CAPE MAY CONVENTION HALL / SATURDAY, MAY 17

The Story

Led by multi-Grammy award-winning guitarist-vocalist Clay Ross, the American Patchwork Quartet (APQ) binds timeless American folk songs with jazz sophistication, country twang, West African hypnotics and East Asian ornamentation. A masterful confluence of tradition and innovation, APQ’s acoustic sound transcends culture, politics and ideology.

A southern-born roots music aficionado, Ross is also the founder of  the world-renowned Gullah group Ranky Tanky, which appeared at the Fall 2017 and 2019 Exit Zero Jazz Festivals. In APQ, Ross blends brilliantly with Hindustani classical vocalist-violinist Falguni Shah, in-demand jazz bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and acclaimed drummer Clarence Penn, a protege of Ellis Marsalis and Betty Carter who has also worked with Christian Sands, Dave Douglas, David Sanchez, Richard Galliano, Maria Schneider, Gary Burton, Little Jimmy Scott, Tim Warfield, Makoto Ozone and Joshua Rodman, among many others.

Resonating as a potent symbol of unity in diversity, APQ stands as a testament to the notion that from a collage of varied backgrounds a coherent and beautiful whole can be fashioned. Mirroring America’s cultural mosaic, APQ stitches together a story that’s both intricate and resilient; a deliberately designed homage to America’s past and a showcase of its dynamic present.

The Sound 

Expect the APQ to re-imagine timeless songs from America’s past like “Shenandoah,”“Wayfaring Stranger” and the Appalachian nugget “Lazy John” in their premiere appearance at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival.