Volume 35 • Issue 03 JerseyJazz March 2007 Journal of the New Jersey Jazz Society Dedicated to the performance, promotion and preservation of jazz. 34th Annual IAJE Conference: Vive La France! By Tony Mottola Jersey Jazz Editor omething called the International Association of S Jazz Educators Conference has the ring of a dry academic conclave where white papers like “The History of the Flat-5 Chord in Jazz Music” are presented. In reality, the event is a four-day jazz banquet with a bounti- ful menu of education programs, dozens of jazz perform- ances and master classes, industry workshops, industry mingles and the presentation of some major awards. The schedule for the conference runs some 20 pages. The 34th annual event, held in New York City January 10–13, reached new heights as upwards of 8,000 students, educators, industry members and fans from over 40 countries were on hand for the largest anywhere gathering of the global jazz community. Continuing a new trend honoring the contributions of different countries to the art form, the 2007 conference paid special tribute to France’s influence on jazz over the last century as well as the country’s impact on today’s international jazz scene. French students, musicians and industry members were in New York in full force, both at the conference and in the New York clubs as performers French singer Anne Ducros and bassist Essiett Okon Essiett performing at and fans alike. Trumpets Jazz Club in Montclair during IAJE week. Photo by Cheri Rogowsky. During the Opening Gala, IAJE President Chuck Owen composer, arranger and pianist Michel Legrand, who over his storied career presented the 2007 IAJE President’s Award to celebrated has composed more than 200 film and television scores, musicals, and made more than a hundred albums. The winner of three Oscars, five Grammy There’s still time awards and an Emmy nomination, Legrand was one of the first Europeans to to purchase advance tickets work with legendary jazz innovators including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp John Coltrane, Stan Getz and Bill Evans in the early 1950s. SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2007 continued on page 22 Birchwood Manor, Whippany see pp. 2, 8 & 23 ARTICLES CDs: Compact Views . 34 Cornerstone . 7 in this issue: Classic Stine . 9 CD: Octobop . 34 eighty eights . 11 NEW JERSEY JAZZ SOCIETY Mottola Tribute Shanghai Jazz . 10 CDs: Other Views . 36 Community Theatre . 13 Pres Sez/NJJS Calendar/ Big Band in the Sky. 14 Bebop Lives! Lincoln Center . 38 Salt Creek Grille . 17 NJJS Bulletin Board . 2 – 3 Meyer on Davern. 18 Three Benny. 40 Lana’s Fine Dining. 21 The Mail Bag . 4 Robertson on Jay Duke. 20 Stonefire Restaurant. 24 EVENTS Editor’s Pick/Deadlines/NJJS info . 6 Crow’s Nest. 20 Rutgers Mason Gross . 31 ’Round Jersey: Bridgewater, Jazzdagen Tours . 33 Notes from the Music Committee . 8 IAJE Diary: Smith/Ackerman. 23 Morris, Ocean County . 44 Trumpets . 35 Jazz Trivia . 40 Jazz U: College Jazz Scene . 28 Somewhere There’s Music. 46 North Maple Inn . 37 In the Mainstream . 42 Dance Workshop Report. 29 The Name Dropper . 47 CTS Images . 38 New Members . 42 REVIEWS Arbors Records . 41 New Board Member J. Wetcher . 43 DVD: Heath Brothers . 30 ADVERTISERS Laura Hull . 48 About NJJS/Membership Info . 43 DVD: Icons of Jazz Part Two . 32 Shanghai Jazz . 5 Weichert Realtors . 48 New JerseyJazzSociety NJJS Calendar Sunday March 4 2007 Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp featuring Smith Street Society Jazz Band, Dick Voigt’s Big Apple Jazz Band, Kevin Dorn’s Prez Sez Traditional Jazz Collective, Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks; By Andrea Tyson President, NJJS Birchwood Manor/Whippany see p 8 and ad p 27 t’s here: our 38th Pee Wee Stomp — March 4th which is presented in schools and other venues by Saturday March 17 2007 I — Birchwood Manor, Whippany. We have a a group of dedicated musicians. Board member Bridgewater see ad p 39 & p 44 great line-up and it should be a spectacular event, Stan Myers is emcee for this entertaining and so please join us. See Joe Lang’s Music Committee Sunday March 18 2007 educational program on the history of jazz. I’m MONTHLY MEMBER MEETING Notes for more details. New for this year, we will happy to announce that NJJS has been awarded an featuring Bob Porter have printed copies of the NJJS Record Bin CD Arts Council of the Morris Area (ACMA) Trumpets/Montclair see pp 2 & 8 inventory on each table at the Stomp. The dance matching grant to assist us in bringing these floor should be filled thanks to Jersey Jazz’s art performances to the Morris County area during Tuesday April 10 2007 director/associate editor Linda