Volume 41 • Issue 02 February 2013 Journal of the New Jersey Jazz Society Dedicated to the performance, promotion and preservation of jazz. THE HOT SARDINES: Jason Prover, Evan “Nips” Crane, “Miz Elizabeth” Bougerol, “Fast Eddy” Francisco, Evan “Bibs” Palazzo. Photo by Sarah Gainer © BibiBooth. Pee Wee Stomp serves up… Hot Sardines! THE 44TH ANNUAL NJJS PEE WEE RUSSELL MEMORIAL STOMP is all set to swing on Sunday, March 3 at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany, NJ. This year’s headliners, NYC’s sensational Hot Sardines, share the stage with Emily Asher’s Garden Party, The Kevin Dorn Trio with Mark Shane and Dan Levinson’s New Millennium All Stars. See page 22 for complete details. New JerseyJazzSociety in this issue: NEW JERSEY JAZZ SOCIETY Prez Sez . 2 Bulletin Board . 2 NJJS Calendar . 3 Mail Bag. 4 Prez Sez Jazz Trivia . 4 New Patron Level Benefits . 4 By Mike Katz President, NJJS Editor’s Pick/Deadlines/NJJS Info . 6 Crow’s Nest . 38 ome of you may have heard rumors want to attend well into the evening; and New/Renewed Members . 39 S that there will be no Jazzfest this year. competition from newly created jazz festivals, Change of Address/Support Unfortunately, I have to confirm that those often sponsored by nearby municipalities and NJJS/Volunteer/Join NJJS . 39 rumors are true. The New Jersey Jazz Society frequently with free admission. As a result, stories has been putting on Jazzfest each June since the despite serious efforts to control our costs, Pee Wee Stomp PREVIEW.. cover 1970s. Originally, it was part of the New York we have lost money on Jazzfest for all but one Big Band in the Sky. 8 City version of the Newport Jazz Festival, and of the last ten years. When I have been asked, Noteworthy . 10 Talking Jazz: Sue Mingus . 12 held on consecutive Saturday and Sunday “How was Jazzfest this year?” the answer Memories of Jake Hanna . 16 afternoons in Waterloo Village in Stanhope, invariably has been “It was an artistic success, What Makes a Good Jazz Club? . 18 New Jersey. Later on NJJS and Newport went but a financial failure.” Dorthaan’s Place at NJPAC. 24 their separate ways, and Jazzfest came to be In view of these circumstances, the NJJS Board Rosenkrantz Memoir Makes List . 25 run solely by NJJS and held on college campuses last fall voted to not hold Jazzfest this year, and Reviews in northern New Jersey, including Fairleigh has tasked the Music Committee, led by Vice College Jazz. 26 Dickinson and Drew Universities, and for President-Music Programming Mitchell Seidel, Other Views . 30 the past two years at Saint Elizabeth’s College, to take a hard look at whether it makes sense to Book: Johnny Hartman . 33 all located in Madison. Several years ago we continue to produce Jazzfest in its present form, Chicken Fat Ball . 34 adjusted the format, going from Saturday and what changes might be made to make it Caught in the Act: Tim Horner . 34 and Sunday afternoons to Saturday only, Book: The Jazz Standards . 36 more attractive to the membership and but extending into the evening, for a total economically viable to the Society. I invite EVENTS of as much as nine hours of music. members who may have ideas to share them ’Round Jersey: Morris, Ocean . 40 However, despite what we feel has been with the Committee, by e-mailing Mitchell at Institute of Jazz Studies/ Jazz from Archives . 41 outstanding programming, in recent years [email protected]. In addition, we are considering Somewhere There’s Music . 42 Jazzfest has not been supported by as much of producing later this year, as a substitute of sorts The Name Dropper . 43 the membership as we would like. Out of for Jazzfest, some less elaborate programs, advertisers approximately 1,300 individual members, fewer perhaps featuring just one or two musicians or Marlene VerPlanck . 4 than 300, less than 25%, attended Jazzfest last groups. In the meantime, we will as always NJJS Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp . 5 year (total paid attendance was about 375). have the Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp on WBGO . 7 Several reasons have been cited for the declining March 3, and the annual NJJS concert at the Shanghai Jazz . 9 attendance, including that mainstream jazz is Mayo Theater in Morristown on April 14, this Arbors Records . 11 passé; Jazzfest is too expensive, especially for year featuring Sherrie Maricle’s DIVA Jazz William Paterson University . 13 retirees living on fixed incomes; the program is Orchestra, as well as our monthly Jazz Socials at JazzRules Records. 17 too long, and many more elderly members don’t Shanghai Jazz and Joe Lang’s jazz film series at Swingadelic. 18 RVCC Arts . 21 Shelly Productions/Glen Rock . 25 Stay tuned to www.njjs.org WBGO Photo Blog . 25 Nick Scheuble . 26 Sandy Sasso . 27 NJJS Bulletin Board Diane Perry . 28 Full Count Big Band . 28 Member Discount Claim your member privilege! Get free admission Cadence Magazine . 29 to NJJS socials, discounts to music events, discounts from partners! Jim Eigo Jazz Promo . 