The PEI Jazz and Blues Festival, otherwise known as “White men can’t jump”, is moving itself to late September and into the PEI history books.

September 24th to 27th is about as dead as PEI gets for tourism. It’s cold, usually wet and no fun to play or listen to music outside. They will need several good indoor venues that are close together downtown.

The whole thing is a yawner for people who don’t like jazz or blues. The festival organizers have the worst white-bread and jam taste in jazz. But they are politically connected to the arbiter of all taste on PEI, Myrtle Jenkins Smith.

Let’s face it: not many people like jazz although more people like the blues. What we’ve been dished up for years is pretty tepid. For real blues this summer, try the Dutch Mason Blues Festival in Truro. Otherwise, put those old Chess and Verve CD’s in rotation, get the groove and enjoy the love.