Volume 43 • Issue 6 June 2015 Journal of the New Jersey Jazz Society Dedicated to the performance, promotion and preservation of jazz. Singer Tamar Korn and Jerron “Blindboy” Paxton joined Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band on stage at The Players Club in NYC on May 3. Photo by Lynn Redmile. New York’s Hot Jazz Festival NJJS Presents Old Tunes, Young Turks A Billy Strayhorn A sold-out crowd that included such music world luminaries as George Wein and Gary Giddins and 130-plus top tier musicians Centennial Tribute filled a 19th century Gramercy Park mansion on May 3 for a June 14 | Mayo PAC, Morristown 14-hour marathon of traditional and swing era jazz at the 3rd Tickets On Sale NOW! annual New York Hot Jazz Festival. Jersey Jazz’s Lynn Redmile See Page 13 was there to take in the scene and you can read her report and see more photos beginning on page 26. New JerseyJazzSociety in this issue: New Jersey Jazz socIety Prez Sez. 2 Bulletin Board ......................2 NJJS Calendar ......................3 Jazz Trivia .........................4 Prez Sez Editor’s Pick/Deadlines/NJJS Info .......6 Crow’s Nest. 46 By Mike Katz President, NJJS Change of Address/Support NJJS/ Volunteer/Join NJJS. 47 NJJS/Pee Wee T-shirts. 48 hanks to NJJS Board member Sandy In addition, we are expecting a group from the New/Renewed Members ............48 TJosephson for contributing an outstanding jazz band of Newark Academy in Livingston to storIes guest column last month! open for the Strayhorn Orchestra, which is New York Hot Jazz Festival .......cover particularly appropriate since earlier this year the Big Band in the Sky ..................8 As you are receiving this issue of Jersey Jazz, we Memories of John Maimone ..........10 Newark Academy band was selected as one of 15 are eagerly anticipating our annual concert at the Talking Jazz: Sheila Jordan ...........12 finalists in the 20th annual Jazz at Lincoln Center Mayo Center for the Performing Arts, to take Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Festival .....19 Essentially Ellington competition for high school Newark Museum Jazz in the Garden ..20 place in Morristown on Sunday, June 14. This jazz groups, the only band from New Jersey to be Joe Lovano at Bethany Vespers ......20 year’s concert celebrates the 100th anniversary of so honored. The band, along with the other April Jazz Social ...................22 the birth of Billy Strayhorn, and will feature the President Emerius Writes. .24 finalists, will attend an in-school workshop led by Billy Strayhorn Orchestra, under the direction of Grand Pianos at Rutgers IJS ..........29 a professional musician before heading to New Johnny Mercer Tribute ..............29 Michael Hashim. Noteworthy .......................30 York City in May, where they will take part in Dan’s Den ........................32 As some of you know, Mike offered us a preview three days of workshops, jam sessions and reVIews of the Strayhorn program when he appeared at rehearsals before performing for a panel of judges Other Views. ......................34 one of our jazz socials last fall, and many of you that includes Wynton Marsalis. Caught in the Act ..................36 know that his band provided not one, but two We had excellent attendance at last year’s Mayo Book Review: Boswell Legacy ........37 sets of great music at this past March’s Pee Wee Book Review: The B-Side ............38 concert which featured Bria Skonberg, and I hope Russell Memorial Stomp, the second of which was On The Road ......................42 that you will all come out for this year’s event, to April at JALC ......................43 impromptu, occasioned by the snowstorm which enjoy a great afternoon of jazz and help support prevented the band that had been booked for the eVeNts the New Jersey Jazz Society. ’Round Jersey: Morris, Ocean .........44 fourth set from getting to the Birchwood Manor. Institute of Jazz Studies .............45 So we know that this is an event that you won’t Members should note that because of the Mayo Somewhere There’s Music. 50 want to miss, and I hope that as many of you as concert, we will not be having a social in June, The Name Dropper .................51 possible will attend. The Mayo PAC is a large and will resume the social calendar at Shanghai adVertIsers theater and there are plenty of tickets still Jazz in September. Jim Eigo ...........................4 Marlene VerPlanck ..................4 available, at a very reasonable price of $20 to $25, n Speaking of anniversaries, this year also Arbors Records .....................5 depending on seating location. Tickets are represents the 50th anniversary of the tour of WBGO ............................7 available by phone and online directly from the Louis Armstrong and his All Stars in which they Shanghai Jazz ......................9 Mayo PAC; they are not sold by NJJS. played in several Eastern European countries WBGO Photo Blog. .10 Ocean County College ..............11 Michael Hashim’s Strayhorn Orch .....13 Sandy Sasso ......................14 Stay tuned to www.njjs.org for updates and details. Jazz At Mason Gross ................15 State Theatre. 