Cape May Exit 0 International Jazz Fest

New Jazz Festival Coming to Cape May

Arts and Entertainment | Sat, 06/23/2012

By Jack Fichter

http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/article/tourism/cape+may/84253-new+jazz+festival+coming+cape+may

CAPE MAY — A new jazz festival is coming to the city in November but it won’t be from the former Cape May Jazz Festival.

The Exit 0 International Jazz Festival will be held Nov. 9 through 11, Veteran’s Day Weekend, at Cape May’s Convention Hall.

Ramsey Lewis will be headlining the festival with his Electric Band. Lewis is a three-time Grammy Award winner and holds seven gold records.

According to his website, “Lewis has been an iconic leader in the contemporary jazz movement for over 50 years, with an unforgettable sound and outgoing personality that has allowed him to cross over to the pop and R&B charts. The Ramsey Lewis Trio, with bassist Eldee Young and percussionist Redd Holt, became a fixture on the Chicago jazz scene, releasing their debut album, ‘Ramsey Lewis & His Gentlemen of Jazz,’ back in 1956.

Lewis earned his first gold record, as well as a Grammy award for Best Jazz Performance, for their swinging version of Dobie Gray’s hit ‘The In Crowd.’ He returned to the pop charts in 1966 with versions of ‘Hang On Sloopy’ and ‘Wade In The Water.’

Other confirmed artists at press time include Christian McBride and Inside Straight, Henry Cole's Afrobeat Collective, Ben Williams & Sound Effect and DJ Soul Sister. The complete lineup will be announced by July 5 by the promoter, Spy Boy Productions.

Main stage headliner concerts will be held at Convention Hall on Friday and Saturday nights, along with a Saturday afternoon concert.

Participating club venues include: the Boiler Room at Congress Hall, Carney’s, Carney’s Other Room, Cabana's, Martini Beach, and Cape May Stage at the Robert Shackleton Theater.

Ticket packages are being sold by the City of Cape May’s Convention Hall. To order tickets, go to: www.capemayconventionhall.org

The promoter, Spy Boy Productions, has no affiliation with Friends of Cape May Jazz or Cape May Jazz Festival.

At a Thur., June 21 press conference, promoter Michael Kline said he has produced concerts in New Orleans beginning in 1997. Kline said he had worked for WWOZ Radio, “New Orleans' Jazz & Heritage Station,” which is licensed to the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans.

“I worked there for almost eight years and we produced shows in conjunction with the radio station,” said Kline.

Exit 0 International Jazz Festival spokesperson Victoria Clayton said Kline represents jazz artists nationally and internationally. He is a resident of West Cape May arriving here after Hurricane Katrina.

Kline said one of his challenges to stage the festival was finding open dates available on Convention Hall’s schedule.

A Saturday afternoon main stage concert will be held in Convention Hall, he said.

“There will pretty much be three headline concerts Friday night, Saturday night, Saturday afternoon,” said Kline.

He said he was working on a “special surprise” for Sunday afternoon.

More information is available: www.exit0jazzfest.com