Volume 42 • Issue 1 January 2014 Journal of the New Jersey Jazz Society Dedicated to the performance, promotion and preservation of jazz. Newport Jazz Turns 60 The latest edition of the George Wein Newport All-Stars perform he Newport Jazz Festival hasn’t always been in Rhode Island. In 1971 the in the Chase Room at NJPAC on December 6 (from left): Tfestival moved to New York City, and during that decade also presented George Wein, Bucky Pizzarelli, Lew Tabackin, Jay Leonhart, Newport events jointly with the NJJS at Waterloo Village in northwest New Bria Skonberg and Clarence Penn. Photo by Tony Graves. Jersey. In 1973, there were also two concerts at Fenway Park in Boston, under the name “Newport New England Jazz Festival,” and in 1977 the festival presented an ancillary “Newport Jazz Festival-Saratoga” in upstate New York. The festival returned to Rhode Island at Newport’s Fort Adams State Park in 1981 and, after 17 years of joint presentations in NYC ended in 2008, still continues there. But for 60 years the festival’s one constant has been the leadership of impresario George Wein, first an employee and then longtime owner of the festival. Newport Jazz celebrates the 60th year of its founding this year and the illustrious Mr. Wein was feted at an NJPAC reception last month PEE WEE RUSSELL where he reminisced about the famed festival’s storied history. MEMORIAL STOMP SUNDAY MARCH 2 See story on page 28. see details page 2 and ad page 5 New JerseyJazzSociety in this issue: New JerSey Jazz SocIety Prez Sez. 2 Bulletin Board ......................2 NJJS Calendar ......................3 Jazz Trivia .........................4 Editor’s Pick/Deadlines/NJJS Info .......6 October Jazz Social: Giacomo Gates ...47 Crow’s Nest. 48 Prez Sez New Patron Level Benefits ...........49 Change of Address/Support NJJS/ By Mike Katz President, NJJS Volunteer/Join NJJS. 49 New/Renewed Members ............52 programs. On the other hand, it DIVA at the annual Mayo NJJS/Pee Wee T-shirts. 53 Happy Jazzy must be said that a major factor Theater concert, although the StorIeS in this year’s profitability was Newport Jazz Fest Turns 60. ......cover New Year to attendance was somewhat North Carolina Jazz Fest ..............4 one and all! not having to take losses from disappointing. We again Big Band in the Sky ..................8 Jazzfest, which had been awarded scholarships to jazz Talking Jazz: Catherine Russell ........12 n On Sunday afternoon, substantial in the last few studies majors representing Dan’s Den ........................18 December 8, we had our Forest Hill Follow-Up ...............20 years, mainly due to lack of Rutgers, William Paterson, NJJS Annual Meeting. .22 Annual Meeting at Shanghai a lead sponsor and declining New Jersey City and Noteworthy .......................24 Jazz. Those who attended were Autumn in New York ...............26 attendance. We are still hopeful Rowan Universities, and our treated to two terrific sets by ACS and The Philadelphia Experiment ....29 of reviving Jazzfest in the future Generations of Jazz program Has Jazz Changed Your Life? .........29 singer Sarah Partridge. Sarah in some way, and if anyone presented five performances NJPAC Brick City Jazz Orchestra ......30 is not a stranger to NJJS, 3rd Annual Zootfest ................32 reading this knows of any under the capable leadership of Max Raabe Palast Orchester having appeared several times potential sponsors, I would Pam Purvis, featuring Bob in New Brunswick ................34 at Jazzfest and been a frequent certainly appreciate hearing Ackerman and other musicians, reVIewS performer at Shanghai and about it. If we are to produce and coordinated by Board Book: Duke Ellington. .36 other venues in the area. Jazzfest in the future, we will Other Views. 38 member Frank Sole. Cotton Club Legacy. 40 Before the music began, we have to have greater support of Vaché and Corrao. .42 the event from the membership We then conducted an election Caught in the Act ..................44 conducted our annual business Maria Schneider/Jazz Standard .......47 meeting. I was pleased to report — in 2012, less than 20% of for the Board of Directors. member households were Going into the meeting we had eVeNtS that NJJS is in good fiscal shape, ’Round Jersey: Morris, Ocean .........50 and our treasurer, Larissa represented in the audience. 20 elected directors (plus Jersey Institute of Jazz Studies/ Rozenfeld, reports that we will We continue to receive reports Jazz co-editors Tony Mottola Jazz from Archives ...............53 of other long-running jazz Somewhere There’s Music. 