Volume 43 • Issue 5 May 2015 Journal of the New Jersey Jazz Society Dedicated to the performance, promotion and preservation of jazz. ...and his mother called him Bill Billy Strayhorn photographed in the 1950s. Courtesy of the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University. A Strayhorn Centennial Salute The New Jersey Jazz Society celebrates the centennial year of the great composer, arranger and pianist with a special performance by Michael Hashim’s 15-piece Billy Strayhorn Orchestra at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown on Sunday, June 14. See pages 13 and 24. New JerseyJazzSociety in this issue: New JerSey Jazz SocIety Prez Sez. 2 Bulletin Board ......................2 NJJS Calendar ......................3 Prez Sez Jazz Trivia .........................4 Editor’s Pick/Deadlines/NJJS Info .......6 By Mike Katz President, NJJS Crow’s Nest. 42 Change of Address/Support NJJS/ This month’s guest columnist is NJJS board the jazz community to be a community.” Volunteer/Join NJJS. 43 member and Jersey Jazz magazine contributor One of the SuzyQue’s evenings was captured by NJJS/Pee Wee T-shirts. 44 Sanford Josephson. allaboutjazz.com’s David A. Orthmann. New/Renewed Members ............44 Jazz in the oranges “Bufford,” he wrote, “is the linchpin for a StorIeS confluence of jazz, entertainment, and revelry. Strayhorn Centennial Salute. cover bout two and a half years ago, West Orange- He’s building a loyal audience, one fan at a time, Big Band in the Sky ..................8 Abased drummer/educator Greg Bufford by juggling a variety of skills that are not unlike Clark Terry Funeral. 12 approached the owner of SuzyQue’s, a local his sophisticated, polyrhythmic approach to Talking Jazz: Romero Lubambo .......14 restaurant/bar, about having live jazz on Tuesday drumming. Bufford leads a core band, graciously Diary of a Nighthawks Fan – Part 8 ....18 nights. Growing up in a family that was in the encourages singers, instrumentalists (and, in one New Bruswick Jazz Project on TV .....22 restaurant business, Bufford knew that Tuesdays instance, a tap dancer) to sit in, greets audience President Emerius Writes. .26 are traditionally the slowest night of the week, members by name in between selections, calls for NYC Hot Jazz Festival ...............27 and he also knew that most musicians do not requests, and makes announcements ranging Fiddling With A Legend ..............28 work on Tuesday nights. from birthdays to cars left in the parking lot with Beacon Hill Band Raises Funds .......29 the lights on.” Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Fesitvals ....30 The SuzyQue’s gig started in October 2012 and Dan’s Den ........................32 lasted about a year before Bufford moved to The refreshing aspect of Bufford’s audiences is Rio Clemente Jazz Social ............33 Highland Place in Maplewood and stayed there that they are very eclectic. There are, of course, until July 2014 when the restaurant went out of musicians in attendance. But the rest of the reVIewS business. He has since moved to Ricalton’s, a crowd can range from octogenarians to college Other Views. ......................34 relatively new restaurant/bar in South Orange, students, with every age in between represented. Caught in the Act ..................36 and has added Sunday brunch, so there is now As for the musicians, on one night at Highland On The Road ......................38 jazz twice a week. The restaurants like it, Bufford Place, West Orange-based Nat Adderley Jr. was Book Review/Tal Farlow Bio ..........39 said, because “I can guarantee 50-100 people on on keyboards, and saxophonist Bill Easley also sat eVeNtS any given night.” in. West Orange-based guitarist Bob DeVos often ’Round Jersey: Morris, Ocean .........40 Bufford, who studied under Philly Joe Jones, is sits in, and Bufford told me that on the last night Institute of Jazz Studies .............41 not only an excellent drummer, but possesses the at Highland Place, vibraphonist Steve Nelson Somewhere There’s Music. 46 type of outgoing personality that transforms a showed up. The Name Dropper .................47 performance into a gathering of friends. He SuzyQue’s, by the way, continues to have jazz, adVertISerS typically will play a set with his trio and then featuring South Orange-based bassist John Lee LauRio ............................4 invite other musicians from the audience to sit on Thursday nights and the Glenn Franke big Marlene VerPlanck ..................4 in. It is not an open jam session, but, “if I look band every other Monday night, and Hat City WBGO Photo Blog. 4 out in the audience and see people I know,” he Kitchen, located on the West Orange/Orange Arbors Records .....................5 explained to me, “I invite them up. It’s a way for border, features a big band led by Montclair- WBGO ............................7 Shanghai Jazz ......................9 Ocean County College ..............11 Stay tuned to www.njjs.org for updates and details. Michael Hashim’s Strayhorn Orch .....13 NJJS Bulletin Board Jazz At Mason Gross ................15 Jim Eigo ..........................18 