30 John Nobile Summerswing Orchestra . 31 NJJS Members Discounts Hibiscus offers NJJS members a discount of 10% off their check. The Berrie Center at Ramapo College offers NJJS members 5% off event tickets. PA Jazz Society . 32 Jazzfest at Sea . 35 FREE Film Series…Now on THURSDAY nights at 7 PM at Library of the Chathams. See calendar page 3 CTS Images . 37 for details. Best of all? Free, free, free…invite your friends. LauRio Jazz . 38 FREE Jazz Socials…ongoing. Join us for music and mingling. Free for members, $10 non-members Princeton Record Exchange . 44 (applicable to membership) with just a $10 venue minimum. Watch calendar page 3 for upcoming dates and details. Beyond the schmooze, there are some serious musical prizes raffled off at our socials!! 2 _________________________________ February 2013 New JerseyJazzSociety Tell them you saw it A New Jersey Jazz Society membership always makes a great gift! Plus, if you are in Jersey Jazz! already a member, a gift membership costs just $20! See page 39 for details! the Chatham Library. I urge all of you to many college jazz performance programs in he artist if a predetermined goal amount is attend as many of these events as you can our state and elsewhere. achieved by a designated date; if not, the — you will not be disappointed. ■ Another sad event last month was the donations are cancelled. Recent successful ■ Last month, a giant of jazz, Dave death of Ana Márquez-Greene, the 6-year- Kickstarter projects which I learned of and Brubeck, passed away, just before his 92nd old daughter of saxophonist Jimmy Greene, donated to include one by banjoist Cynthia birthday. When I was attending college in who was tragically gunned down in the Sayer, to promote her new CD, Joyride, and the early ’60s, jazz was king on college Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre another by Bria Skonberg, who raised funds campuses, and I went to quite a few jazz in Newtown, Connecticut. Our deepest to allow her and six other musicians to concerts at my school, which were invariably sympathies to Jimmy and his family. perform at a Jazz Education Network sold out and included Brubeck, the Modern ■ Recently a new phenomenon came to conference in Atlanta just after New Year’s, Jazz Quartet, and the Count Basie and my attention, called “Kickstarter.” This is which will hopefully bring wider attention Stan Kenton bands, among others. Sadly, a Web site through which musicians and to Bria’s work. Obviously, one cannot those days are long gone, and I will resist others have been raising funds to go support all of the many deserving projects the temptation to comment on what has forward with creative projects which they that are now populating Kickstarter, but if taken their place in recent years. However, I might not otherwise be able to fund on you come across one involving a favorite have been increasingly convinced that jazz, their own. Typically, the musician makes musician, please consider contributing to it. in its traditional/mainstream forms which a video explaining the project, invites ■ Finally, please come to the Pee Wee are most appealing to our membership, small contributions, starting at $10 or $20, Stomp on March 3 at the Birchwood will live on, largely because of all the young and going up, and offers premiums to the Manor in Whippany. Ordering musicians who are bringing new life to it. donors, such as a CD to be produced These include NJJS favorites such as Harry with the funds raised. The value of the information is elsewhere in this issue. Allen, the Anderson Twins, Emily Asher, premium increases with the amount of As always, we have a terrific lineup and a Ehud Asherie, Bria Skonberg and Aaron the contribution. Payments are processed great time will be had by all! Weinstein, to name just a few, as well as the through Amazon, and are only given to t See you at the Jam! JJ Jersey Jazz magazine seeks your help to cover jazz in Jersey as comprehensively as possible. Please help us expand our reach to all corners of the musical Garden State. Consider submitting a story or even a brief paragraph when you visit any venue featuring jazz. If you can include a high-res photo, even better. We’ll happily credit your work when we print it and you’ll have the satisfaction of spreading the jazz message and fulfilling your creative impulses! for updates and details. Sunday March 3 Sunday Sunday Sunday January 27 February 17 PEE WEE RUSSELL April 14 40TH JAZZ SOCIAL MEMORIAL STOMP CO-PRODUCED CONCERT ANNIVERSARY JAM Saxophonist Diva Jazz Orchestra Scott Robinson Birchwood Manor Mayo Performing All-Star Players with pianist Arts Center Drew University Conal Fowkes of the Whippany NOON – 5 PM Morristown Woody Allen Jazz Band 3 PM Madison Shanghai Jazz 3 – 7 PM Madison see ad p 5 3 PM NJJS Calendar February 2013 __________________________________ 3 New JerseyJazzSociety The Mail Bag NJJS Launches I LOOK FOWARD TO THE PUBLICATION EACH MONTH.