Immerse yourself in jazz vocals from ballads to low-down blues, mellow sax, high pitch trumpet, Latin piano…it is all here at the 33rd Cape May Jazz Festival April 16-18, 2010.  Spyro Gyra opens up the festival Friday night with music

Spyro Gyra

that encompasses straight-ahead jazz, blues, Latin, Brazilian, instrumental pop, funk and fusion.  For more than 3 decades Spyro Gyra has been dominating the contemporary jazz scene and still has a snap, originality and fresh sound which appeals to both old and new fans. Blues singer Shemekia Copeland opens up Saturday night with her huge, blast-furnace voice which gives her music a timeless power and heart-pounding

Shemekia Copeland

urgency.  Her music comes from deep within her soul and from the streets where she grew up.
Friday night tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield, one of the most impressive young tenors around, will pay “Tribute to Shirley Scott” with his organ quintet.  Warfield wanted to pay tribute to Shirley using

Tim Warfield

the Hammond B-3 to relate his happy, soulful experiences with music they performed together, songs introduced by her, or original compositions Warfield wrote with her in mind.  Continuing Friday night guitarist Monnette Sudler will perform in Carney’s Main Room with tenor Bootsie Barnes, trombonist Steve Turre and Aaron Graves on keys for a slamming hard-bop groove.  For a total change of pace vocalist Marta Topferova will entertain in Carney’s Other Room with her elegant, low-key misty voice backed by stellar musicians who include Latin sounds from Cuban, Argentinean tango to Venezuelan rhythms. Mississippi Heat is one of Chicago’s hottest blues bands playing traditional

Mississippi Heat

Chicago blues with their band leader’s powerful harmonica and vocalist Inetta Visor permeating Cabanas Friday night.  
Saturday afternoon starts out with pre-jams in both rooms at Carney’s with the up-and-coming youth bands Tom Zmuda and Thursday Night Jazz and the Divine Jazz Combo followed by jam sessions.  Georgie Bonds, a world-class singer, songwriter and blues entertainer, will continue the blues tradition with Delta blues in Cabanas.
Saturday night continues with the exciting Cuban piano player Chuchito Valdes returning for 2 shows in the Grand Hotel Ballroom.  Chuchito

Chuchito Valdes

raised a mountain of rhythmic intensity with power and passion at the April 2008 festival   following in the footsteps of his grandfather Bebo and father Chuchito Valdes blending elements of Afro-Cuban music, jazz, bebop, mambo and cha-cha-cha.   Another jazz festival favorite Juanita Williams, along with Fred Hughes on piano, will perform at the Jazz Dinner and 11pm show in Aleathea’s Restaurant.   Juanita came up musically by way of gospel, was inspired by blues greats Etta James and Aretha Franklin and sings sweet soul music and gritty blues with originality, sass and flair.  Pianist Fred Hughes, another festival favorite, compliments Juanita playing dynamic piano solos.   Appearing in Carney’s Main Room B. D. Lenz has been described as one of the hottest new contemporary jazz guitarists

B.D. Lenz

on the scene today fusing jazz and rock complemented by warm chords of funk, soul, and rhythm and blues.  Carney’s Other Room presents The Shook-Russo Quartet composing their own original music within the jazz idiom honoring the masters by carrying on the mainstream tradition with the huge sound and driving groove of Amy Shook on bass and the incredibly skillful Frank Russo on drums.   

Amy Shook

Jesse Andrus, a favorite tenor/alto sax and flute player seen at the jams, will be in the Boiler Room with his group Abstract Truth Saturday night.  Abstract Truth weaves jazz with soul, R&B, African and Latin rhythms, gospel, blues and funk which creates a sound that is at once fresh and familiar honoring the masters who came before them while creating a sound all their own.   Performing in Cabanas the multi-talented Ray Schinnery will stir the soul with his vocals, move you to hilarity with his lyrics and woo you with his guitar.
Pre-Jam Sunday opens up with the Little Jazz Giants and the Young Lions in

Charles Walker

2 rooms at Carney’s followed by 2 Jam Sessions along with the Charles Walker Blues Band in Cabanas.  Hailing from Wisconsin the 5-piece Walker band performs various styles of blues, R&B and funk with Walker’s expressive saxophone stealing the show along with Shanna Jackson’s powerfully deep soulful voice. COME….and enjoy!