CHESTERTOWN — The Chestertown Jazz Festival will close out decades of remarkable performances with its 30th and final event Saturday, Sept. 12 beneath the big white tent in Wilmer Park along the Chester River.
Headlining the festival is the internationally acclaimed Marcus Roberts Trio, featuring legendary pianist Marcus Roberts, bassist Rodney Jordan and Grammy Award-winning drummer Jason Marsalis.
“Their 5 p.m. appearance is the centerpiece of this final celebration and a rare opportunity for audiences to experience one of jazz’s finest performing groups,” a news release states.
Kent County favorites Karen Somerville, Lester Barrett Jr. and Jerome McKinney as Sombarkin’ will kick off the festival at 12:30 p.m. with their spirited gospel, blues, jazz and acclaimed a capella and harmonies.
Three musicians who performed at the first Chestertown Jazz Festival, Sue Matthews, Dick Durham and Stef Scaggiari, will follow at 1:30 p.m., along with Max Murray and Frank Russo. They will be bringing some of their favorites from the Great American Songbook as well as some more contemporary writers.
Matthews, Durham and Scaggiari “are proud to be representatives of all those who graced the stage over the last 30 years,” according to the news release.
Next up, at 3 p.m., the James Fernando Trio will perform. Hailing from the Philly area, the trio has become a favorite at The Mainstay in Rock Hall. DownBeat magazine praised the trio for “swinging within an inch of its ever-loving life.”
Pianist Champian Fulton will take the stage at 4 p.m. Fulton began her career at age 10 and hasn’t looked back. Her “galvanizing presence” [per The New Yorker] and her alluring musical presentation have made her “a charming young steward of the mainstream Jazz tradition” [per The New York Times].
Food, wine and beer will be available at the festival.
No coolers, containers or pets will be permitted within the festival area.
For more information or to purchase “Early Bird” tickets at $40 per person, see https://www.garfieldcenter.org. Once there, navigate to the “annual” tab at the top of the page, then click the Jazz Fest event listed on the next page and finally click the red “click here” button on the right.
Tickets also can be purchased in advance by calling the Garfield Center for the Arts box office at 410-810-2060 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The ticket price is $50 at the gate.
Seating will be available under the tent, but feel free to bring your own chairs or blankets.
