The semi-annual Exit Zero Jazz Festival, its twenty-fourth edition, was held May 16-18, 2025 in the nation’s oldest ocean resort, Cape May, NJ, featuring many of the top performers in jazz, emerging stars and veterans alike with a sun-splattered, ocean-facing deck that hosted both interviews and youth performances. The main venue, Convention Hall, was practically sold out on Saturday and Sunday. A critical change to the format was interviews conducted with Brandon Woody, the Curtis brothers, and Terence Blanchard by Nate Chinen and Josh Jackson of Philadelphia’s radio station, WRTI, which was the media sponsor. All performances in Convention Hall were strong and had something special to offer.
Once termed a relatively small festival, judging by the Convention Hall capacity of 1000, this edition boasted multiple Grammy nominees and winners in the Captain Black Big Band, American Patchwork Quartet, Terence Blanchard, Zaccai Curtis, and Samara Joy. Even the 16-year-old guitar sensation, Marel Hildago, has already garnered enough cred to perform in a trio with NEA Jazz Master Billy Hart and organ great Pat Bianchi this weekend. It may be the smallest ‘big name’ festival in jazz.
The Top Ten Performances
Brandon Woody Upendo – The 26-year-old trumpeter from Baltimore, who made his Blue Note debut on May 9, brought his band Upendo, performing just as a trio because the bassist couldn’t make it. It seemed he brought his Baltimore neighborhood with him, though, as the audience was with him through an emotional, engaging performance. With remarkably cohesive support from longtime colleague, pianist Troy Long, and drummer Quincy Phillips, who was the late Roy Hargrove’s last drummer, Woody drew vocal raves from the audience, even encouraging them to sing the melody of his closing “Real Love, Part 1.” Yet the clear highlight, a testament to his love for his city, was “Never Gonna Run Away.”Beginning like a church-like hymn, the latter half, led by Woody’s spiraling trumpet, bursts into celebratory tones before returning to the reflective tones of the early section and its core message of faith.
Samara Joy Octet – Samara Joy’s band was the ‘main event,’ closing the festival on Sunday afternoon. She performed both classics and original material, backed by her four-piece horn section and three-piece rhythm section that appeared on her 2024 Portrait. It would be difficult to name any jazz artist today who receives as much adoration as Joy does. Once termed the new Ella or Sarah, Joy enthusiastically and democratically leads her superb octet with innovative arrangements and top-notch musicianship. Her voice, sometimes scatting, becomes like another horn, and with those horns swelling behind her with a masterful command of dynamics, her voice becomes even more potent than during her ‘backed by a trio’ configuration. Highlights included Ellington’s “I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good,” “Day by Day,” “You Stepped Out of a Dream and her own “Peace of Mind/Dreams Come True.”
Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Big Band – Fresh off their Grammy-nominated Walk a Mile in My Shoe, the ten-piece band entered the stage one by one, drawing anticipation for what followed. Unlike most big bands, all the horn players stood. With a mic in each hand, Vocal powerhouse Lisa Fischer lived up to her reputation with roof-raising performances. Yet, she was matched by a great take on “Dislocation Blues” by vocalist Paul Jost and the clear highlight, at least for me, was the vocal charm of Evans (not known as a vocalist) on the sacred “Blessed One, Eternal Truth.” Another standout was the standard “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” rendered just by the seven horns without a rhythm section, displaying terrific harmonics and arranging skills of trombonist David Gibson.
Terence Blanchard “Flow” – Blanchard released one of his top albums, Flow, twenty years ago. The album produced by Herbie Hancock is a mix of mighty trumpet from Blanchard over high-powered fusion. Blanchard is revisiting this music with a new project rendered by his E-Collective band featuring longtime members guitarist Charles Altura and drummer Oscar Seaton, with new members, bassist Dale Black, and keyboard giant from Marcus Miller’s band, Julian Pollock. Hancock’s imprint is all over this music, which is designed to impart genuine happiness. Not only did it do that, it also created many thrilling moments in the solos of Blanchard, Pollock, Altura, and Seaton throughout the riveting performance.
