Fall Exit Zero Jazz Festival Serves Up Riveting Mix Of Style, Substance & Culture (FESTIVAL REVIEW)

The semi-annual Exit Zero Jazz Festival held November 10-12, 2023, in the nation’s oldest ocean resort, Cape May, NJ featured second-line parades, the usual loyal, enthusiastic jazz audiences, and a most varied lineup. The mild temperatures made it conducive to take in acts at the nearby clubs which were overflowing the entire weekend. Nonetheless, with the main activities centered around the Convention Hall, fans had opportunities to walk the beach and enjoy the weather as well. This writer was in attendance from Friday through Sunday, shared meals with friends, met many jazz lovers, and witnessed acts in multiple venues as described below. 

Friday – The Convention Hall program kicked off with trumpeter Sean Jones and his Dizzy Spelz project, a collaboration with choreographer/tap dancer/poet/vocalist Brine Ali. The riveting program fused elements of jazz, tap, hip-hop, and bebop through an Afro-Futuristic lens, examining cultural and spiritual dilemmas with the African-American experience against the backdrop of Dizzy Gillespie’s music of which his classic “Salt Peanuts” was a clear highlight. The ensemble featured pianist Alex Brown (with Orrin Evans sitting in on the final tune), turntablist Wendel Patrick, bassist Christian Dillingham, and drummer Jevon Rushton.  Ali was spectacular whether tap dancing, reciting her poetry, or singing and the dramatic program was enthralling to the point of hanging on to every word and note, even when tackling such subjects as post-traumatic slavery syndrome.  At the end Jones delivered one of the weekend’s salient quotes – “Jazz is America’s greatest gift to the world, and it is the ultimate democracy that allows for individual expression with respect to the group.”  Even though it was the kickoff act, it remained one of the top highlights of the fest.

Trombonist Steve Turre led a septet with a three-horn frontline to play mostly selections from his 2023 Smoke Sessions release Generations. The highlight of any Turre show and his virtuosic seashell playing that involves multiple conches, sometimes two simultaneously, and as many as six or eight of different sizes and configurations within the same piece. Yes, you must see it to believe it! This was a straight-ahead set that nodded to giants such as Duke Ellington (“Dinner with Duke”), Cedar Walton (“Planting the Seed”), Miles Davis (“Spirit Man”), and more through mostly Turre originals sourced from the album. His star-studded lineup included Ron Blake on tenor, and Sean Jones (doing double duty) on trumpet, with Turre’s son Orion Turre on drums, Kenny Davis on bass, and Rick Johnson on piano. The rousing finale shook the walls. 

Living legend, octogenarian, and NEA Jazz Master, South African Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly Dollar Brand) led a trio of masterful woodwind specialists Cleave Guyton (flute, piccolo, saxophone) who has performed alongside the likes of Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, and Joe Henderson, as well as lauded bassist and cellist Noah Jackson, both of whom are members of Ibrahim’s Ekaya.

This program which will unveiled with Ibrahim’s forthcoming album in January, entitled 3, is comprised of meditative, spiritual movements that alternate solo piano, with duets between Guyton and Jackson. All meld elements of classical, jazz, and gospel with strains of Ellington, Coltrane, and Monk.  While the music was indeed spellbinding, its placement following two highly energetic performances and the dinner time slot, had some folks unfortunately unprepared to sit through a demanding, focused listening experience.

 The evening headliner was recent Grammy nominated Meshell Ndegeocello as program director Michael Kline admittedly was pushing the envelope a bit. In a separate way, it too required a major adjustment in mood as the set was as expected more alternative and R&B/electronic in nature. Ndegeocello primarily played a keyboard labeled Mellotron which was likely the Omnichord she used as the fulcrum of her album. She only played bass twice, both times seated. The set began curiously with vocalist Justin Hicks singing two songs accompanying himself on a string instrument.

Guitarist Chris Bruce joined and later the full band with bass, keyboards and drums. She sourced the set from her 2023 The Omnichord Real Book such as “Clear Water,” “Virgo,” “Georgia Avenue,” “The 5th Dimension” and others. While it took a while for the set to kick there was about a half hour or so of unrelenting thick groove mid-set. The audience response was far more enthusiastic than this writer would have anticipated. (yes, they can rarely be tepid, but not for this performance).  Later that evening at Taco Caballito Tequileria pianist Neil Podgurski and drummer Maria Marmarou of the Imani Record All Stars delivered some captivating piano trio music, preceded by the always effervescent and highly danceable Francis Mbappe and his band.

Saturday – As per Exit Zero tradition the day began with a Second Line parade led by the High & Mighty Brass Band. The balmy weather was conducive as the band led a couple of hundred ‘marchers’ for three blocks.   

 The Convention Hall shows began with 2023 American Pianist Award winner Isaiah Thompson and his quartet who delivered a rollicking, straight-ahead, soul-jazz and gospel-infused set that had the audience applauding mid-solos in some cases. Tenor saxophonist Julian Lee played with a robust tone and brawny, muscular style that complemented Thompson’s blazing pianism. Selections from his 2023 Power of the Spirit included “Tales of the Elephant and the Butterfly,” the title track, and others outside the album such as “Maestros of the Community” and a sensational take on Billy Strayhorn’s “Chelsea Bridge.”  This was high-energy jazz at its highest level with drummer Matty Lee (Julian’s brother) and bassist Marty Jaffe.

