Volume 40 • Issue 4 April 2012 Journal of the New Jersey Jazz Society Dedicated to the performance, promotion and preservation of jazz. THE 43RD ANNUAL weePEE Russell Memorial STOMP More photos begin on page 28. Photo by Tony Graves April is New JerseyJazzSociety in this issue: NEW JERSEY JAZZ SOCIETY Prez Sez . 2 Bulletin Board . 2 NJJS Calendar . 3 The Mail Bag . 4 CD and Book Winners . 4 Prez Sez Editor’s Pick/Deadlines/NJJS Info . 6 Jazz Trivia . 16 By Frank Mulvaney President, NJJS Febuary Jazz Social: Al Caiola. 48 Crow’s Nest . 50 New/Renewed Members . 50 ometimes a new trend can be underway and number of years, hiring 36 groups (many well- Change of Address/Support Swe don’t realize it until it becomes obvious. known) to perform at each of four outdoor NJJS/Volunteer/JOIN NJJS . 51 But there are usually telltale signs. Recently, I downtown locations every Tuesday evening STORIES noticed in The Star-Ledger Ticket, 29 jazz venue throughout July and August. New Jersey also 2012 Pee Wee Russell Stomp . cover events listed for the week and I knew of quite a has numerous remarkable high school jazz Big Band in the Sky. 8 few more that regularly have jazz. The New Memories of Amos Kaune . 14 ensembles, which perform in a series of Memories of Barbara Lea . 17 Brunswick Jazz Project, about to have its second competitions and present concerts at their own Dan’s Den . 18 anniversary, has worked with several different schools. Have we reached a tipping point yet? Talking Jazz: Joe Wilder. 20 venues and has arranged gigs for over 200 ■ Roseanna Vitro at 4/15 Jazz Social. 31 musicians including Conrad Herwig, Ralph Boy oh boy, have I been pigging out on great Noteworthy . 32 Bowen, Tia Fuller, Arturo O’Farrill and Roseanna live jazz since my last epistle. The series of events 32nd North Carolina Jazz Festival . 33 started with a fabulous Bridgewater Benny 4th Annual Arbors Party . 34 Vitro to name a few. The Jazz Arts Project Goodman Tribute concert on January 21. Les Paul Exhibit at Mahwah Museum . 36 annually presents seven to eight programs in Red While the music was splendid, for me the most REVIEWS Bank including a summer series in the beautiful Other Views . 38 Two River Theatre. Jazz impresario Bruce Gast noteworthy fact was that the 14-piece band College Jazz. 41 produces 30-35 jazz events each year between the included four 20-somethings: the Anderson Caught in the Act: H.Allen/ Bickford Theatre in Morristown and Ocean twins, Bria Skonberg and Manhattan School of S.Hamilton/Konitz and Kenton . 43 Music student Aaron Johnson. The two four- Memories of the Oak Room . 47 County College. There are now three venues in Asbury Park that regularly feature jazz including clarinet features with the kids and Dan Levinson EVENTS were fantastic. On the 26th it was Conrad Herwig ’Round Jersey: Morris, Ocean . 52 Chico’s House of Jazz, now in its second year. Institute of Jazz Studies/ This past summer Somerville held its third jazz and his quintet at Makeda in New Brunswick Jazz from Archives . 53 festival and Morristown held its very first with tenor monster Ralph Bowen, pianist Orrin Somewhere There’s Music . 54 Evans, and bassist Kenny Davis. The next night The Name Dropper . 55 festival. Numerous libraries around the state present jazz programs and the six universities it was Sophie’s Bistro in Somerset to hear my ADVERTISERS young friend Brandon Wright, a terrific tenor Jazzguy Ensemble Workshop . 4 that I cover each year present a total of about WBGO . 5 50 programs, which include many big band saxophonist who is playing with the Mingus and Mayo Performing Arts Center. 7 programs, and often with famous guest Maria Schneider bands. The night following it Shanghai Jazz . 9 musicians. Rutgers alone presents eight big band was the fantastic Frank Vignola at the Unitarian Arbors Records . 11 concerts a year. The Westfield Downtown Church in Morristown. There is no doubt that Jazzfest at Sea . 13 Jazzdagen . 15 Association has had a summer jazz program for a Frank has few jazz guitar peers. We took Sunday Hibiscus. 25 Jim Eigo Jazz Promo . 26 John Nobile SummerSwing Orchestra . 26 Riverboat Swing . 31 Stay tuned to www.njjs.org WBGO PhotoBlog . 31 Arbors Harry Allen Monday Nights. 33 Sandy Sasso . 38 NJJS Bulletin Board Berrie Center at Ramapo College. 39 PA Jazz Society . 40 Member Discount Claim your member privilege! Get free admission Marlene VerPlanck . 