Volume 37 • Issue 4 April 2009 Journal of the New Jersey Jazz Society Dedicated to the performance, promotion and preservation of jazz. Sunday Afternoon Fever Pee Wee Stomp right off the charts! By Tony Mottola Editor Jersey Jazz olks from the swing dance scene have been drifting into the Pee Wee FRussell Stomp for several years now, but for the 40th anniversary edition on March 1 the fancily dressed, high- stepping dancers arrived in droves, filling tables and swirling around the Birchwood Manor’s copious dance floor nearly non- stop for the better part of four hours. Eighty-some dance enthusiasts swelled the crowd to nearly 500 swing-oriented souls who filled the Birchwood’s main ballroom for an afternoon of hot jazz. And while the dancers, who expertly executed the Peabody, Balboa and other period dances, many clad in vintage attire, added greatly to the afternoon’s entertainment, the music was the main event, and this Stomp sported one of the best lineups in recent memory. First to perform, as by custom, was a quintet of 2009 NJJS university jazz Story and photos continue on page 28. Heidi Rosenau and Joe McGlynn cut a rug for sure at the 2009 Pee Wee Stomp. Photo by Tony Mottola. JAZZFEST PREVIEW Jazzfest facts, hot off the press. See page 8 and ad page 5 New JerseyJazzSociety in this issue: NEW JERSEY JAZZ SOCIETY Pres Sez/Bulletin Board . 2 NJJS Calendar . 3 The Mail Bag . 4 Jazz Trivia . 4 Editor’s Pick/Deadlines/NJJS Info. 6 Prez Sez Music Committee . 8 Mainstream Mac . 47 By Andrea Tyson President, NJJS Crow’s Nest . 47 February Member Meeting. 48 February Fim: Blue Devils. 49 pring has finally arrived. And with it a ship; Sheilia Lenga for once again making our Volunteer at Jazzfest/Bring a Friend . 50 beautiful bouquet of music to bring us 50/50 memorable; Jack Sinkway and Friends Support NJJS . 50 NJJS Honors Two in AJHOF . 50 Sout of our winter garb and into a color- for their CD table coverage; Mike Katz and New Members/About NJJS/ ful collage of musical offerings all over the Jackie Wetcher, Cynthia Fekete, Kathy JOIN NJJS . 51 state. The good news for me is some of my Mulvaney (and others) for covering the front ARTICLES dearest sunbirds are returning to NJ after table; Caryl Anne McBride for ably handling Classic Stine . 9 Big Band in the Sky . 10 their southern meanderings and we’ll be able our membership table bringing in several new Noteworthy . 16 to enjoy jazz together once again! members. And to all other board members for Talking Jazz: Billy VerPlanck Part II . 18 attending and helping out wherever needed. Dan’s Den: Dick Sudhalter . 24 ■ We really dodged a bullet with the Stomp Pee Wee Scholarships . 32 coming in one day before the beast of the east ■ Thank you to our friends at the Cape May Jazz U: College Jazz . 33 early March snow! Kudos to all the musicians Jazz Festival, Carol and Woody, who REVIEWS who kept our toes tapping and our feet provided us with two raffle tickets to their Cabaret: Barbara Rosene/ Tony DeSare. 38 happy; Joe Lang and the Music Committee festival April 18/19 and we hope it’ll be a Compact Views . 39 for choosing such wonderful musicians; Laura wonderful success (www.capemayjazz.com). Other Views. 39 Book: Strollin’ – John Levy . 42 Hull for a job well done at our venue and Thanks to Kelly Ryman at George Street DVD: ’Tis Autumn . 44 increasing the size of the dance floor! Frank Playhouse (www.georgestplayhouse.org) for Caught in the Act: Hilary Cole . 45 Mulvaney for his college scholarship steward- the raffle tickets to their March show, The SFJazz Collective in the Allen Room . 46 Devil’s Music: The Life and EVENTS Blues of Bessie Smith. ’Round Jersey: Morris, Ocean . 52 Institute of Jazz Studies/ ■ But just before the Stomp, a Jazz from Archives . 53 Somewhere There’s Music . 54 wonderful thing happened at The Name Dropper . 55 Raritan Valley Community College Theatre —Turtle ADVERTISERS Island Quartet & Cyrus Jazzfest 2009 . 5 Shanghai Jazz . 7 Chestnut. Turtle Island is a Riverboat Swing . 9 Judith Kramer . 9 Night of Jazz at RVCC . 11 Receiving honors at the Pee Wee Arts Guild of Rahway–UCPAC . 13 Stomp were Orrin Keepnews, Community Theatre . 15 Jazzdagen. 17 represented by his son Peter, and Nolde’s . 18 Warren Vaché. Joe Lang presented. Trumpets . 19 Meadowbrook – Glenn Miller Orch . 21 Shelly Productions – Great Falls PAC . 23 Ramapo College Jazz at Berrie Ctr . 25 Fred Taylor . 26 NJJS Bulletin Board PA Jazz Society. 26 Arbors Records . 27 We need your help promoting Jazzfest. Volunteering is fun and has its perks. See page 50. Cape May Jazz Festival, April. 