In a blog post last fall, I wrote Michael Kline should have be given a key to the city. I don’t feel differently after he produced another amazing weekend of great entertainment for the city, its locals, and visitors to enjoy.
Jazz at the Estate, was a collaborative effort between the Exit 0 International Jazz Festival and the Mid Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities that took place on Saturday, May 31st. Under clear blue skies, with refreshing breezes, crowds were entertained by the likes of Daisy Castro, Vince Giordano and the Night Hawks, Matuto and Jon Cleary.
Michael Kline, founder of the festival stated: “I wanted to offer something in Cape May to really kick off summer and celebrate how great our town is in all seasons plus pay homage to the former long-running biennial jazz festival here. Thanks to the more than 3000 fans that turned out for our November fall festival, our fest keeps growing, and we’re getting bigger ideas about where we want to take the music. We want music to be everywhere and to bring a little of that New Orleans street party flavor to Cape May. It’s exciting to know some people will happen upon our festival and the music just by walking down the street.”
Both the Exit 0 International Jazz Festival team of volunteers along with MAC employees and volunteers combined efforts to bring the Estate a diverse crowd of visitors to enjoy the acclaimed line up of artists and wide array of food and beverage vendors to satisfy any appetite for music and food.
“One of our goals is to bring more people to the Physick Estate and make better use of our grounds”, said Mary Stewart, the chief outreach officer for MAC. She went on to say: “the collaboration worked well and benefited both organizations. I think we accomplished more together that either of us could individually.”
Saturday night at convention hall brought headliner Roy Hargrove to the Xerox Main stage. At 44, trumpeter Roy Hargrove has firmly established himself as among the premier players in jazz and beyond. Hargrove has also won Grammy®Awards for two vastly different projects. In 1997, Roy’s Cuban-based band Crisol (including piano legend Jesus “Chucho” Valdes and wonder drummer Horatio “El Negro” Hernandez) won the Best Latin Jazz Performance Grammy for the album Habana. And in 2002, Hargrove, Herbie Hancock and Michael Brecker won Best Instrumental Jazz Album, Individual or Group, for their three-way collaboration Directions in Music.
In perhaps what might have been the quote of the night, Roy Hargrove repeatedly thanked the enthusiastic crowd and said, “It was delightful to be playing at a Jazz Festival that featured real jazz.”
It truly was a remarkable week-end.
I just realized that my wife and I are sitting in the audience in the photo from Jazz at the Estate.
Reblogged this on diplomaticallyincorrect and commented:
This blog is spot on. Senses titilated, memories to keep, the Exit 0 Jazz Festival provided lasting memories. Michael Kline deserves keys to the cities of Cape May and New Orleans. Le bon temps roulet! Loved our return stay to the author’s Victorian Motel. – Real hospitality.
This blog is spot on. Senses titilated, memories to keep, the Exit 0 Jazz Festival provided lasting memories. Michael Kline deserves keys to the cities of Cape May and New Orleans. Le bon temps roulet! Loved our return stay to the author’s Victorian Motel. – Real hospitality.