Plus new DrewToonz comic, Jazz Corner returns to Chelsea this Winter and Raves & Faves.
Ocean City’s First Night Bash
Do you view New Year’s Eve as primarily a celebration for grown-ups, with resolutions, champagne toasts and tossing back a few drinks until the ball drops? Well in Ocean City, the answer would be an emphatic “No!” For the past 19 years, families have been spending N.Y.E. together through O.C.’s annual First Night Celebration, which starts 4pm Friday, Dec. 31, and ends with a spectacular fireworks display at midnight, Jan. 1. The festivities include the First Night buffet (4-9pm) in the cafeteria of Ocean City High School that is $20 for adults and $12 for children, and also features 60 shows/events at 16 locations throughout Ocean City. All shows are accessed by purchasing a First Night button for $14, and they include magicians, jugglers, games, puppeteers and a variety of musical groups including string bands, barbershop quartets, folk and gospel music, Japanese drummers and the return of three-time Grammy award-nominated Trout Fishing in America. Your participation in First Night also helps support a variety of local scholarships and charities, including the Ronald J. Moretti Foundation, the Hero Campaign, and the Waves of Caring that provides toys and clothes for needy children during the holidays. On Saturday, the “First Day at the Beach” celebration will include a 5K run starting at 1pm and the “First Dip in the Ocean” at 2pm. Call 391-0060 or go to firstnightocnj.com for more info. — Ray Schweibert
Jazz Corner Returns
Last year the Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation’s head Henrietta Shelton and up-and-coming tri-state promoter Malkio (of Malkio Entertainment Group) wanted to try something new: take the weekly jazz series that Shelton’s CBBHF has helped to bring to the Atlantic City Boardwalk for the past decade — with its touted national acts and noteworthy locals opening — and bring it indoors for the winter. So by the raging fire, and with jazz combos and spoken-word artists performing, the Jazz Corner series was born. The Chelsea in Atlantic City, with its retro feel that just calls for good jazz music to be played within, embraced the idea last year, extending it weeks past the initial end-of-series date. “The atmosphere is New York style,” says Shelton. “I don’t think any other place in A.C. has this kind of ambiance.” This year, the Chelsea hosts the event again — every Wednesday night — with a happy hour on the 5th Floor from 6-7pm and performances starting at about 7pm. Following two consecutive Wednesdays of live music (with Pete Chavez on Dec. 22 and ZAMA on Dec. 29) the upcoming line-up includes Dwain Davis & Friends (Jan. 5) and Tony Day & Friends (Jan. 12). Expect that this series gets extended into February. Check chickenbonebeach.org for updates. — Jeff Schwachter
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If you have not heard about TFIA, there's a good chance your children know some of their songs.
The city’s first winter jazz series in a while, the Jazz Corner, kicked off Thursday, Jan. 21, inside the Chelsea’s comfy Living Room space. Since then it has been attracting a hefty amount of fans and musicians weekly (Thursday nights starting at 8pm). Combining a schedule of regional and local jazz acts and spoken-word artists each week, the series has been packed each Thursday with organizers having to turn guests away on some nights due to room. Like last Thursday for example. “We were nervous because of the weather,” says Henrietta Shelton, co-organizer of the event, which is presented by the Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation and Malkio Entertainment Group. “But we had to turn people away! We’ve really been pleased with the turnout and the bands have been phenomenal.” Word’s getting out and the jazz series has been extended through May 13. “Everyone’s really enjoying it,” says Shelton. “The atmosphere is New York style. I don’t think any other place in A.C. has this kind of ambiance.” Local drummer and bandleader Tony Day with Across...
The local non-profit Historical Chicken Bone Beach Foundation (HCBBF) augments its successful summer jazz series with a winter series at The Chelsea in Atlantic City, dubbed “The Jazz Corner.” The events will take place every remaining Thursday night in January and February, beginning at 9pm. There will be a $10 “donation” and the music will feature everything from a tribute to Sonny Rollins (Jan. 21) to spoken-word artists and Latin jazz (Feb. 4). The HCBBF will present the series in conjunction with the Malkio Entertainment Group; the series will be held at the Chelsea’s 5th Floor club through Feb. 25. According to Henrietta Shelton, head of the HCBBF, each evening will have live jazz and spoken-word artists alternating with a midnight jam session “open to all” till 1am. The Foundation runs a very popular free jazz concert series in the Boardwalk each summer, which has brought international legends such as Houston Person, Greg Osby and many others to the Boardwalk stage (now at Kennedy Plaza) for a decade. Despite funding problems for the summer series through...
Soon one of the hottest spots in Atlantic City will get even hotter. The newly opened, retro-styled Chelsea hotel will become the home of a new weekly jazz series in town, which, as it would appear, is the perfect match with the series' open-minded slate of performances
Do you like the beach? And summer? And live music? And free? Well, the Jazz on the Beach series, which runs Thursday evenings through Aug. 12, is just for you. Especially if you love jazz. The 11th annual Jazz on the Beach concert series in Atlantic City is chock full of amazing talent this year and includes performances by Avery Sharpe with Pete Chavez opening on July 8 and John Blake Jr. with Hassan Abdullah opening on July 15. Each show — the series is put on by A.C.’s Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation (CBBHF) — is presented at Kennedy Plaza on the Atlantic City Boardwalk from 7-10pm. The series kicked off July 1 with Ralph Peterson Jr. Kennedy Plaza, on the Boardwalk between Mississippi and Georgia avenues, has a stage for the bands and offers beautiful...
Auld acquaintance of 2011 may best be forgot for many — and how better to clear the cache and ring in a fresh slate of calendar dates than by partying like there’s no tomorrow? In Atlantic City the choices on New Year’s Eve are nearly endless.
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1. John a McMullen said... on Jan 29, 2011 at 05:48PM
“Enjoyed very much the Jan26 jazz session at the Chelsea. . All very good with two numbers being out standing. Well done. Hope to be back soon.”