Lobdell, an NJJS co-sponsored Mason Gross 2007 and 2008. We’re grateful to ACMA for this accomplished swing dancer (see below). concert, Rutgers/New Brunswick grant. If you know of an appropriate venue featuring Frank Sinatra, Jr. ■ see pp 3, 43 & ad p 31 NJJS Dance Lesson — how cool is that? More (school, library, etc.) for this performance, please than 30 people attended a dance class organized by let me know ([email protected]). Sunday April 15 2007 Linda Lobdell on January 20 to learn the Peabody NJJS co-sponsored concert ■ One of my personal initiatives as president is to and Charleston, which are perfect for the music Community Theatre/Morristown inform you about the thriving New Jersey jazz played at the Stomp. Yours truly did her best to featuring Warren Vaché et al scene, including new areas to investigate and some see pp 3, 8 & ad p 13 keep up — mostly get out of the way! Just kidding. tried-and-true venues. The Cornerstone in Our NJJS V.P., Mike Katz, Esq., Jackie Wetcher, Sunday April 22 2007 Metuchen is one of those gems in the crown of another board member, a total of eight NJJS MONTHLY MEMBER MEETING Jersey’s jazz scene. Their creative musical offerings Trumpets/Montclair see pp 2 & 8 members were there. Thanks to Linda, her friend are always intriguing. Stop by any Wednesday or Nick Romei and her mother Lucie for all their Sunday May 20 2007 Friday for great jazz. Tell music booker Ronni Rose hard work. Our instructors, Chad Fasca and MONTHLY MEMBER MEETING you’re a member of NJJS. Check out their current Trumpets/Montclair see pp 2 & 8 Midori Asakura, were patient and wonderfully schedule in their ad on page 7. You might recognize qualified. See photos on page 29. Saturday/Sunday a few of the regulars at the bar or having dinner at June 9/10 2007 ■ On the Air — Catch Joe Lang on radio station a table. It’s a friendly place and you’ll be warmly Jazzfest featuring Winard Harper Sextet, WMSC, 90.8 FM talking about the Stomp on welcomed. Midiri Brothers Band, Earl May Mark Blaustein’s Sunday, February 25 show ■ South Brunswick Jazz Café Series — Jazz Quintet, Hendrik Muerkens 10 – 11 AM. Mark is host of “On The Town” Samba Jazz Quintet, et al venues are tucked away amid the horses and at Montclair State University’s radio station. Drew Univ./Madison see p 8 grazing lands of rural New Jersey. Elliott and I If you can’t get it on your FM dial, you can ventured south to see saxophonist-composer- Saturday September 15 2007 listen on your computer. JazzFeast arranger Virginia Mayhew perform at the Jazz Princeton (details TBA) ■ One of the society's major educational Café in the South Brunswick (Dayton) Municipal Sunday September 23 2007 initiatives is our Generations of Jazz program Complex. They have jazz on the first Friday MONTHLY MEMBER MEETING Trumpets/Montclair see pp 2 & 8 Sunday September 30 2007 NJJS Bulletin Board NJJS 35th Anniversary Dinner Dance (details TBA) 2007 Monthly Member benefit of NJJS membership. For no they’re a great way to introduce Sunday October 21 2007 Meetings Dates Set charge at all, members are treated to friends to the New Jersey Jazz Society. MONTHLY MEMBER MEETING informative and entertaining programs For just $10, non-members may enjoy Joe Lang and the Music Committee Trumpets/Montclair see pp 2 & 8 presented just for us. Hear and meet the program, too. That $10 goes a announce the dates for the next the people who make the jazz world long way when it’s also used as a first Sunday November 18 2007 series of Monthly Member Meetings. tick. Reasonably priced food and drink MONTHLY MEMBER MEETING installment on a new membership. See calendar at left, and Music enhance the event. Enjoy meeting Trumpets/Montclair see pp 2 & 8 Committee Notes on page 8 for other members and friends during the Join us Sunday March 18 when NJJS details. These meetings are a great social hour. As an added bonus, Advisor, radio personality Bob Porter, 2 March 2007 JerseyJazz New JerseyJazzSociety ON THE TOWN: NJJS Board Members Frank Mulvaney, It’s a new jazz room our editor’s father. Bucky Pizzarelli, Gene Andrea Tyson, I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Bertoncini and Howard Alden blended Stan Myers and ■ A special mention together beautifully on their guitars. Derek Laura Hull gathered Smith was on piano and told stories of for some grub and about a new advertiser, jazz at a recent jam Lana’s in Clark.A few when he and Tony were in the Tonight Show session at the of us stopped by on a band — little asides so meaningful to the Crossroads in Thursday to hear family. Jerry Bruno and Steve Freeman sat Garwood. Photo Warren Vaché, along in on bass, and Rio Clemente took the by Cheri Rogowsky.