Music series leaving Newburgh waterfront

Newburgh – The Newburgh Jazz Series, Newburgh Doowop Series and the Newburgh Gospel Series will no longer be a City of Newburgh attraction. At the last show of the summer season, Aquanetta Wright, Executive Producer of Ferry Godmother Productions, announced that she would no longer use the Newburgh landing as the venue for the concert series. She noted the unexpected plans to move her Newburgh music concerts to a new location were due to lack of support from some parts of the City and the lack of parking. Stated Wright, “complaints about parking have become the tipping point and have forced me to pull the plug on the waterfront location.”

To accommodate the growing size and popularity of the event, the premier music festival in the Hudson Valley will be moving from its namesake waterfront location of 5 years. The concerts have grown exponentially over the years, leaving some to complain of the disruption to business.

The Newburgh Jazz Series became an annual event on the Newburgh waterfront in 2007 when community activist Wright decided to put her talent and networking skills to the test trying to help Newburgh improve its image while driving business to the City of Newburgh. Wright, known as the Ferry Godmother, has garnered a project known for bringing top quality musicians, discovering new talent and unearthing new ideas in music presentation. There have been some nationally-known names and Grammy winners gracing the waterfront stage, including Richard Pryor, Jr., US Military Jazz Knights, Bobby Sanabria, Rufus Reid, James Cammack, and the late, great violinist Betty McDonald.

Immediately following the 2011 concert season, Ferry Godmother Productions began looking into alternative sites. They are looking for suggestions for a new location, on public or private property, to hold all three of the Newburgh music series. Each project brings its own insurance and is of no cost to the tax payers in a community. A priority will be given to any public park on the Hudson River, but farther inland with a lake and dramatic views are also possible. You can leave your suggestion on the blog page at www.FerryGodmother.com or call (225) DO-MAGIC (366-2442).