It's hard to believe that there was once a time when there was no such things as the North Carolina Jazz Festival. It was started in 1980 by Doctor Harry VanVelsor, and has been going strong ever since. As a lover of jazz, he wanted to bring that love to Wilmington, N. C. The accent is on traditional music and the New Orleans Dixieland style of music.
As it's been going for more than three decades, it's fairly clear that there is a demand for it. Over the years the popularity has increased to such an extent that Bucky Pizzarelli and Ed Polcer have been booked to perform there. In the past, esteemed musicians like Bobby Rosengarden have played there. Most notably, the festival will use talent no matter how young. When he was eleven, Jonathan Russell played with Bucky Pizzarelli. He also came back to the to play when he was 12,13 and 14.
The Hilton Wilmington in downtown Wilmington is usually where the show takes place. Lately, it's tried to branch out a little from its Dixieland roots. Lately they've moved into doing a little be-hop but they probably won't stray far from their Dixieland roots. However, in for such events to expand, they do need to appeal to a broader range of tastes. The idea is to let people know that are more than one or two types of jazz out there.
The festival is noted for the numbers of foreigners that come across and play. There are too many to mention all of them but Anat Cohen from Israel and Jim Galloway from Canada are just two. It just goes to show how prestigious and event it really is.
The founder of the festival withdrew from actively participating since 2006, with control on the board going over to Sandy Evans, the Cape Fear Jazz Society ex-president. The North Carolina Jazz Festival is a not-for-profit organization and is run by non-paid volunteers. Its tradition of bringing excellent artists to the area will remain despite the leadership change.
Most people didn't know much about Wilmington as a city before it had a musical event like this. The city itself is along the Cape Fear River, so apart from the music, people are drawn to the riverside bars, restaurants and the beach. However, for those who like a little bit of culture as well as Jazz, there are art galleries and museums. If history is your thing then you might like the Civil War sites. The point is there is something in it for every type of tourist.
The shows are usually split into three sets, a morning/afternoon set, an afternoon/evening set and a nighttime set. The idea is to end each evening with a rousing stage set that the audience will not forget. Oftentimes the featured musicians will join each other on stage and have an 'all-star' session. These concerts usually last round four to five hours and are among the most popular. One feature that amateur musicians might like is the option of laying along with the professionals during the last hour of brunch.
You may not have heard of Wilmington, but you if you go to the North Carolina Jazz Festival you probably won't forget it. You'll have the chance to take in the culture of an idyllic city and listen to some of the best musicians in the USA and around the world.
As it's been going for more than three decades, it's fairly clear that there is a demand for it. Over the years the popularity has increased to such an extent that Bucky Pizzarelli and Ed Polcer have been booked to perform there. In the past, esteemed musicians like Bobby Rosengarden have played there. Most notably, the festival will use talent no matter how young. When he was eleven, Jonathan Russell played with Bucky Pizzarelli. He also came back to the to play when he was 12,13 and 14.
The Hilton Wilmington in downtown Wilmington is usually where the show takes place. Lately, it's tried to branch out a little from its Dixieland roots. Lately they've moved into doing a little be-hop but they probably won't stray far from their Dixieland roots. However, in for such events to expand, they do need to appeal to a broader range of tastes. The idea is to let people know that are more than one or two types of jazz out there.
The festival is noted for the numbers of foreigners that come across and play. There are too many to mention all of them but Anat Cohen from Israel and Jim Galloway from Canada are just two. It just goes to show how prestigious and event it really is.
The founder of the festival withdrew from actively participating since 2006, with control on the board going over to Sandy Evans, the Cape Fear Jazz Society ex-president. The North Carolina Jazz Festival is a not-for-profit organization and is run by non-paid volunteers. Its tradition of bringing excellent artists to the area will remain despite the leadership change.
Most people didn't know much about Wilmington as a city before it had a musical event like this. The city itself is along the Cape Fear River, so apart from the music, people are drawn to the riverside bars, restaurants and the beach. However, for those who like a little bit of culture as well as Jazz, there are art galleries and museums. If history is your thing then you might like the Civil War sites. The point is there is something in it for every type of tourist.
The shows are usually split into three sets, a morning/afternoon set, an afternoon/evening set and a nighttime set. The idea is to end each evening with a rousing stage set that the audience will not forget. Oftentimes the featured musicians will join each other on stage and have an 'all-star' session. These concerts usually last round four to five hours and are among the most popular. One feature that amateur musicians might like is the option of laying along with the professionals during the last hour of brunch.
You may not have heard of Wilmington, but you if you go to the North Carolina Jazz Festival you probably won't forget it. You'll have the chance to take in the culture of an idyllic city and listen to some of the best musicians in the USA and around the world.
About the Author:
You can visit the website www.rowanbluesandjazz.org for more helpful information about The Historic North Carolina Jazz Festival
0 comments:
Post a Comment