Don't Miss State Theatre’s 3rd Annual New Jersey Blues & Jazz Festival

Every year at the State Theatre we present a special event weekend called the New Jersey Blues & Jazz Festival at the Backstage Jazz Club. It’s 3 nights of blues and jazz by some of the most sought after musicians of in these genres and this year is no exception.

Kicking off the festival, which runs from September 24-26, is harmonica bluesman Rod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers. A staple of the West Coast Blues scene, Piazza is back by popular demand from last year’s festival. On the 25th, blues pianist Marcia Ball swings into town with her special brand of roadhouse boogie woogie, zydeco, and East Texas blues. Closing the festival on the 26th are eclectic electric jazz fusion group, the Yellowjackets. In addition to the talent, what’s great about this festival is that everyone attending seats on stage WITH the artists. That’s right, we turn the stage of the theater into a jazz club setting with tables and chairs and your favorite artists just inches away. To catch a glimpse of what this looks like, watch this video clip of 2007’s festival (Jon Faddis and Jimmy Heath performing): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGQucW28fxo. For more information on the festival, visit: http://www.statetheatrenj.org/bluesjazz.