Fall 2016 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Gold Coast Jazz Toasts Twenty-five Years President's Message 3 Gold, Silver & Brass Twenty-five years ago, Fred Ruffner and a handful of jazz-loving featuring Bria Skonberg 10 friends had an idea: form a nonprofit organization that presents jazz concerts to the community. From a modest start with a house Membership Roster 13 jazz party, the Gold Coast Calendar of Events 15 Jazz Society quickly grew into a community treasure and cultural powerhouse on the OFFICERS Fort Lauderdale scene. Tim Ingham President Fred Ruffner Jan Jessup, Sheryl Dickey, Jean Fitzgerald, Sheila Bechert Sandra Hanson - GCJS Founders Vice President Richard Goldstein, M.D. Vice President GCJS Original Band Members Buzz Lamb Vice President Fred & Mary Ruffner, Sally & Leonard Robbins GCJS Founders Roberta Young The first concerts were presented in the Secretary/Treasurer dining room of the iconic Riverside Hotel. Since that time, the Gold Coast Jazz Society has ensured that a veritable smorgasbord DIRECTORS of iconic jazz artists have graced the stages Riverside Hotel Ed DeChant of the group’s performance venues, which have expanded beyond the Riverside Hotel to include the 110 Tower Club and the Aaron Draizin Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Peter Ducker “I remember the days before the Broward Center. We were starved for great music Jason Hainsworth and great performances,” says Gold Coast Jazz Society Board President, Tim Ingham. “It’s satisfying to see how much the city and county have to offer now, Jack Loving and the Gold Coast Jazz Society is a part of that.” James Maus Buzz Merritt THE EARLY DAYS Matthew Rocco The inaugural concerts held at the Riverside Hotel primarily featured local musicians, among them Flip Phillips, Jack GCJS STAFF Keller, Eddie Higgins, John Frangipane, Pete Minger, Don Coffman, Billy Peeples, Ira Sullivan, Simon Salz, Eric Pamella Dearden Allison, Tom Toyama, Joe Reichgott, Steve Bagby, Danny 1992 Concert Riverside Hotel Executive Director Burger, Nicole Yarling, Lori Lea, Meredith D’Ambrosio and Maria Marshall. Judy Murfin Business Manager (continued on pg. 2) Gold Coast Jazz Toasts Twenty-five Years continued Over time, and with the brief inclusion BRINGING JAZZ of the Bonnet House Jazz Festival, IN HOUSE nationally and internationally In 1994, Miami-based jazz acclaimed jazz artists were added guitarist Simon Salz and former to the roster. Such legendary Gold Coast Jazz Society Artistic musicians as Rosemary Clooney, Director Lee Amlie created an Scott Hamilton, Monty Alexander, in-house jazz ensemble, which Chico Hamilton, Arturo Sandoval they called the Gold Coast Jazz and Dick Hyman created a new Society Repertoire Orchestra. gold standard of performers. The group, led by Salz and Today, the Gold Coast Jazz comprised of local musicians, Society remains renowned for accompanied visiting jazz artists presenting quality musicians. for the jazz concert series. The Simon Salz ensemble morphed into what is now called the Gold EDUCATING FUTURE JAZZ LOVERS Coast Jazz Society Band. Over the years, the Band has provided jazz education performances in local schools Early on, Gold Coast Jazz and free concerts in the community, and has enable the members and patrons organization to supply musicians for private, corporate saw the need to do more and community events. After Salz’ passing, saxophonist than simply present public Eric Allison took over. Local jazz guitarist Martin Hand concerts. Wisely, they currently serves as the band’s Music Director. decided that it would be necessary to promote jazz in our community to ensure THE IMPORTANCE OF KEY PHILANTHROPISTS there would be future Jeanette M. Russell, Mary N. Porter and Robert Friedman, generations of jazz lovers. three local philanthropists and jazz enthusiasts, As a result, jazz education were instrumental in the began to play a vital part in the organization’s mission. organization’s growth in Local jazz musicians were involved in developing recent years. Dedicated to educational performances. Visiting jazz artists were furthering the education of booked for workshops and master classes. A jazz young, aspiring jazz musicians, scholarship program was established in 2002. Jeanette provided the funding Nicole Yarling and Mari Mennel-Bell, both local jazz to create a sizable scholarship musicians and educators, saw an opportunity to further program. Mary’s dedicated fund the reach of jazz in local schools and responded by at the Community Foundation Ray Sauerwein & Jeanette Russell creating more jazz opportunities for students. Nicole of Broward has provided an ongoing source of funding created comprehensive jazz education experiences with for the organization’s many programs. programs such as “Jazz and the Harlem Renaissance” and In 2004, with the help of a Kresge Foundation grant, an Endowment Fund was established at the Community Foundation of Broward to help support the Gold Coast Jazz Society’s ongoing activities. Many of those who were guiding forces in the early years are no longer with us. Yet their efforts continue to steer the course for the current Board of Directors and Gold Coast Jazz members, ensuring that jazz remains a part of our community’s cultural fabric for years to come. “Jazz is Elementary” for elementary and middle school students. Mari Bell developed “JazzSLAM (Jazz Supports Language Arts & Math).” Since their founding, these programs have been presented at no cost to thousands Nnenna Freelon and Mary Porter Bob and Genie Friedman of students in local public elementary schools. 