54 finish out the year in the black and Linda Lobdell who serve The Name Dropper .................55 for the first time in several festivals no longer being ex-officio). The maximum produced for similar reasons. adVertISerS years. This is good news in the number of directors authorized Rosalind Grant ......................4 sense that we did well at the I reported last year’s Pee Wee by the by-laws is 30. Directors Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp ......5 WBGO ............................7 40th anniversary event last Russell Memorial Stomp was serve 3-year terms. Re-elected Shanghai Jazz ......................9 January and recently received a well attended and enjoyed by this year for terms expiring at William Paterson University ..........11 the end of 2016 were Cynthia NJPAC ...........................13 substantial member donation everyone. We also had an Jazzdagen ........................17 towards our educational outstanding performance by Feketie and Sheilia Lenga. Arbors Records ....................19 Trumpets .........................21 Barbara Kukla .....................22 SOPAC ...........................23 Stay tuned to www.njjs.org for updates and details. Ocean County College ..............25 Rutgers Mason Gross School .........27 Hibiscus ..........................31 Concert to Honor Bruce Gast ........33 NJJS Bulletin Board Berrie Center at Ramapo College ......35 Sandy Sasso ......................38 Member discount Claim your member privilege! Get free admission to NJJS socials, Jim Eigo Jazz Promo ................40 McCarter Theatre Center ............40 discounts to music events, discounts from partners! Cadence Magazine .................41 RVCC ............................43 NJJS Members discounts Hibiscus offers NJJS members a discount of 10% off their Stephen Fuller .....................44 check. The Berrie Center at Ramapo College offers NJJS members 5% off event tickets. WBGO Photo Blog. .45 Diane Perry .......................48 Free Jazz Socials…ongoing. Join us for music and mingling. Free for members, CTS Images .......................49 $10 non-members (applicable to membership) with just a $10 venue minimum. Watch calendar John Bianculli/Italian Bistro ...........51 LauRio Jazz .......................52 page 3 for upcoming dates and details. Beyond the schmooze, there are some serious musical Princeton Record Exchange ..........56 prizes raffled off at our socials!! 2 ___________________________________ January 2014 New JerseyJazzSociety tell them you saw it New Jersey Jazz Society membership makes a great gift! Plus, if you are already a member, in Jersey Jazz! a gift membership costs just $20! See page 49 for details! Bob Beck and Lowell Schantz were elected n As we head into next year, we are eagerly n On a sad note, we learned recently that as new Board members. Bob lives in Raritan anticipating the two annual events that we Ray Kennedy, the great jazz pianist who and is a musician and music teacher. Lowell, will be producing in March — the Pee Wee worked with John Pizzarelli until about who resides in Westfield, is a senior vice Russell Memorial Stomp on Sunday, three years ago, has multiple sclerosis and is president of a major bank and is on the March 2 at the Birchwood Manor in no longer able to play. The New York Times boards of several other non-profit Whippany, and the NJJS/Mayo Performing once described him as “making music that organizations. We look forward to both Arts Center concert on Sunday, March 30, wore an ear-to-ear grin. It made you want of them bringing their enthusiasm for starring trumpeter-vocalist Bria Skonberg to jump for joy.” Ray appeared on over 100 jazz and their areas of expertise to the with her quartet, and special guest Tia Fuller jazz albums and played with and inspired Board as we move ahead. on alto sax. While the Stomp practically sells top jazz musicians the world over. After the membership meeting, the Board, itself, having been a sellout for the last two An on-line fundraising campaign has been including its new members, met for its years, we have 1,300 seats to fill at the Mayo established to help support Ray, his wife, December meeting. In addition to theater and would like to fill every one of Eve, and their two young daughters, ages 10 conducting routine business, the Board them. Bria is truly a rising star, having and 12, in this time of need. Ray now elected the officers for 2014. All current had her debut as a leader at Dizzy’s Club requires full-time care and the family faces members of the management team were Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center last high health care costs not covered by re-elected, including yours truly for another month, and there may not be many more insurance. Donations may be made online year as president, Stew Schiffer as executive opportunities to see her at only $20 a ticket vice president, Al Parmet as secretary, at www.YouCaring.com. NJJS is going to before she really hits the “big time.” Please