American Patchwork Quartet – Being unfamiliar with this group, they were a great surprise. They make traditional American folk songs their own with Hindustani classically trained vocalist Falguni Shah, award-winning guitarist-vocalist Clay Ross, in-demand jazz bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and celebrated jazz drummer Clarence Penn. Ross’s guitar’s versatile sound rings like banjo, a blues guitar, or finger-picked bluegrass. Vocals and harmonies were superb with either Shah or Ross in the lead as they covered such familiar material as “Beneath the Willow,” “Cuckoo Bird,” “Wayfaring Stranger,” “I’m So Glad,” and the most rousing version of “John the Revelator” I’ve ever heard. Put them on your radar.
Imani Records Jam Session on Saturday at Carney’s – It’s long been the festival’s tradition to host shows at nearby clubs, especially Carney’s, which presents shows in two rooms. The jam is open to both professionals and students. It features headliners Orrin Evans, trumpeters Josh Lawrence and Thomas Marriott, guitarist Marel Hildago, Blanchard’s band – Pollock and Black members, pianist Luke Carlos O’Reilly (Josh Lawrence Quintet), and others. The jam’s casual nature and the club’s joyous vibe make it a refreshing change from the concert performances.
Paul Jost Quintet – Jost is a male vocalist who doesn’t receive the acclaim of Kurt Elling or Jose James, but is equally as worthy. Fronting an elite band of Evans on piano, bassist Dean Johnson, guitarist Paul Bollenbeck, and drummer Anwar Marshall, Jost sang, scatted, delivered spoken word, and played a most melodic harmonica (especially on “Shenandoah”). Memorably, he transformed The Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” into a jazz rave-up and an in-depth take on Harry Nilsson’s “Everybody’s Talking to Me” that showcases his range of vocal dynamics and his ability to get emotionally inside a song like few others can.
Josh Lawrence Quintet – Artist-in-Residence Lawrence was highly visible both in the aforementioned jam and as a Captain Black Big Band member. The trumpeter has several outstanding records on Posi-Tone, including his most recent Measured Response and a forthcoming Still We Dream, the latter of which features all covers, several from Monk and Chopin that he featured in this highly professional performance. Working with a hand-picked group of pianist Luke Carlos O’Reilly, drummer Nazir Ebo, bassist Nimrod Speaks, and label mate and leader, tenor Willie Morris III, Lawrence displayed impeccable technique and tone along with Morris’ robust tenor sound and O’Reilly’s brimming piano. At times fiery and others evocatively musical, it was one of the festival’s overall classiest sets.
Luciane Dom – The Brazilian singer was another surprise. Festival producer Michael Kline usually brings Latin performers to the festival. Dom, who reminded us that all black people are one, whether here, in South America, or West Africa, but her serious messaging was upstaged by her rousing audience-on-their-feet sing-along as Dom left the stage to join the audience. It was a massive blast of joy to begin Sunday, which capped various styles from samba, bossa nova, and more. Her bright smile and unrelenting energy were immediately contagious.
The Audience – With apologies to Marel Hildago, Thomas Marriott, Brandee Younger, and the Zaccai Curtis Quintet where I could mostly take in only partial sets, I have to give the final spot to the audience. They showed such respect and enthusiasm throughout every performance, readily participated with the performers when asked to, and memorably gave a standing ovation to the youthful artists, both the P.A.C.E Music Group featuring Trumpet Chics, from Camden, NJ, and teenage Marel Hildago as they entered the hall to hear performances. Yes, this audience deserves applause, too.
The Unexpected
Beyond the preceding, we must give a special shout-out to the President of the Cape May Jazz Festival Foundation, Orrin Evans. He played three consecutive sets on Friday, backing Paul Jost, Thomas Marriott, and then leading his Captain Black Big Band with flair, whether at the piano or conducting. We didn’t know that Evans is a terrific vocalist and a competent drummer, as those skills were on display, even to the point of soloing, at Saturday’s jam at Carney’s. Kudos also to Evans for bringing his Rutgers University Jazz Ensemble to the deck stage on Sunday, which is an unannounced addition to the schedule. Orrin did it all.
These words of mine were printed on the festival brochure and certainly ring true as this was one of the best Exit Zero Jazz festivals. “Rarely, if anywhere, will you find a 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, the festival returns November 6-9. Visit www.exitzerojazzfestival.com for more details.