42 to NJJS socials, discounts to music events, discounts from partners! Full Count Big Band . 43 Bethany Baptist Church Newark . 44 NJJS Members Discounts Hibiscus offers NJJS members a discount of 10% off their check. The Theatre at RVCC. 45 See ad page 25. The Berrie Center at Ramapo College offers NJJS members 5% off event tickets; see ad page 39. Shelly Productions . 46 FREE Film Series…Now on THURSDAY nights at 7 PM at Library of the Chathams. See calendar page 3 George Gee Swing Orchestra . 46 for details. Best of all? Free, free, free…invite your friends. LauRio Jazz . 51 CTS Images . 51 FREE Jazz Socials…ongoing. Join us for music and mingling. Free for members, $10 non-members Princeton Record Exchange . 56 (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 ___________________________________ April 2012 New JerseyJazzSociety Tell them you saw it in Jersey Jazz! off and on Monday it was Bucky Pizzarelli’s we were at the first installment of the spring • Swingadelic Octet — Tribute to the Three Birthday Bash at the Bickford Theatre in William Paterson Jazz Room series for the Louies (Armstrong, Jordan and Prima in Morristown. On February 3 we were at the great Mulgrew Miller and WPU jazz faculty his centennial year) (see my College Scene column). Finally, we Princeton Arts Council for a sold-out • Andy Farber’s Swing Mavens with vocalist traveled 90 miles to Rowan University on performance by multi-reed/flute player Champian Fulton Audrey Welber’s band, Jazz4Soul. The next February 17 to hear their always exciting night we were at the Newark Bethany ensembles. I have not mentioned five other • Emily Asher’s Garden Party — Roving Baptist Church Jazz Vespers with the great sessions and I will be doing five upcoming Dixie band between theatre breaks Jon Faddis. He performed, without sheets, events in a four-day period. Hey, it’s a tough It’s going to be very exciting. the five movements of the suite written for job but somebody has to do it. ■ Our Sunday Social at Shanghai Jazz on Dizzy Gillespie by Lalo Shifron. I don’t think ■ We just booked the wonderful singer/ February 19 with our guest 91 year-old there was a dry eye in the house when he pianist Tony DeSare to complete the lineup guitarist legend Al Caiola brought out magnificently played “Come Sunday” for the for Jazzfest (June 16), which for the second benediction. Jon was his usual fun-loving, time will be held on the campus of The record attendance. What a great time it was! cut-up self even in church. Note that the NJ College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown. I hope you don’t miss our April 15 City University Jazz ensemble and Grammy- Sunday Social when we will have Grammy- The rest of bill consists of: nominated Roseanna Vitro will perform at nominated (this year) vocalist Roseanna the vespers service on April 7. On February • The Harlem Renaissance Orchestra, Vitro and her college voice students. 9 it was the Todd Bashore Quartet at • Eddie Montiero’s Shades of Brazil, And then on May 20 we will have the Makeda with Orrin, Kenny and drummer • The Jon Burr Trio with Howard Alden, phenomenal young clarinetist Dave Bennett. Jerome Jennings. Todd is an absolutely Jonathan Russell and vocalist Lynn Stein Mark your calendars and make your plans awesome alto player. Sunday, February 12 for a Stephane Grappelli Tribute so that you don’t miss these events. 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! JJ for updates and details. Thursday Mar 22 Sunday April 15 Thursday April 26 Sunday May 6 Sunday May 20 FREE FILM JAZZ SOCIAL FREE FILM CO-PRODUCED JAZZ SOCIAL Solo Flight: Grammy-nominated Rhythm Is My Business: CONCERT Phenomenal The Genius of vocalist Roseanna Vitro An Evening with Marty Vince Giordano young clarinetist Charlie Christian, and her college voice Grosz. A documentary & His Nighthawks Dave Bennett plus Red Norvo: students. about Marty built around Mayo Performing Shanghai Jazz Jazz at the Shanghai Jazz a concert with Vince Arts Center 24 Main St, Madison Giordano, Dan Block and Smithsonian 24 Main St, Madison Morristown 3–5:30 PM Scott Robinson. Library of the 3–5:30 PM Library of the see ad page 7 Chathams Chathams 214 Main Street 214 Main Street Chatham 7 PM Chatham 7 PM NJJS Calendar April 2012 ___________________________________ 3 New JerseyJazzSociety I CHECKED OUT MY LATEST JERSEY JAZZ YESTERDAY and was The Mail Bag delighted with the space you provided for the John Bunch tribute concert.