Diane Perry .......................19 Member discount Claim your member privilege! Get free admission to NJJS socials, discounts Rosalind Grant .....................20 to music events, discounts from partners! Beacon Hill At Bickford Theatre .......21 Swingadelic .......................22 NJJS Members discounts Hibiscus Restaurant, Morristown and The Crossroads, Garwood Patrice Jégou ......................23 offer NJJS members a discount of 10% off their check. The Berrie Center at Ramapo College offers NJJS Jazzdagen ........................25 members 5% off event tickets. $5 ticket discount for monthly Salem Roadhouse Cafe jazz nights. WPU Summer Jazz Room ............31 Sandy Sasso ......................37 Free Jazz Socials…ongoing. Join us for music and mingling. Free for members, CTS Images .......................43 $10 non-members (applicable to membership) with just a $10 venue minimum. Watch calendar page 3 for Cadence Magazine .................45 upcoming dates and details. Beyond the schmooze, there are some serious musical prizes raffled off at Princeton Record Exchange ..........48 our socials!! 2 ____________________________________ May 2015 New JerseyJazzSociety “When it’s cherry blossom time in Orange, New Jersey, we’ll make a peach of a pear” — Sylvia Fine and Max Liebman, sung by Danny Kaye in Up in Arms based tenor saxophonist Mike Lee on Jones, a protégé of Terry’s, and directed by Wednesday nights. Kauflin’s William Paterson classmate, Alan Ricks, was praised by The New York Times For the past four years, I have been Like this issue and the Wall Street Journal and was curating a Sunday night concert series, expected to be nominated for an Oscar, but of Jersey Jazz? “Music in the Moonlight”, at the Luna wasn’t. It had a short theatrical run in New Stage in West Orange, and the South Have it delivered right to York, and I kept waiting for it to arrive at Orange Performing Arts Center has a your mailbox 11 times a year. the Clairidge in Montclair, but it didn’t, so similar Sunday night Jazz in the Loft series. I ordered it on iTunes. It is a very moving Simply join NJJS to get In fact, we haven’t always coordinated and uplifting film. In the obit I wrote on things so well. On Sunday night, February your subscription. Terry in the April issue of Jersey Jazz, 15, Nat Adderley Jr. led a quartet (with Kauflin pointed out that Terry’s “whole life See page 43 for details Greg Bufford on drums) at Luna, and was dedicated to lifting up his students and guitarist Dave Stryker appeared at SOPAC’s or visit www.njjs.org. helping them succeed at the highest level. Loft series — same night, same time. The Nothing gave Clark more joy and pride good news is that they both sold out. than to see his students grow and realize With all this activity, it’s a shame there isn’t their dreams.” some type of outdoor jazz festival in the The title of the film reflects a point in the summer. It’s probably too late for this movie where Terry, losing his eyesight and summer, but imagine if Valley Road in facing the possible loss of his legs due to West Orange were closed down for several diabetes, tells Kauflin: “Be good. God bless. blocks on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Stay well, and keep on keepin’ on.” You could have alternating bands, or even concurrent bands, if they were spaced far n In conclusion, I’d like to remind all NJJS New Jersey Jazz Society enough apart. Local restaurants could members about our concert on June 14 at membership provide food trucks or stations. All we need the Mayo Performing Arts Center in makes a great gift! is sponsors. It’s food for thought (so to Morristown. It will feature music speak). composed by Billy Strayhorn, who Duke Plus, if you are already Ellington called “The other half of my n I finally got a chance to see the a member, a gift membership heartbeat.” Tenor saxophonist Michael outstanding documentary, Keep On Keepin’ Hashim will be leading a 15-piece big band costs just $25! On, about the relationship between young in what promises to be a most jazz pianist Justin Kauflin, who lost his See page 43 for details! memorable afternoon. JJ sight as a child, and the late trumpeter Clark Terry. The film, produced by Quincy See ad on page 13. Stay tuned to www.njjs.org for updates and details. Sunday May 16 Sunday June 14 Saturday August 15 NJJS JAZZ SOCIAL NJJS SPRING CONCERT MORRISTOWN JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL Performance by NJ Jazz Studies Michael Hashim’s Billy Strayhorn Orchestra Swingadelic, Bucky Pizzarelli Guitar students, including 2015 NJJS Mayo PAC, Morristown | 3 PM Summit, Bria Skonberg, Roomful of Blues, scholarship winners 15-piece big band performing a Charlie Musselwhite Band FREE admission NJJS members, Billy Strayhorn Centennial Tribute On the Green, Morristown | Noon – 10 PM $10 all others, $10 food/beverage minimum Tickets: $20–$25 Rain or Shine | FREE Shanghai Jazz | Madison 973-539-8008 | www.mayoarts.org www.morristownjazzandblues.com 3 – 5:30 PM NJJS Calendar May 2015 ____________________________________ 3 New JerseyJazzSociety Jazz trivia MarLeNe VerpLaNcK By O.