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Jazz Festival rolls lucky seven in return to Town Hall

By Reva Blau

August 11, 2011

New Zealand guitarist Josh Hindmarsh makes his debut

at the Provincetown Jazz Festival Aug. 12

After three years in Provincetown High School - because Town Hall was undergoing renovations - the Jazz Festival returns to its original venue as it brings together talented jazz musicians and vocalists on the Cape and beyond. The festival features String of Pearls on Friday, with Stage Door Canteen, a 14-member big band, on Saturday, both at the 700-seat Town Hall. And then it will bring jazz to Cotuit Center for the Arts, for the festival’s first foray away from Provincetown, on Monday, Aug. 15. The Cotuit performance features Brewster-based Bruce Abbott on sax and flute and a solo debut of Holli Ross from String of Pearls. Ross will join festival veteran Dane Vannatter, a popular vocalist from Boston, who will also perform on Saturday in Provincetown.

The festival, founded by local percussionist Bart Weisman, celebrates its seventh season and every year it gets bigger. Weisman, who moved to the Cape from Washington DC with his wife, artist Amy Heller, is proud to be an integral part of increasing the visibility of live jazz on Cape Cod. On the 3rd Sunday of every month, Weisman hosts a three-hour Jazz Jam in Hyannis at the Island Merchant. “It was a direct offshoot of the festival,” says Weisman. “We had a Jazz Jam at the second year of the Provincetown Jazz Festival and it was great.” Weisman is joined by Fred Boyle on piano and Laird Boles on bass, with Weisman on drums. Musicians come from across the Northeast to jam in a casual setting.

Opening the festival on Friday night are Adrienne and Josh Hindmarsh, who make up one of the most popular jazz duos in New Zealand, with Adrienne playing jazz organ and providing vocals with husband on guitar. While on organ, Adrienne plays jazz and bebop; her vocals are smooth as silk in the tradition of female crooners of the 1950s. The pair recently moved to New York City and will be coming to Provincetown for the first time. Also making there jazz festival debut, Stage Door Canteen is a Cape-based big band playing great jazz and classic 1940’s Big Band tunes.

For the three years that the Town Hall was unavailable, the festival moved to the auditorium at the Provincetown High School. Previously at Town Hall, the festival didn't have use of the balcony, which has been deemed unsafe. Now renovated, Town Hall has air conditioning, which Wiseman finds amazing in the largest indoor performance venue in town. It also boasts a Yamaha grand piano. And the new balcony provides audience members opportunity to see musicians from all three sides of the house.