May is already on the move, and so is the music. This week brings a good reason to head down the shore, as well as plenty of incentive to hit the local scene. As always, Moment's Notice has got you covered. (If you haven't yet subscribed, now's the time.)
Spotlight: Exit Zero Jazz Festival — Friday through May 17
The spring edition of this beachfront affair could fairly be described as a kickoff to summer festival season, coming as it does in mid-May, as the temps are edging into the 70s. More importantly, it’s a rich musical feast, spread across three days and a total of five venues. Headliners include a centennial Miles Davis Electric Band, featuring trumpeter Keyon Harrold and a number of Davis alumni, like bassist Darryl Jones (Friday); singer-songwriter and NEA Jazz Master Carmen Lundy (Saturday); the Orrin Evans Trio with guest saxophonist Gary Bartz (Saturday); the Jeremy Pelt Quintet (Sunday); and the Ravi Coltrane Sextet (Sunday).
All of the aforementioned action takes place in the seated Cape May Conventional Hall — but there’ll be plenty of shows in more casual environs. The High and Mighty Brass Band will throw down in Carney’s Main Room (Friday), before leading a second-line parade down the Washington Street Mall. Black Buttafly will light up Carney’s Other Room (Saturday), where the Imani Records All-Stars will appear the following night (Sunday). Up-and-coming singer Ekep Nkwelle will perform first at Clemans Theater for the Arts (Saturday) and then on the Conventional Hall Deck Stage (Sunday). And on and on it goes.
May 15 to May 17, various times and venues in Cape May, New Jersey, multiple festival passes offered; tickets and information.
Will Calhoun’s Mali Project — Thursday, Solar Myth
Best known as the explosive drummer in Living Colour, Will Calhoun has developed a serious side interest in the music of Mali, living there part-time and working with the extraordinary singer Oumou Sangaré. That collaboration opened the door for his Mali Project, which features the vocalist and keyboardist Cheick Tidiane Seck, singer Kabiné Kouyaté and several others, including Dabadi Kouyaté on ngoni, guitar, and talking drum.
May 14 at 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 S Broad Street, $40; tickets and information.
Nelson Rangell — Thursday, South Jazz Kitchen
A nimble flutist and saxophonist with an expansive track record on the smooth-jazz circuit, Nelson Rangell hasn’t released a full-length album since By Light, in 2019. But it seems almost certain that he’s been working on new music, and this show on the Unscripted Jazz series will be a chance to catch up and hear some of it.
May 14 at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., South Jazz Kitchen, 600 N Broad Street, $39-$44; tickets and information.
Betz–Gillece Quartet — Friday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
Based in the Philadelphia area, Brian Betz heads the jazz guitar department at Rowan University. He has a regular hookup with the sharp vibraphonist Behn Gillece, his co-leader for this Friday engagement with Charles Ford on bass and Dan Monaghan on drums.
May 15 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $25; tickets and information.
Sun of Goldfinger — Friday, Solar Myth
Sun of Goldfinger is an alignment of three inveterate sonic travelers — guitarist David Torn, saxophonist Tim Berne, and drummer-percussionist Ches Smith — who have sharpened and deepened a collective language over the last 15 years. The trio has made several albums, the most recent of which is OZMIR, a live recording that captures its gift for a sort of heat-warped, hallucinatory grace.
May 15 at 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 S Broad Street, $30; tickets and information.
Walter Smith III Trio — Saturday, Solar Myth
The jubilant, no-nonsense saunter of a classic tenor saxophone trio, like the ones led by Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson, provides a template for Walter Smith III on Twio, Vol. 2, his latest for Blue Note. On the album he leads a rangy and resourceful trio with Joe Sanders on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums; on tour, he has bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Savannah Harris. After playing the Exit Zero Jazz Festival on Friday night, they’ll find their way up the expressway, bringing sly wit as well as soulful exposition to the Solar Myth stage.
May 16 at 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 S Broad Street, $35; tickets and information.
