Harbor Jazz Festival 2019 Will Feature 5 Days Of Jazz: INFO

STONY BROOK, NY — The Jazz Loft, located along Stony Brook's waterfront, will hold its 5th annual Harbor Jazz Festival, a spokesperson said. Much of the festival will take place outdoors overlooking Stony Brook Harbor, as well inside the beautifully restored home of The Jazz Loft at 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook.

The event, from Sept. 25 to 29, will celebrate jazz with five days of nearly a dozen internationally-known acts, including soul/jazz vocalist Nicole Henry; the Terell Stafford Quintet, the Houston Person Quartet, Nicki Parrott Trio, Champian Fulton Quartet, The Jazz Loft bands and more. The 2019 festival purposely puts an added spotlight on women in jazz and features many female performers.

The festival will also feature the art of the late Stony Brook artist John Remson, presented by the Atelier Gallery and Studio; a children’s "instrument petting zoo," which allows kids to see, hear and touch jazz instruments; and access to The Loft’s 6,000-square-foot museum, a treasure trove filled with over 800 jazz artifacts.

The Loft, which operates as a non-profit organization, was established in 2016 by Dr. Thomas Manuel, its founder, curator, jazz historian and artistic director. Manuel is also the director of Stony Brook University’s Young Artists Jazz Program.

"The year’s Harbor Jazz Festival line-up promises to deliver an extraordinary experience and unique opportunity to hear performances from some of the finest jazz artists in the world," Manuel stated via press release. "Many of the acts booked for this year’s festival perform at some of New York's top venues and clubs. It's amazing for our Long Island community that this years' festival brings them all right here in our own backyard."

The Jazz Loft is located just 90 minutes from New York City and is the only music venue on Long Island that features exclusively jazz music.

The full schedule for the Harbor Jazz Festival is below:

• Sept. 25 (Wednesday) 7 p.m.: The Art of Jazz Jam with the Keenan Zach Trio; Atelier Artists Gallery Opening featuring the art of John Remson (All tickets $10)
• Sept. 26 (Thursday) 7-9:30 p.m.: Interplay Jazz Orchestra, 17 piece Big Band w/ guest artist Dave LaLama (Tickets $30, $25, $20)
• Sept. 27 (Friday): VIP Opening Reception at 6 p.m. Meet and greet the headliner artists. This VIP event will include a selection of Long Island wines, craft beers, cocktail hour appetizers. Meet Jazz Loft president & founder Tom Manuel, as well as some other surprise guests. (Tickets $65)
• Sept. 27 (Friday): 7-9:30 p.m.: The Terell Stafford Quintet
  Terell Stafford is a professional jazz trumpet player and current Director of Jazz Studies at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University. (Tickets $30, $25, $20)
• Sept. 28 (Saturday) - All Saturday shows are OUTDOORS. In the event of inclement weather, the concerts will take place inside The Jazz Loft.
  • 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.: Children’s Instrument Petting Zoo
  • 1 p.m.: Frank Vignola Duo with Houston Person
  • 4 p.m.: Champian Fulton Quartet 7 p.m.
  • Nicole Henry Quintet: Nicole Henry is an internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist.
  • Tickets $30, $25, $20
• Sept. 29 (Sunday)
  • 12 p.m.: Houston Person Quartet: Houston Person is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer.
  • 3 p.m.: Nicki Parrott Trio
  • Tickets $30, $25, $20