At Carney’s a mini super group of sorts held sway for two sets including vibraphonist Behn Gillece, guitarist Brian Betz, organist Pat Bianchi, and drummer Byron Landham playing infectious grooves and bluesy soul jazz that continued the day’s auspicious start.

 Harold Lopez-Nussa and his quartet continued to stoke the fire. Joined by his brother, drummer Ray Adrian Lopez-Nussa, harmonica wizard Gregoire Maret, and bassist Luques Curtis, the quartet presented music from their 2023 Blue Note release Timba a la Americana, which marked the first time that Harold had played electronic keyboards. Here he often had his right hand on the acoustic and left on the electric. The energy never lagged in this set with superb (as per usual) performances from Maret on his chromatic harmonica and the crowd-pleasing Harold who, after urging some rhythmic clapping from the audience exclaimed “you guys are great!”  Even with the electric piano, the set was very rhythmically Cuban with Harold and the band absolutely on fire for an explosive finale that drew one of the strongest audience receptions of the entire festival.

 From the Caribbean, we traveled to New Orleans with drummer/composer/bandleader Adonis Rose leading a septet called the NOJO 7 featuring a four-horn frontline of trombone, trumpet, alto saxophone, and tenor/soprano saxophone. They performed a couple of Horace Silver tunes including “Peace,” a tribute to Ellis Marsalis with “Nostalgic Impressions” and a tune that Rose composed for a ballet before turning the program completely NOLA-centric with vocals from trombonist David Harris on the chestnut “Sunny Side of the Street” and a duel vocal from Harris and trumpeter Alphonso Horne for “Bourbon Street Parade,” leaving the audience in smiles for the conclusion of the afternoon programming.  This writer caught just a bit of trumpeter Matt Cappy’s fusion jazz at Carney’s and was impressed with Cappy and his band.

History was made Saturday evening as the festival audience witnessed the last performance from the 93-year-old grand dame of classic Cuban song, vocalist Omara Portuondo, a major star of The Buena Vista Social Club. Her band (of youngsters no less) included piano, bass, drums, and congas and played more Cuban son than the boleros that populated her earlier recordings. She needed assistance to get on and off the stage understandably, but her voice was remarkably strong. The audience was respectful, almost adoring as we knew we were in the presence of royalty. Portuondo often exhorted the audience to rhythmically clap, and one had the sense she would love to get up and dance, if she only could.  As she left, she blew kisses to the standing crowd and minutes later, emcee Kline announced that it was her last performance.

Sunday – The 11 am time slot again belonged to the Isaiah Thompson Quartet who delivered another strong, albeit a bit mellower performance than Saturday’s.  They clearly saved their best for last in a heart-stopping rendition of “The Highest Calling” for the finale.

Pianist and composer Vijay Iyer followed with his first-rate trio of bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Jeremy Dutton, each of whom are bandleaders. They delivered a master class in trio interplay and the first composition, presumably entitled “Compassion” from his forthcoming 2024 ECM album ran for a full 45 minutes with dynamics ranging from quiet whispers to thunderous waves of cascading notes. Dutton has a knack for accenting Iyer’s sustained piano notes with cymbal flourishes and Oh plays with such full tone and also proves both the perfect complementary player and soloist, hers, unlike many bassists who just rapidly pluck, makes individual complete statements. It is rare when a set can be both dreamy and dramatically dynamic and captivating but that was surely the case here. This writer would pay handsomely for a recording of the set that balanced composition with improvisation like few others.

 Etienne Charles & Creole Soul proved to be a great closer. The Trinidad-born trumpeter/percussionist led a sextet featuring piano, bass, drums, alto saxophone, and steel pans while Charles doubled on trumpet and congas.  Creole Soul’s rhythm section features Haitian and Congolese American drummer Harvel Nakundi and Jamaican-born, Miami-raised bassist Russell Hall, as Charles took glee in pointing out their immigrant ancestries – “It makes me feel safe.” They delivered a radiant, pulsating set that included Charles originals and even a cover of Henry Mancini when they slowed it down. Charles featured calypso of course, and one could easily draw connections to New Orleans music through the Haitian Creole numbers. Toward the end of the enjoyable set Charles first got the crowd participating in a hilarious tale about a guy caught with his pants down in a pitch-dark graveyard (you’ll need to hear the full story) and then got the audience on their feet dancing to the closer” Doing the Thing.”

Rarely, if anywhere, will you find of festival of this modest size, reaching out to so many different cultures and varied styles.  Rarely will you find more loyal and responsive audiences.  This combination makes Exit Zero Jazz a must-attend event. Held twice a year, it returns on April 19-21 with Branford Marsalis headlining and on October 24-27, 2024. Visit www.exitzerojazzfestival.com for more details.

Photos by Richard Conde