Sea Cliff will welcome music lovers and community members at its inaugural Jazz Fest on Sunday, Jan. 18.
The event will be free to attend, with shows held at venues throughout the village. Sea Cliff Daily Grind, Village Wine Merchant, Moonshot Emporium and Still Partners will host performances starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
The festival is the result of collaboration among the Sea Cliff Arts Council, the Love Your Neighbor Project and Will Winchester, a third-year student and bass player at Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio.
“We wanted to bring jazz to students, locals and anyone who might be interested, and also support local businesses,” Winchester said.
He said Sea Cliff is a community full of artists and musicians, a fact that led him down the path of pursuing music himself.
“I was lucky enough to grow up in Sea Cliff,” he said. “So I wanted to share the same opportunities that I was given with the next generation of musicians. This festival is a way that I can do that.”
James Cammack, who has recorded and toured with legends Ahmad Jamal and Nancy Wilson, will headline the event, performing with his trio at 5:30 at the festival. Other performers, such as the Meridian Jazz Trio, online sensation Ruby Laks and Winchester himself, will be present to share jazz with festivalgoers.
The Sea Cliff Arts Council is an active community organization that aims “to support and promote the arts in all modes of artistic expression within one square mile,” according to its website.
The Love Your Neighbor Project is a non-profit organization that empowers the community by organizing events, creating projects, and supporting accessibility, according to a statement from the organization.
“I don’t see how I would have been able to do this…without Love Your Neighbor’s support,” Winchester said. “And all of the donations we collect on the day of the festival will benefit the Sea Cliff Arts Council.”
Winchester said he is excited to give back to a community that inspired him to pursue music. He started playing jazz during his time at North Shore High School.
“Instead of people saying, ‘Oh, you need a backup plan,’ they said, ‘if you want to do music, you should do music,’” he said. “I feel grateful to have grown up in a musical community where friends and teachers gave me opportunities to play and learn.”
