Central New York music fans will have the chance to see 15 bands perform over four days as the 24th annual Jazz N' Caz festival kicks off Wednesday. The festival features free performances at nine venues, including the Catherine Cummings Theatre, which will host a performance for the first time in four years. Festival founder and producer Colleen Prossner said the event draws visitors from throughout the surrounding area.
"Community in Cazenovia and then the surrounding communities, they want to have good music, be entertained, arts and culture," Prossner said. "And giving them that opportunity to see all of these musicians playing in one place is really incredible. But it also keeps musicians that we have working, there in the public eye."
Prossner said many of the performing musicians also play during Syracuse Jazz Fest. The festival is also a boost for local businesses, she said.
"We have a wonderful, little historic village for people to come and frequent go to the shops and restaurants and hotels, and be able to listen to free music while you're walking around town," she said.
The festival opens Wednesday with a performance by Michael Passarelli, followed by the 10th Mountain Division Jazz Combo from Fort Drum, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Other performers include father-and-son duo Loren and LJ Barrigar on Friday from 6 to 7 p.m. The festival closes Saturday with headliner Gap Mangione and The New Big Band, performing from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
The complete performance schedule is available at CazArts.com.
