Atlantic City Weekly

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The Cape May Jazz Festival has been doing its thing down in the sleepy Victorian town about 30 minutes south of Atlantic City for more than three decades and this year’s (Friday-Sunday, April 16-18) could be one of the best fests in years.

Featuring several headliner-type acts — including Spyro Gyra, Shemekia Copeland, Steve Turre and Chuchito Valdes — the spring edition of the Cape May Jazz Fest will include a bit of blues, Latin jazz, a tribute to Hammond B3 legend Shirley Scott (courtesy of tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield) and several youth band events and pre-jam sessions throughout the weekend.

Venues vary and an all-event weekend pass to attend 18 events beginning 8pm Friday to 4pm Sunday is $150. Free festival transportation will be running every 10 minutes between venues all weekend long.

Over the years, the festivals have offerered a terrific assortment of musicians "in mostly intimate small club settings," according to Carol Stone, spokesperson for the festival. As the band's Web site notes, previous headliners have included McCoy Tyner, Clark Terry, Houston Person with Etta Jones, Slide Hampton, Paquito D'Rivera and Randy Brecker, Pieces of a Dream, Herbie Mann, Chuck Mangione, Roy Hargrove,  and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. There have been tributes to Count Basie, Wes Montgomery, Little Jimmy Scott, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and many other jazz legends. Rumor has it a tribute to Art Blakey could be in the works for a future festival.

For full schedule and ticket prices, see below:

33rd Cape May Jazz Festival
                         
       Friday, April 16
            8-9pm     Spyro Gyra     Theatre at Lower Regional High School*
            9pm-1am  Vocalist Marta Topferova     Carney's Other Room
            9pm-1am     MIssissippi Heat Blues     Cabanas*
            9pm-1am    Monnette Sudler, Bootsie Barnes, Aaron Graves     Carney's Main Room*
            9-10pm    Tim Warfield Band's Tribute to Shirley Scott     Grand Hotel 1st Floor Ballroom*
            10-11pm    Spyro Gyra     Theatre at Lower Regional High School
            11pm-mid.    Tim Warfield Band Tribute Shirley Scott     Grand Hotel 1st Floor Ballroom
                         
                         
      Saturday, April 17
            11am-1pm    Workshops     Cape May Elementary School
            Noon-4pm     Saturday Jam     Carney's Main Room
            Noon-4pm     Saturday Jam     Carney's Other Room
            1-4pm            Georgie Bonds     Cabanas
            6:30-7:30pm   Shemekia Copeland Blues     Theatre at Lower Regional High School*
            8:30-9:30pm   Shemekia Copeland Blues     Theatre at Lower Regional High School
            8:30-9:30pm   Juanita Williams with Fred Hughes     Aleatheas Restaurant-Inn of Cape May
            9pm-1am     Abstract Truth featuring Jesse Andrus     Boiler Room at Congress Hall
            9pm-1am     Shook Russo Quartet     Carney's Other Room
            9pm-1am     B. D. Lenz     Carney's Main Room
            9pm-1am     Ray Schinnery     Cabanas
            9pm-1am     Chuchito Valdes     Grand Hotel 1st Floor Ballroom*
            11pm-mid.    Juanita Williams with Fred Hughes     Aleatheas Restaurant-Inn of Cape May*
                         
                         
        Sunday, April 18, 2010
            Noon-4pm     Sunday Jam     Carney's Main Room
            Noon-4pm     Sunday Jam     Carney's Other Room
            1-4pm           Charles Walker Blues     Cabanas

Friday or Saturday night all-event wristbands are $55. Saturday afternoon jam wristbands are $35; Sunday wristbands are $25.  Reserved Seating is available at the Theatre at Lower Regional High School for an additional $25 per person. For more information call 884-7277 or visit  capemayjazz.org.
 

* Editor's picks