The charming Victorian seaside town of Cape May, New Jersey, will transform into a mecca of world-class music for happy music fans November 6 - 8, 2015, for the 4th Fall Edition of the Exit Zero International Jazz Festival.
Headlining is the world renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Among the other major performers are Grammy Award-Winning Terri Lyne Carrington’s Mosaic Project Soul and Love; the Incomparable Bettye LaVette; the Legendary Pat Martino; Marc Cary’s Harlem Sessions and many others. The Festival is supported through the efforts of Festival Presenters: Beach Creek Oyster Bar & Grille, Motéma Music and Exit Zero Magazine, and many other Cape May & Cape May County businesses.
On Saturday November 7 at 6 and 9 p.m., Exit Zero International Jazz Festival proudly presents Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Hailed as “an extraordinarily versatile orchestra” by The Los Angeles Times, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is composed of 15 of jazz music’s leading soloists under the leadership of musical director Wynton Marsalis. Drawing from an extensive repertoire that includes original compositions by Mr. Marsalis, Ted Nash, and other members of the orchestra, as well as the masterworks of Ellington, Mingus, Coltrane, and other great jazz composers, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis concerts are internationally critically-acclaimed. “The finest big band in the world today,” said the Daily Telegraph, UK.
On Friday, November 6, two-time GRAMMY Award-winner Terri Lyne Carrington will headline and perform music from her new Mosaic Project, LOVE AND SOUL, with guest vocalists Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson) and Jaguar Wright. Carrington is a drummer, composer and bandleader who has been at the top of the music industry for almost 25 years, collaborating with luminaries like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Al Jarreau, and Cassandra Wilson.
The incomparable Bettye LaVette will headline on Friday, November 6. LaVette recorded her first hit, "My Man — He's a Lovin' Man," at the age of 16. She has toured with Ben E. King, Barbara Lynn and Otis Redding. She rivals Aretha Franklin as the best soul singer of the last 50 years.
Exit Zero International Jazz Festival celebrates music with international touring musicians descending on Cape May in an atmosphere similar to stylish, accessible European festivals. The perfect size for a family-friendly festival, Exit Zero International Jazz Festival offers fest-goers the opportunity to stroll from venue to venue and revel in many styles of music from jazz, soul, blues and R&B – not to mention the gorgeous ocean setting of the National Historic Landmark city.
Exit Zero Jazz is produced by Spy Boy Productions, led by Michael Kline, who celebrated many summers in Cape May and returned in 2005 from New Orleans. He shares his thoughts about presenting the festival in Cape May.
He said, “We wanted to offer a world-class cultural experience in Cape May that would extend the Fall shoulder season and let people know there is a vibrant, thriving community in Cape May beyond the incredible beaches and Victorian architecture. Through music, we celebrate the spirit and creative energy in Cape May, bringing a little of that New Orleans street party flavor to Cape May. It’s always a great party and we’re thrilled that people keep coming back for more.”
Named for the exit to Cape May off the Garden State Parkway, the festival attracts a loyal, diverse audience of thousands from the major metropolitan regions surrounding Cape May including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., all within a four or five hour drive of Cape May. The Festival features Grammy Award-winners, living legends, NEA Jazz Masters, emerging jazz stars, international musicians and home-grown talent too.
Ticket Information. Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.exit0jazzfest.com or by calling the Exit Zero International Jazz Festival at (609)849.9202.
Hotel packages are available from Congress Hall, the Official Hotel Partner of Exit Zero Jazz, and from Hotel Partners on the Festival site. Individual tickets are available to all Main Stage performances in Schmidtchen Theater. Festival Passes provide the best value for fest-goers: Duke’s Pass: $150 plus tax and ticket facility fee Includes reserved seats to headline performances, priority seating in Cape May Convention Hall and entry to all club venues all weekend. Count’s Pass: $100 plus tax & ticket facility fee Includes reserved seat to your choice of one of two performances Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis & first come first served entry into all Festival club shows Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8. Pop’s Pass: $45 plus tax & ticket facility fee Includes all Club Shows all weekend.
About Exit Zero Jazz Festival. Distressed at the loss of the semi-annual Cape May Jazz Festival, which ended a 17-year run in 2011 due to economic difficulties, jazz industry veteran Michael Kline launched the Exit Zero International Jazz Festival in 2012, following in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Exit Zero is produced by Spy Boy Productions, an events company founded by Kline, who runs Michael Kline Artists, an international booking agency representing NEA Jazz Masters and emerging artists. Kline left Cape May in 1992 for New Orleans, where he hosted a show on WWOZ FM and worked in jazz.
Partners. There are excellent partnerships associated with Exit Zero that support the positive cultural and economic impact for Cape May and the surrounding community Exit Zero International Jazz Festival strives to make. Consumer Business: Beach Creek Oyster Bar & Grille, Motema Music, Exit Zero Magazine. Spirits. Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Cape May Brewing Company, Auburn Road & Hawk Haven Vineyards Tourism: South Jersey Tourism Corp. Arts: Cape May Center for Community Arts. Hospitality: Congress Hall, The Virginia Hotel, The Sandpiper, The Star Inn / La Mer Beachfront Inn / The Montreal Beach Resort / The Inn of Cape May. Retail: It’s A Breeze, West End Garage, Just 4 Wheels, Whale’s Tale & Splash, and Exit Zero Retail. Media: Jazz Times Magazine / WCFA-LP / WRTI FM / WURD AM/ WBGO FM Community. Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May / Flying Fish Studio / Sea Star Boutique / A Place on Earth / Patricia Jackson Jewelers / Linen Ladies