SJI In Jersey...

All About Jazz reports from the Cape May Jazz Festival, where this year's theme was "New Orleans Comes to Cape May."

Brightly colored beads were passed out everywhere, a number of restaurants added New Orleans specialties to their weekend menus, and there was even a poignant Second Line parade down the asphalt “boardwalk.” The opening concert by a nine-member all-star band led by drummer Herlin Riley proved to be the weekend highlight, packing Convention Hall for its opening Friday night set. The second set drew a smaller but more enthusiastic crowd that danced with joyous abandon during the closing numbers. The multi-generation band featured clarinetist Michael White, trumpeter Christian Scott, pianist Jonathan Batiste, saxophonist Victor Goines, trombonist Corey Henry, bassist Roland Guerin and singer Topsy Chapman....

The second show featured two astonishing arrangements—a rollicking, shuffle-beat version of “Caravan” and a Henry-dominated version of “St. James Infirmary” that was set to a boogie-woogie rhythm.....

Love to hear that...