Cape May Jazz Fest

[Lois Gilbert]

The Cape May Jazz Festival music lineup continues to become more sophisticated and talented and the upcoming April 16-18, 2004 festival is no exception. Everyone thought it would be hard to top the 20th festival anniversary celebration, but the spring lineup promises to do just that.

Exceptional Pianists scheduled to perform at the festival include headliners Ahmad Jamal, Benny Green (playing with Russell Malone), Freddie Cole with his quartet, Cuban composer-pianist Omar Sosa, Norman Simmons, Cape May's own George Mesterhazy accompanying Red Holloway, Brian Trainor leading the Festival All Star Band, Patti Wicks and many more. Headliners Los Hombres Calientes from New Orleans and the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra add to the excitement and quality of the festival programming. Other highlights include Marcus Belgrave's Tribute to Louis Armstrong and the New Jazz Composer's Octet. Complimenting the array of big names will be vocalist Cynthia Scott, young lion
Winston Byrd, Monnette Sudler, Hubert Sumlin Blues Band, Frank Bey and Georgie Bonds, Sylvia Cuenca with Dave Stryker, Bootsie Barnes, the AfroRican Jazz Ensemble, Tim Price, Big James Montgomery and the Chicago Playboys, Keisa Brown plus the family concert featuring The County Allstar Youth Jazz Band, workshops, CD signing party and all the rest!

This season the festival will add new venues to the Friday and Saturday night lineups, and to the Saturday and Sunday afternoon programs. The Chalfonte Hotel Ballroom joins in the fun, The Boiler Room at Congress Hall becomes a jazz club on Saturday night and the Pelican Club will serve jazz dinners on Friday and Saturday night and will host a jazz lunch on Saturday afternoon featuring the Festival All Star Band. The Pelican Club events are a new approach to combining the things we love best: great food, great music and beautiful views of Cape May. The Friday and Saturday night jazz dinners will require reservations for the first set. A jazz festival pass must be purchased to enter the venue, and dinner reservations are required. Beginning at 9pm, the 3-course prix fixe dinner will consist of salad, choice of three entrees and choice of three deserts for $29.95 per person. After dinner during the first set, other jazz festival attendees may be allowed to join your table so that there is room for everyone to hear the performers. Jazz dinner performers include George Mesterhazy with Red Holloway on Friday night and Saturday night Freddie Cole will perform. To attend the Saturday afternoon lunch with the Festival All Star Band, a Saturday afternoon festival pass or weekend pass must be presented. Reservations are suggested, there is no per person minimum for lunch. This is a fabulous venue for the Festival All Star Band who performed at the Corinthian Yacht Club in November.

The Saturday afternoon program will feature two jam sessions at Carney's Main and Other Rooms and a Blues Jam featuring Bluebone, Frank Bey and Georgie Bonds at Cabanas, plus the Festival Allstar Band. A CD signing party and wine tasting sponsored by Andretti Wines will be held from 5pm-6pm.

Also on Saturday, free jazz workshops from 10am _ 1pm are offered at the Star of the Sea Auditorium. The topics of this April¹s workshops include guitar, sax, voice, improvisation and the ever-popular Rhythm Circle. Sunday afternoon presents two jam sessions at Carney¹s Main and Other Rooms, and for the first time adds a jam at Cabanas, plus the ever popular Jazz Brunch at the Pelican Club (reservations and payment directly to the Pelican Club, no ticket required). For complete updated lineup information visit our website at www.capemayjazz.org.

The Cape May Jazz Festival, presented by Fleet has been produced bi-annually, in April and November since 1994. It has become a corner on the national cultural scene and is a well-respected event throughout the jazz music community. Each festival grows and adds new segments that move increasingly into educational and thematic events. Cape May, NJ is within driving distance of the major metro areas of New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore and Washington, DC. The Cape May Jazz Festival is made possible in part by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Dept. of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, presenting sponsor Fleet and many other corporate and media sponsors.

Friends of Cape May Jazz, Inc. is a non-profit organization that produces the festival. Its mission is to develop and maintain the Greater Cape May, NJ, area as the hub for jazz in the mid-Atlantic region and to foster the appreciation of jazz as an American art form through the presentation of concerts, festivals, educational programs, workshops and jam sessions for musicians. For more information call 609-884-7277, or visit us online at www.capemayjazz.org. For a complete lineup with dates, times and more see the attached schedule-at-a-glance or visit www.capemayjazz.org.

November 7-9, 2003
PRESS CONTACT: Jane Henderson Hale
jane@capemayjazz.com
PRESS PHONE: 609-884-7200
PUBLIC: 609-884-7277 TICKETS: 800-595-4948 Tickets-Info-Press Downloads:www.capemayjazz.org
Musician Contact information available upon request

[Valerie]

I thought Rebecca Parris and also Buster Williams were supposed to be appearing at this festival, no?!?!?

[makpjazz57]

Valerie,

I may have confused you. Rebecca Parris and Buster Williams performed at the East Coast Jazz Festival last weekend, along with Ernie Andrews, Juggernaut big band, Frank Morgan, Junior Mance, Ronnie Wells, Keter Betts, Slide Hampton, David "Fathead" Newman, Ronnie Burrage, Giacomo Gates, many others.

