and experimental music. Originally from Rochester, NY, she began studying piano and percussion at age four. In 2016, she moved to Philadelphia to attend the University of the Arts, where she studied the vibraphone with Tony Miceli. Known for her deliberate playing and open, genre-bending approach, Walbridge performs regularly across the region with groups including The Chronicles, Toussaint, Philadelphia Mallet Ensemble, Norman David Ensemble Six Plus, LOVE Jazz Orchestra, and the Ross Bellenoit Sextet. Beyond live performance, she is an active recording artist whose vibraphone work includes film scores, video game soundtracks, and commercial media.