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Focus on the Pass - May 2022
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- by Lisa Monti
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The beautiful park setting, with shade provided by the large oaks and cooling breezes off the Gulf, make for a comfortable and relaxing venue. You may bring your chairs and blankets, but organizers caution you to leave the glass containers at home. Food and drink will be sold during the event, and vendors will offer a variety of crafts.
Event chairman Joe Piernas said, “I am looking forward to a great day of good music, food and crafts, and a great day for people getting back together underneath the oak trees in the park.”
If you’re not familiar with the rich musical heritage of Pass Christian, look no further than the Mississippi Blues Trail marker erected in the city for a quick lesson. The marker reads:
Captain Handy was an internationally known alto sax player who performed, composed and recorded jazz through a long and storied career.
He led his band, the Louisiana Shakers, for decades, toured Europe and the Far East, and is credited as an innovator in rhythm and blues. Handy’s final performance was in 1970, when he shared top billing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival with Mahalia Jackson.
After his death in his Pass Christian home, Handy was honored with a pair of traditional jazz funerals, one in New Orleans and another in his hometown, where he is buried in Live Oak Cemetery. It was reported that some 4,000 mourners came to say their goodbyes to the legendary musician.
​Fittingly, one of the performers at Jazz in the Pass 2022 is Julius Handy III, great nephew of Captain Handy.
​Here is the musical lineup for the day:
St. Stanislaus band members play jazz and blues
2:00 – 3:45 pm: Julius Handy III
Handy plays in two New Orleans jazz bands and is making his debut at his great uncle’s namesake event.
4:00 – 5:45 pm: Da Real Band
Gulfport musicians play a mix of jazz and R&B
6:00 – 8:00 pm: Starz
This popular R&B band started performing together in high school and 20 years later have fans all over South Mississippi.
Jazz in the Pass
Sunday, May 29 (Memorial Day Weekend)
Noon – 8:00 pm
War Memorial Park
101 Flietas Ave., Pass Christian
For more information, visit the event's Facebook page.
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