31 BE A STAR for NJJS! Bob Ackerman . 33 FREE Member Meetings Next Member Meeting: April 26 at Trumpets. These are a fun way to meet fellow Sandy Sasso . 34 members and friends while enjoying programs that entertain and inform. Find some details on page 8. Free for members, Margie Notte at Trumpets . 35 but also open to the public, so invite somebody! We often have great items to raffle off at these meetings — tickets to Union County PAC . 37 shows, concerts from our partner organizations. Watch for details at www.njjs.org or via E-mail. The Art Shop – Jazz on Vinyl . 39 Margie Notte at Libretti’s. 40 FREE Film Series Next Film: Wednesday April 22 in Chatham. Details on page 8 and watch for E-blasts. Bria and Jim’s Borderline Jazz Band . 41 Some special offers for NJJS members are late-breaking — so please send your E-mail address to Jazzfest at Sea . 43 Got E-mail? Jim Eigo Jazz Promo. 46 [email protected]. For example, one of our partners recently offered a generous buy-one-get-one-free ticket deal. Skipper’s. 46 We were only able to extend that offer to our E-mail list. Shelly Productions – Glen Rock Inn. 47 Friends got E-mail? We’ve started a new initiative to further spread the word about NJJS. If you’ve got CTS Images. 53 friends and relatives who’d like to receive our occasional E-mail blasts, please send their E-mail addresses to Laura Hull . 56 Weichert Realtors. 56 [email protected]. 2 ___________________________________ April 2009 New JerseyJazzSociety Tell them you saw it in Jersey Jazz! We love your improv skills… show them off as a Jazzfest Volunteer! See page 50. string quartet like none other that you’ve I just had veggies and more veggies! Others ■ Member Meetings at Trumpets are be- ever encountered: a jazz string quartet made had some interesting looking meals and coming very popular. April 26 we will present up of four enormously talented musicians. mentioned how good everything tasted. another of our Intimate Portrait series fea- They transform all that they do into their They have music at various times — every turing pianist-singer-educator Dena DeRose own style of jazz and use their instruments other Thursday and all Fridays — so give accompanied by Steve LaSpina on bass and in very unique ways to get more instru- them a call for a firm listing of artists who Tim Horner on drums. We are endeavoring ments up on stage aurally. I was very are performing. Very charming, you’ll enjoy to bring you the finest offerings and Dena is impressed that my nine-year-old grandson it…no cover, no minimum, bring your own just a sample of what’s coming to you, our was transfixed for the entire evening. They bottle if you so desire. loyal members. Bring your friends! were plucking, strumming and bowing their ■ April is Jazz Appreciation Month and a hearts into the music and all the while ■ Our Film Series continues on April 22 very busy month for the NJJS as well. We’re remembering the melody. Ellington would when Joe Lang presents Texas Tenor, which leading off with a Night of Jazz at RVCC have been proud of how they put forth his is not a film about a singer from the Lone where Laura Hull is emceeing the Saturday “Come Sunday.” Cyrus Chestnut is a delight Star state. “Texas Tenor” is a style of playing on the piano, has a very delicate touch and evening April 4 star-studded lineup the saxophone which brings out its big his timing is just right. He soloed on Charlie featuring Five Play, vocalist Frank Noviello, sound and biggest volume. This documen- pianist Rio Clemente and a wonderful jazz Parker’s “Yardbird Suite” more forcefully tary explores the life and times of the jazz violinist/fiddler Mark O’Connor coming in than in the beginning of the program and and R&B saxophone legend Illinois Jacquet. with his Hot Swing Trio. Tickets are the audience couldn’t get enough. RVCC In addition to the Illinois Jacquet documen- available at www.rvccarts.org or at the box Arts is right on — check out their other tary, we will be showing Ben Webster: Big office by calling 908 218-8867. offerings at www.rvccArts.org. We’ll be back Ben in Europe footage from a 1967 there this month, too…stay tuned. ■ April 19 at 3 PM: Join us at the The performance. ■ Community Theatre’s Mayo Centre for the Another jaunt for me before the Stomp ■ Jazzfest returns to Drew University on Performing Arts (www.mayoarts.org) in was going to hear Pam Purvis and Bob June 5–6 and you are in for a treat of a great Morristown when we present the Ackerman (and friends) at another venue line-up.