17 NJJS Bulletin Board Rosalind Grant .....................18 Beacon Hill Musicians Guild ..........21 Member discount Claim your member privilege! Get free admission to NJJS socials, discounts Patrice Jégou ......................23 Swingadelic .......................24 to music events, discounts from partners! Barron Arts Center .................25 NJJs Members discounts Hibiscus Restaurant, Morristown and The Crossroads, Garwood WPU Summer Jazz Room ............31 offer NJJS members a discount of 10% off their check. The Berrie Center at Ramapo College offers NJJS LauRio ...........................35 Diane Perry .......................37 members 5% off event tickets. $5 ticket discount for monthly Salem Roadhouse Cafe jazz nights. Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival ......39 …ongoing. Join us for music and mingling. Free for members, Faith Lutheran Church Benefit ........41 Free Jazz socials CTS Images .......................47 $10 non-members (applicable to membership) with just a $10 venue minimum. Watch calendar page 3 for Cadence Magazine .................49 upcoming dates and details. Beyond the schmooze, there are some serious musical prizes raffled off at Princeton Record Exchange ..........52 our socials!! 2 ____________________________________ June 2015 New JerseyJazzSociety Dee Dee Bridgewater performs at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Newark Museum’s Jazz in the Garden series on June 19. which were then part of the Museum marks the Soviet bloc. As it happened, the 50th anniversary of Like this issue day before I wrote this column, Jazz in the Garden, the of Jersey Jazz? Joe Nocera of The New York popular lunchtime Have it delivered Times wrote a column titled series of weekly jazz “The Real Ambassador,” which was perform ances in the tranquil Alice Ransom right to your mailbox published on May 2. The title of the Dreyfuss Memorial Garden. Grammy 11 times a year. column refers to a musical play written by winner Dee Dee Bridgewater will perform Simply join NJJS to get Dave Brubeck and his wife Iola called “The at an anniversary celebration at the Real Ambassadors,” which was based on museum on Friday, June 19 at 7 pm. The your subscription. this and other international tours by five-week series presented at lunchtime See page 47 for details Armstrong. Jazz historian Dan Morgenstern on Thursdays kicks off on July 2 when or visit www.njjs.org. and Armstrong biographer Ricky Riccardi, another Grammy winner, Gary Batz, whose work frequently appears or is brings his quartet to the museum. For full referred to in Jersey Jazz, are mentioned as details see page 20. sources. Also mentioned is a cartoon that n I will also take this opportunity to ran in The New Yorker, suggesting that welcome Irene Miller as the newest Satchmo might have been a better diplomat member of our Board of Trustees. Irene is than the then secretary of state John Foster a longtime jazz fan who lives in Budd Lake, Dulles. But perhaps the most important and she has agreed to assume the duties of New Jersey Jazz Society point is that jazz played a major role during Membership Chair that for many years membership the Cold War, when the State Department have been performed by NJJS vice presi- makes a great gift! sponsored tours by Armstrong as well as dent Caryl Anne McBride. Caryl Anne Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck, and that will be remaining on the Board, and will Plus, if you are already it was “great music that was received be focusing her attention on strategic a member, a gift membership enthusiastically everywhere they went.” I planning. wish that the same would be true today. costs just $25! Thank you, Caryl Anne, for your See page 47 for details! n Another important 50th anniversary will service as membership chair, and be celebrated closer to home as the Newark welcome aboard, Irene! JJ Stay tuned to www.njjs.org for updates and details. Sunday June 14 Saturday August 15 Friday September 18 NJJS SPRING CONCERT MORRISTOWN JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL CENTRAL JERSEY JAZZ FESIVAL Michael Hashim’s Billy Strayhorn Orchestra Swingadelic, Bucky Pizzarelli Guitar Sarah Partridge Quartet, Mona’s Hot Four, Mayo PAC, Morristown | 3 PM Summit, Bria Skonberg, Roomful of Blues, Chuck Lambert Blues Band, Bria Skonberg 15-piece big band performing a Charlie Musselwhite Band Quintet; gourmet food stands and trucks Billy Strayhorn Centennial Tribute On the Green, Morristown | Noon – 10 PM Historic Courthouse, Flemington Tickets: $20–$25 Rain or Shine | FREE 6 – 10 PM | Rain or Shine | FREE 973-539-8008 | www.mayoarts.org www.morristownjazzandblues.com www.downtownflemington.com NJJS Calendar June 2015 ____________________________________ 3 New JerseyJazzSociety Jazz trivia IN THE MAILBAG By O. Howie Ponder CONCERNING TOM SPAIN’S ARTICLE ABOUT ME in the May (answers on page 45) issue [“Diary of a Nighthawks Fan, Part 8 – The Gentleman With The Trombone”], I first want to thank him for his fine work (my Mom will love it!), and extend my thanks to you and all the hard workers at the NJJS for what you do every day for live music.