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5th Annual Central Jersey Jazz Festival: September 15-17, 2017

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The three day, FREE, mega-musical event will take place Friday, September 15, 6PM to 10PM in Flemington, Saturday, September 16, 1PM to 6PM in New Brunswick and Sunday, September 17, 1PM to 6PM in Somerville.
The 5th Annual Central Jersey Jazz Festival, a three day, FREE, mega-musical event will take place Friday, September 15, 6PM to 10PM in Flemington, Saturday, September 16, 1PM to 6PM in New Brunswick and Sunday, September 17, 1PM to 6PM in Somerville. All events are BYO seating and will take place rain or shine.

The Central Jersey Jazz Festival is a result of an unprecedented collaborative partnership of three New Jersey County seats- Flemington, New Brunswick and Somerville, working in concert, to produce the largest outdoor musical event of its kind in the area.

In 2013, the five-year old Somerville Jazz Festival and the New Brunswick Jazz Project, came together and created the first Central Jersey Jazz Festival. In 2014, the Festival expanded beyond Somerset and Middlesex Counties to include Flemington. This free, three day concert is a one-of-a-kind destination event that features acclaimed musicians from across the jazz spectrum and draws more than 11,000 visitors from the three New Jersey counties involved, and from throughout the tri-state and mid-Atlantic region and showcases the best of Central Jersey. Visit Flemington and get a feel for small-town charm; experience New Brunswick’s vibrant theatre and restaurant district in the heart of a thriving college town, and relish the melting pot of Somerville’s eclectic downtown and dining scene.

The weekend long jazz super-fest kicks off in Flemington on Friday September 15 with a well-crafted roster of jazz ambassadors. Renowned Grammy winning drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts whose impressive resume includes the likes of Wynton Marsalis, George Benson, Harry Connick, Jr., McCoy Tyner and Branford Marsalis will be the main attraction Friday evening.

Additional performances by jazz vocal powerhouse Lezlie Harrison and well respected Latin drummer, Willie Martinez. Jazz House Kids will perform for festival attendees between sets. Visitors to the Central Jersey Jazz Festival-Flemington may begin seating in Downtown Flemington at the Historic Court House at 5:00PM. The performances will begin at 6:00PM.

On Saturday the 16th of September NEA Jazz Master the legendary Jimmy Cobb, will headline the all-star New Brunswick Festival day. New Brunswick’s lineup also includes a salute to jazz’s roots with New Orleans’ own, trombonist and singer Lucien Barbarin and his NOLA Sextet- “Hit It Hard & Wish It Well, “ and the all woman, latin group CocoMama. The New Brunswick Brass Band will get the afternoon off to a swinging start and keep the music going between main stage performers. Seating for the Central Jersey Jazz Festival- New Brunswick begins at 12:00PM at George Street and Livingston Avenue. The show starts at 1:00PM.

In Somerville on Sunday, the Festival culminates with pianist/vocalist Davell Crawford, acclaimed as the “Piano Prince of New Orleans,” continuing the NOLA salute. Baritone saxophonist, Claire Daley and master vocalist, bandleader and educator Marion Cowings completes the Sunday lineup. On the Courthouse steps, Jazz House Kids will keep things going between sets. Seating begins on E. Main Street and The Courthouse Green in Somerville at noon and the show starts at 1:00PM.

The Central Jersey Jazz Festival is presented by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital|RWJ/Barnabas Health and produced by Flemington Community Partnership, New Brunswick Jazz Project, Arts on Division and the Downtown Somerville Alliance and Sheila Anderson.

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