Picture this…a gorgeous blue sky, a cool breeze, a backdrop of the peaceful Potomac River and St. Clements Island, 800 of your closest friends, and killer music.  That’s what we were able to enjoy on July 12th at the Annual Potomac Jazz & Seafood Festival.  This was our first time in attendance, and based on what we experienced, it won’t be our last.

First some background.  Colton’s Point is situated in Southern Maryland, right on the Potomac River, which feeds into the Chesapeake Bay.  The town houses the Potomac River Museum, which features information on the landing of Maryland colonists in 1634 and the first Roman Catholic Mass in the English speaking colonies. It traces the history of the area and life along the Potomac River through archaeological exhibits and cultural events.  Across the river is St. Clements Island with a fabulous lighthouse.  What a setting!  And knowing that this Festival is a fundraiser to benefit local schools, made it even better. 

On the park-like lawn alongside the museum, festival goers set up their own chairs and/or blankets.  The number of tickets is limited to 800, and this event sold out in advance.  Why?  Because when you bring in artists like sax man Marcus Mitchell, contemporary jazz group, Urban Jazz Coalition, and headliner, Nick Colionne, you are bound to draw a crowd just waiting to get their party going!  In addition to the music, there are local food and beverage vendors stationed in tents to the back of the lawn, offering up the best seafood that Maryland is famous for (and of course, landlubber fare, too).  From shrimp, crab, and oysters, to homemade ice cream, this was THE perfect place to be on a warm July day.  And then the music kicked in…       

First on was sax man, Marcus Mitchell.  We realized we had seen him before playing alongside keyboardist Marcus Johnson.  But here he was as the front man.  His style and personality are full of energy.  The crowd was loving the music.  Marcus played a number of songs from his latest CD, R&R, but the majority of his set was familiar cover songs.  We really enjoyed his music, but wished he would have focused more on his original music.

The second set was filled by Ohio-based Urban Jazz Coalition, a band with great contemporary sound.  This was our first time hearing them and we were totally blown away!  This band was tight and played almost all original music.  The majority of the music played is from their 2008 release, A New Day.  The good portion of the crowd was up and dancing during most of their set, and when their bass player and sax player headed out into the sea of people, they were greeted with smiles and more dancing!  This is definitely a group worth checking out.

Closing the night out under the bright moon and stars was guitarist Nick Colionne.  The minute Nick took the stage, the crowd was on their feet and never sat down.  Nick’s infectious personality and tremendous talent just took them by storm!  Nick played some old favorites and some new tunes from his brand new CD, No Limits.  The new songs sounded terrific live.  Nick has added a lot more vocals to accompany his own guitar, and he wowed the crowd with “Rainy Night in Georgia,” and the heart-stopping “Melting Into You.”  He and his band were having as much fun on stage as the audience was.  The lawn in front of the stage became the dance floor as Nick strolled through the crowd and got people out there to dance.  It was party central and no one wanted it to end!

This Festival, while small in size, is a (rather refreshing) far cry from the jazz and wine scene from other parts of the country.  They packed a lot of punch into one day.  From beautiful scenery to the top notch musicians, the Potomac Jazz & Seafood Festival will surely make it onto our calendar for future years.  Kudos to Kim Cullins, the event coordinator, and her staff and volunteers for making this a great experience.