With tickets to the 18th Annual Provincetown Jazz Festival now on sale, it makes sense to look at this year’s event and its performers.
This festival got its start in 2005, and despite its name, performances take place in various Cape Cod towns. It attracts local, national, and international artists every year and operates a charity that donates a portion of its proceeds to worthwhile causes like the Cape’s Jazz in the Schools program.
The 2022 version of the festival features concerts on July 11, August 8, and August 16, giving Cape Cod visitors multiple opportunities to take in a performance.
Here’s a look at what you can expect at the 2022 Provincetown Jazz Festival.
July 11 at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod
The festival gets underway on Monday, July 11 at 7:30 PM with a show at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod in South Yarmouth. This venue sits on Old Main Street, just over the Bass River Bridge, and is close to popular vacation destinations like Smugglers Beach, Parker’s River Beach, and Bass River Park.
The South Yarmouth concert will kick off with a tribute to famous American jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard by The Cape Cod Jazz Quintet. The Quintet features five of the Cape’s most prominent jazz musicians – Steve Ahern, Bruce Abbott, Fred Boyle, Ron Ormsby, and Bart Weisman – and pops up at numerous Cape Cod events every year.
The Cape Cod Jazz Quintet will also join vocalist and BackStage Bistro Award recipient Dane Vannatter as he blends jazz and cabaret in a distinctive style you’re sure to remember. Vannatter performed at Fenway Park’s 100th-anniversary show and has sung on stage with Patti LaBelle, making him one of the most accomplished musicians to appear this year.
August 8 at the Cotuit Center for the Arts
After the South Yarmouth show, the festival will take a month-long break until returning on Monday, August 8 at 7:30 PM for a concert at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. This venue sits on Falmouth Road and is slightly off the beaten path, although it’s easily drivable from downtown Mashpee, Falmouth village, and Hyannis.
This performance will feature a couple of Provincetown Jazz Festival debuts, as Leala Cyr & Cameron Shave will make their first appearances.
Leala Cyr is a renowned vocalist and trumpeter who is quickly becoming one of the country’s most sought-after jazz singers. She has appeared on The Tonight Show, The Late Show, The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Daily Show. She is also a member of Esperanza Spalding’s Radio Music and Chamber Music Societies. Fred Boyle, Ron Ormsby, and Bart Weisman will accompany Cyr during her performance.
Massachusetts resident Cameron Shave is no stranger to the spotlight, as he first became known in jazz circles at the age of 11 thanks to his street performances in Providence, Rhode Island. Now 18, Shave has won a Jazz Scholarship from the International Trumpet Guild and the Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition at the Boston Pops. He was also selected to the 2021 NAfME All-National Honor Jazz Ensemble and the Lincoln Center Summer Jazz Academy.
August 16 at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum
The 2022 Provincetown Jazz Festival’s finale will take place at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) on Tuesday, August 16, at 6:00 PM. The venue sits directly on Commercial Street, a few blocks from the MacMillan Pier, making it easy to reach when booking a vacation rental in Provincetown.
This year’s concert will open with 15-year-old pianist Ben Collins-Siegel, a New Jersey native with an incredibly bright future in front of him. Collins-Siegel was named the outstanding soloist at the 12th Annual Charles Mingus Festival in 2020 and has been featured in New Jersey Jazz Magazine. This young performer was also asked to play with the legendary Fred Hersch and has performed at the Montclair Jazz Festival and the Jazz Forum in Tarrytown.
The 18th annual festival will end with a performance by Chuck Redd, an internationally-known performer from Washington, D.C., who has played with groups like the Charlie Byrd Trio, the Great Guitars, and the Barney Kessel Trio. Redd plays the vibraphone and the drums and has been featured in over 80 recordings during his career, including songs with clarinetist Ken Peplowski. In addition, Redd was a member of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra for more than 15 years.
Get Your Tickets Today
Tickets to Provincetown Jazz Festival performances typically sell out before the day arrives, and all three shows are at smaller venues, so buying in advance is highly recommended. Booking a vacation rental and purchasing your concert tickets today ensures you don’t miss out on any of the action at this year’s festival.
Tickets to all three concerts are only $30 each, which is incredible value for the caliber of artists the Provincetown Jazz Festival attracts each and every year.
