It is an unmistakable sign of momentum that Sunday’s launch party for the fifth annual Hamptons JazzFest has surpassed 650 registrants, forcing both a change in format to an open house-style gathering and a change in location from inside the Southampton Arts Center to in as well as outdoors, on its grounds.
Sunday’s party, from 4 to 6 p.m., will feature a performance by the Hamptons JazzFest All-Star Ensemble along with a wine bar and hors d’oeuvres, raffles, merchandise, JazzFest membership sign-up, and community partner tables with WLIW-FM and other festival sponsors.
“We’re very excited about the season coming up,” said Bill O’Connell, the festival’s artistic director and a pianist who lives in Montauk. “It seems we’re becoming a part of the fabric of the East End in the summer. We’re overjoyed about that. It shows how we’re progressing.”
Venues stretch from Montauk to Southampton, and in addition to the Southampton Arts Center include Guild Hall in East Hampton, LTV Studios in Wainscott, the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton, Second House Museum in Montauk, and The Church, Bay Street Theater, and the Wamponamon Lodge Masonic Temple in Sag Harbor. Among the offerings are a mix of free and ticketed performances.
“We have had extremely positive results in pre-ticket sales at all our venues,” said Claes Brondal, a drummer and the executive director of Hamptons JazzFest, who lives in Sag Harbor. “We’ve had more registrations than ever” and tickets are selling fast, he said.
More than 25 concerts featuring world-class jazz and global music artists are scheduled through September. The highlights are many, but one is surely the Harlem Gospel Choir, on Aug. 11 at Bay Street Theater. Tickets range from $69.99 to $99.99. Another is Montauk Jazz Day, on the grounds of Second House, on Aug. 10. There, the Ada Rovatti Organ Trio and Richard Baratta’s Gotham City Latin/Jazz Sextet, featuring Mr. O’Connell, will perform from 3 to 6 p.m. Admission is free.
Other noteworthy shows include the Alex Sipiagin Quartet at the Masonic Temple on July 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $20. Camille Thurman with the Darrell Green Quartet will perform at LTV Studios on Aug. 15 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students, $30 for general admission, and $60 for a reserved V.I.P. cafe table seat. A small additional fee will apply to each tier.
The festival also brings the McIver Piano Jazz Series to LTV Studios, featuring intimate, solo performances and conversation. Mr. O’Connell will perform there on Aug. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Students with a valid student ID will be admitted for $10. A reserved cafe table seat is $35 and comes with a drink ticket.
The full schedule is at hamptonsjazzfest.org.
