More Great Talent throughout the Weekend – NeTTWork Trio with Charnette Moffett/Stanley Jordan/Jeff “Tain” Watts, NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah Presents Stretch Music, 2017 Music Connects Artist in Residence Michael Pedicin, New Orleans Swamp Donkeys, Philly Bloco, Freddie Hendrix, Brian Betz/Denis DiBlasio 4Tet, Daisy Castro + More Presented by Exit Zero Publishing, Motéma Music, Chris Clemans Sotheby’s International Realty and Produced by Spy Boy Productions
Cape May, NJ (January 18, 2017) – The 4th Spring Edition of the Exit Zero Jazz Festival is set to kick off in Cape May, NJ, April 21-23, 2017. Festival Producer Michael Kline announces the headliners and first round of club artists for the 2017 Spring Festival. Friday, April 21st, on the MusicConnects Stage in Schmidtchen Theater, Exit Zero Jazz presents The Ultimate Tribute to Ray Charles featuring legendary funk saxophonist Maceo Parker with the Ray Charles Orchestra and the Raelettes. The Ultimate Tribute to Ray Charles premiered at the Hollywood Bowl in the summer of 2016, followed by a performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival. The performance at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival is the premier of the project on the east coast. Kline remarks about the coup of presenting this spectacular program, “We are thrilled to present Maceo Parker with the Ray Charles Orchestra on the opening night of Exit Zero Jazz. This continues our tradition of hosting world-class artists on the Festival stages. Our audiences recognize and have a deep appreciation for this music and we are thrilled for Maceo and the Orchestra to celebrate the music of American icon, Ray Charles.”
Headlining the Schmidtchen Theater MusicConnects Stage on Saturday, April 22nd, is the Grammy-winning Robert Glasper Experiment. The most prominent artist blurring the musical lines between acoustic jazz, hip-hop, and contemporary R&B, pianist Robert Glasper became a crossover star with his electro-acoustic Experiment band following the game-changing 2012 release Black Radio, winning the GRAMMY for Best R&B Album. Since then, Glasper’s profile has exploded, with the pianist composing the soundtrack for director/star Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead and performing at the White House with rapper Common.
The Exit Zero Jazz Festival is a multi-venue festival with three full days of performances staged in the 1,177 seat Schmidtchen Theater, the 800 seat Cape May Convention Hall and in the clubs of Cape May. A wide array of jazz and other genres of music are presented throughout the weekend. Featured artists performing on the Cape May Convention Hall / It’s a Breeze Stage include NeTTWork Trio with Charnette Moffett/Stanley Jordan/Jeff “Tain” Watts, NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, and 2017 MusicConnects Artist in Residence Michael Pedicin. The New Orleans Swamp Donkeys, PhillyBloco, Brian Betz/Denis DiBlasio Quartet, the Freddie Hendrix 4tet and gypsy jazz violinist Daisy Castro will perform on the Cape May Brewing Company Hops Pass Club Series, with more club artists to be announced February 1.
Exit Zero Jazz Festival is produced by Spy Boy Productions. Helmed by Michael Kline, who also produces the Rootstock Summer Concert Series at Hawk Haven Winery and the Cape May Convention Hall Summer Series, Kline celebrated many summers in Cape May and returned in 2005 from New Orleans. He shares his thoughts about presenting the Festival in Cape May: “We want to offer a world-class cultural experience in Cape May that rivals those of other iconic festivals and trumpets the 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. 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. The Festival is supported through the efforts of Festival Presenters: Motéma Music, Exit Zero Magazine and Chris Clemans Sotheby’s International Realty, and Congress Hall, the Official Hotel of the Exit Zero Jazz Festival, The Whale’s Tale, It’s a Breeze, Hawk Haven Winery and Vineyard, Cape May Brewing Company+ many other Cape May & Cape May County businesses.
Ticket Information. Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.exit0jazzfest.com or by calling the
Exit Zero Jazz Festival Central 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 web site. Individual tickets are available to all Main Stage performances in Schmidtchen Theater and Cape May Convention Hall. Festival Passes provide the best value for fest-goers: VIP Pass: $195 plus tax and ticket facility fee includes reserved Orchestra Center Seat to headline performances in Schmidtchen Theater, reserved seating for all Cape May Conventional Hall performances, access to the Festival VIP Lounge with private bar, priority entry to Congress Hall Ballroom performances and first come, first served entry into all other Festival Clubs; All Event Pass: $175 plus tax and ticket facility fee Includes Orchestra reserved seats to headline performances in Schmidtchen Theater, priority entry in Cape May Convention Hall performances and first come, first served entry to all club venues. Cape May Brewing Company Hops Pass: $48 plus tax and ticket facility fee through January 31; $55 plus tax and ticket facility fee beginning February 1 includes entry on a first come, first served basis to all Festival club venues.
Friday Pass: $85 plus tax and ticket facility fee Includes reserved seat to The Ultimate Ray Charles Tribute featuring Maceo Parker with the Ray Charles Orchestra and Raelettes, general admission seating to NeTTWork Trio & first come first served entry into all Festival club
shows Friday, April 21. Saturday Pass: $125 plus tax and ticket facility fee Includes reserved seat to Robert Glasper Experiment performance in Schmidtchen Theater, general admission seating to Michael Pedicin, Kenny Barron and Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah & first come, first served entry into all Festival Club Shows on Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23. Sunday All Access Pass: $30 plus tax and ticket fee includes first come, first served all club performances on Sunday, April 23.
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Are you coming to Cape May for the weekend or planning a vacation stay for the Spring Check this weeks events in Cape May to stay up to date on new events and local activities in town. If you are looking for addtitional things to do in Cape May or some fun family activities please read out fun things to do in 
