Friday, August 2, 2013

A Guide To The North Carolina Jazz Festival

By Cathy Mercer


Doctor Harry VanVelsor founded the North Carolina Jazz Festival because he loved the music so much. At first he wanted to use it as a showcase for big band music and for Dixieland, as these were the types of music he liked. The whole thing has helped put the city of Wilmington squarely on the map.

Throughout the years the event has steadily increased in popularity to the point where artists such as Houston Person, Bucky Pizzarelli and Ed Polcer have been booked to perform there. Past artists include the likes of Bobby Rosengarden and Tony DiNicola, so it was not as though the festival has ever struggled to find talent. The organizers are not scared of using young musicians either. When Jonathan Russell performed alongside the guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli he was only 11. Russell has also performed since while aged 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 list of foreign musicians that have attended is extensive. It's seen as a privilege to play at such an event, and so it's not surprise that people like Jim Galloway from Canada and Anat Cohen from Israel have performed there.

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.

It could be said that the event has put the city of Wilmington in the public eye. Situated along the Cape Fear River, Wilmington has lots of restaurants, bars and also a beach, most of which are conveniently located by the riverside. For those more into culture, there are art galleries as well as museums. If that was not enough then history buffs might be into the Civil War sites that are here. All in all there should be something for most tastes.

The actual sets are usually split up in threes. Often you'll get a morning/afternoon set, followed by an afternoon/evening set and then a night set. A tradition of the show is that some of the individual performers will play together onstage as an ensemble. During the brunch time set the audience are often invited onto the stage to play with the ensemble, that's if they have their instruments.

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.




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