The Lake George Arts Project’s Jazz Weekend opens Friday, Sept.16, with the Chembo Corniel Quintet taking the stage in Shepard Park at 6 p.m. Poet and spoken word artist David Gonzalez will join the quintet for Friday’s performance. The Jazz at the Lake Festival, now in its 38th year, brings top jazz musicians to Lake George for a jazz festival that gives fans an up-close experience on the Lake George shore.
The music continues Friday evening at venues throughout Lake George. Look for Hot Club of Saratoga at The Barnsider Restaurant, 2112 U.S. 9, the Scott Hopkins Jazz Trio at the Lake George Beach Club, 3 Lower Montcalm Street (next to Shepard Park), and James Rissacher, classical guitarist, at the Caldwell Lake George Library, 336 Canada Street.
The jazz festival continues in Shepard Park Saturday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. with Gilad Hekselman & Far Star Trio, the young and rising jazz vocalist star Samara Joy at 3 p.m., Ike Sturm + HEART at 5 p.m. and Camille Thurman & the Darrell Green Quartet will close the evening performances beginning at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 18, the jazz festival opens at 1 p.m. with Zach Brock Quartet featuring Aaron Goldberg, Yasushi Nakamura, & Clarence Penn, followed by Vanderlei Pereira & Blindfold Test at 3 p.m. and Elio Villafranca & The Jass Syncopators, the final act, will take the stage at 5 p.m.
Admission to the festival is free. The Lake George Arts Project depends on donations to support its programs and offers posters, t-shirts, coffee mugs and other merchandise for sale at the festival. Metered parking is available on streets surrounding the park and in public and private parking lots.
Featured photo: The Bootsie Barnes Quartet performs at the Jazz at the Lake festival in 2018.