Last night, I spent about 20 minutes writing about this marvelous festival and somehow, something timed out.

Suffice it to say that founder Ronnie Wells should be honored for the year-round work she does on behalf of Baltimore/Rockville MD area kids - the most emotional part of the weekend was seeing so many talented high school children given a chance to play for not only parents and friends, but serious jazz fans and the musicians performing in the evening. I heard a young girl - couldn't have been more than 16 years old, playing some serious bebop! The festival is held in conjuction with Ronnie's tireless efforts to raise money for the Fish Middleton Jazz Scholarship fund to benefit/educate children regarding jazz. Here's the link to their website for those wanting to read more about this great festival/cause:

www.fmjseastcoastjazz.com

Marla

[Lois Gilbert]

April Jazz Festival Brings "Exceptional Pianists" to Cape May
Presented by Fleet

The Cape May Jazz Festival music lineup continues to become more sophisticated and talented and the upcoming April 16-18, 2004 festival is no exception. Everyone thought it would be hard to top the 20th festival anniversary celebration, but the spring lineup promises to do just that.

Exceptional Pianists scheduled to perform at the festival include headliners Ahmad Jamal, Benny Green (playing with Russell Malone), Freddie Cole with his quartet, Cuban composer-pianist Omar Sosa, Norman Simmons, Cape May's own George Mesterhazy accompanying Red Holloway, Brian Trainor leading the Festival All Star Band, Patti Wicks and many more. Headliners Los Hombres Calientes from New Orleans and the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra add to the excitement and quality of the festival programming. Other highlights include Marcus Belgrave's Tribute to Louis Armstrong and the New Jazz Composer's Octet. Complimenting the array of big names will be vocalist Cynthia Scott, young lion
Winston Byrd, Monnette Sudler, Hubert Sumlin Blues Band, Frank Bey and Georgie Bonds, Sylvia Cuenca with Dave Stryker, Bootsie Barnes, the AfroRican Jazz Ensemble, Tim Price, Big James Montgomery and the Chicago Playboys, Keisa Brown plus the family concert featuring The County Allstar Youth Jazz Band, workshops, CD signing party and all the rest!

This season the festival will add new venues to the Friday and Saturday night lineups, and to the Saturday and Sunday afternoon programs. The Chalfonte Hotel Ballroom joins in the fun, The Boiler Room at Congress Hall becomes a jazz club on Saturday night and the Pelican Club will serve jazz dinners on Friday and Saturday night and will host a jazz lunch on Saturday afternoon featuring the Festival All Star Band. The Pelican Club events are a new approach to combining the things we love best: great food, great music and beautiful views of Cape May. The Friday and Saturday night jazz dinners will require reservations for the first set. A jazz festival pass must be purchased to enter the venue, and dinner reservations are required. Beginning at 9pm, the 3-course prix fixe dinner will consist of salad, choice of three entrees and choice of three deserts for $29.95 per person. After dinner during the first set, other jazz festival attendees may be allowed to join your table so that there is room for everyone to hear the performers. Jazz dinner performers include George Mesterhazy with Red Holloway on Friday night and Saturday night Freddie Cole will perform. To attend the Saturday afternoon lunch with the Festival All Star Band, a Saturday afternoon festival pass or weekend pass must be presented. Reservations are suggested, there is no per person minimum for lunch. This is a fabulous venue for the Festival All Star Band who performed at the Corinthian Yacht Club in November.

The Saturday afternoon program will feature two jam sessions at Carney's Main and Other Rooms and a Blues Jam featuring Bluebone, Frank Bey and Georgie Bonds at Cabanas, plus the Festival Allstar Band. A CD signing party and wine tasting sponsored by Andretti Wines will be held from 5pm-6pm.

Also on Saturday, free jazz workshops from 10am * 1pm are offered at the Star of the Sea Auditorium. The topics of this April¹s workshops include guitar, sax, voice, improvisation and the ever-popular Rhythm Circle. Sunday afternoon presents two jam sessions at Carney¹s Main and Other Rooms, and for the first time adds a jam at Cabanas, plus the ever popular Jazz Brunch at the Pelican Club (reservations and payment directly to the Pelican Club, no ticket required). For complete updated lineup information visit our website at www.capemayjazz.org.

The Cape May Jazz Festival, presented by Fleet has been produced bi-annually, in April and November since 1994. It has become a corner on the national cultural scene and is a well-respected event throughout the jazz music community. Each festival grows and adds new segments that move increasingly into educational and thematic events. Cape May, NJ is within driving distance of the major metro areas of New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore and Washington, DC. The Cape May Jazz Festival is made possible in part by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Dept. of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, presenting sponsor Fleet and many other corporate and media sponsors.

Friends of Cape May Jazz, Inc. is a non-profit organization that produces the festival. Its mission is to develop and maintain the Greater Cape May, NJ, area as the hub for jazz in the mid-Atlantic region and to foster the appreciation of jazz as an American art form through the presentation of concerts, festivals, educational programs, workshops and jam sessions for musicians.

For more information call 609-884-7277, or visit us online at www.capemayjazz.org. For a complete lineup with dates, times and more see the attached schedule-at-a-glance or visit www.capemayjazz.org.