2 President's Message Historians often date the Swing Era to just 10 or 11 Subscribe years ending in 1946, when most of the big bands were forced to downsize or dissolve. How remarkable that 70 years later a little non-profit group like Gold Coast Today! Jazz Society has been keeping classic jazz alive and swinging for 25 years with no end in sight! 954.524.0805 It may seem like only a few years since our founders goldcoastjazz.org got together to bring this great music to Broward County, but it’s actually been a quarter of a century! We’re proud to mark this milestone and proud to be sharing America’s cultural treasure more broadly than ever, with disadvantaged youth, elementary school kids, student musicians, seniors, subscribers, locals, tourists, and you, our loyal jazz society members. We think 25 years calls for a party, and we’re counting on Funding for this organization is you to help us keep the celebration going strong all season long. provided in part by the Broward County We’ll soon be popping champagne to toast the beginning of an outstanding Board of County Commissioners silver anniversary concert season opening with Lavay Smith and her Red Hot as recommended by the Broward Skillet Lickers in November, and including such legends as Jon Faddis, Houston Cultural Council and the Helen Ingham Person, and Shelly Berg, along with music of Sinatra, Stan Getz, Mel Tormé, Foundation. Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, the Bossa Nova, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and more. For the very first time we are presenting 5-time Grammy-nominated vocalist Karrin Allyson. And in our biggest show ever, winners of an incredible 20 Grammy awards, Take 6 and Manhattan Transfer come together for The Summit – a co-promotion with the Broward Center. We have lots of great surprises planned along the way to make this year-long party memorable, culminating in our “Gold, Silver, and Brass” anniversary soiree in January, featuring Bria Skonberg. If you attended Bria’s concert at the Amaturo last April, you already know why we’re so excited to have her back and bringing the brass. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such enthusiastic reviews as I got from our audience members that night. Our committee is hard at work planning a special event you will not want to miss. We hope you’ll find a way to be a part of the festivities. It’s a great time to consider stepping up to one of our premium silver, gold, or platinum membership Mary N. Porter categories or joining our “25 for 25” Silver Circle to show your support and Fund of the Community appreciation for Gold Coast Jazz, our past, present, and future. Foundation of Broward We know that no organization makes it 25 years without generous supporters, and we face the next 25 with a deep sense of gratitude to our founders, all our great volunteers, board members, sponsors, and donors through the years, and to each of you for caring about your community, coming out to support live music, buying tickets and subscriptions, becoming members, and being a part of Gold Coast Jazz. Tim Ingham President, Gold Coast Jazz Society We want YOUR feedback and suggestions The 25th Anniversary Concert Series about our concerts and artists. is sponsored in part by American Just e-mail [email protected] and our National Bank, Funding Arts Broward, artistic planning committee will respond. Morgan Stanley, and Mary Porter Fund of the Community Foundation follow "Gold Coast Jazz" on facebook of Broward, and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council www.goldcoastjazz.org on Arts and Culture. 3 Gold Coast Jazz Society’s th Opening the season on November 9, Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers will provide a buoyant mix 25 Concert Season of boogie-woogie, jump blues, and It’s hard to believe that it’s been 25 years since founder sophisticated swing with Gatsby Fred Ruffner started the Gold Coast Jazz Society with a Meets Ellington: Jazz & Blues from small series of jazz concerts at the Riverside Hotel. But the Classic Era. Internationally in those 25 years, a veritable palate of jazz artists has recognized as The Queen of Classic graced the stage.