Volume 37 • Issue 10 November 2009 Journal of the New Jersey Jazz Society Dedicated to the performance, promotion and preservation of jazz. MVP: MarleneShines Story and photos by Tony Mottola Editor Jersey Jazz atJazzFeast he Most Valuable Player award featured 19 gems of American song Do With All This Moonlight? — and Tat the 2009 JazzFeast surely goes backed by a swinging band that the Princeton show “brought back to the inestimable vocalist Marlene featured four saxes and a killer loads of memories, ” she said VerPlanck. After all she has the rhythm section. That unusual reed- afterwards. perfect monogram, and her per- filled instrumentation is nothing Memories that surely included her formance in Princeton on Septem- new for the singer. She recorded two husband and musical partner Billy ber 12 was near perfect as well. CDs in Paris with the French group VerPlanck who died earlier this year. Billed as Marlene Meets the Saxomania, Marlene VerPlanck Meets Billy was a fixture at all of Marlene’s Saxophones, her fast-paced set Saxomania and What Are We Gonna performances, and his absence was continued on page 28 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 Music Committee . 8 September Jazz Social . 46 Prez Sez September Film . 48 New Members . 50 By Andrea Tyson President, NJJS Crow’s Nest . 51 Change of Address/Support NJJS/ Volunteer/JOIN NJJS . 51 s I write this article, I am struck by how grateful I Kevin Burke was a hit with the audience, giving their all ARTICLES am for all the wonders in my little sphere of in an exceptional set. Kate Baker always puts on a good Classic Stine . 9 influ ence. For one, hot off the presses, this past event and this year again featured good music and Big Band in the Sky . 10 A Dan’s Den: Eddie Locke . 12 year’s NJJS sanofi-aventis Jazzfest made a small profit. interesting vendors selling merchandise and food. Talking Jazz: Tomoko Ohno. 16 Now, that hasn’t happened in quite a while and, in this What’s not to like? Gary Walker was the emcee as College Jazz. 24 Noteworthy . 30 economy, we are very happy with the result because we always, though he wasn’t feeling well, and we under- REVIEWS all know what a wipe-out it could have been had it stand he had walking pneumonia. We extend our get- Books: Big Band/Josephson Interviews/ rained on our parade into Saturday! Saturday the sun well wishes to Gary. Prestige Album Covers . 32 Compact Views. 36 came out and so did the audience. We are grateful to all ■ Later that day, arriving at Shanghai Jazz,we were Detroit Jazz Festival . 38 the attendees for making Jazzfest a success. Somerville Jazz Festival . 39 very pleased to see so many members. We thank David Real Deal/Trumpets. 39 ■ Another success came on Saturday, Sept. 12 when we and Martha Niu for their generosity in opening up their Chicago Jazz Fest . 40 went to Princeton for the all-day free JazzFeast.We restaurant early for us. The afternoon show presented Chick Corea at bergenPAC . 42 Caught in the Act: Judy Carmichael . 44 learned that, after 18 years, event producer Jack Stine Ed Polcer on cornet with the Brooklyn-based Baby EVENTS will be bowing out and cornetist Ed Polcer will be Soda Band, seasoned musicians who were so talented ’Round Jersey: Morris, Ocean, stepping in to do the musical programming for the you forget how young they were. Where did they learn Bridgewater. 52 Institute of Jazz Studies/ Palmer Square Management Group, coming back to his all those old tunes? Read more on page 46. Jazz from Archives . 53 roots, so to speak, as Ed is a Princeton University ■ Somewhere There’s Music . 54 We also caught the New Jersey Blues & Jazz Festival The Name Dropper . 55 graduate. Anita Fresolone presented Jack with a at the “Backstage Jazz” club of the State Theatre in New ADVERTISERS donation of $2,000 for the NJJS Education Fund. We’ll Brunswick the last weekend in September. Thursday, WBGO . 5 be putting that to good use over the next two years. On Rod Piazza, put on a great show — the audience was Shanghai Jazz . 7 stage, Jack was at a loss for words…for the first time I Arbors Records Dick Hyman. 8 crazy about him and his harmonica. Rod played several Judith Kramer . 9 can remember. He was so blown away by the generosity mean blues harmonicas, and Honey on the keyboard Cecil’s Sundays P. Purvis/B. Ackerman. 9 and kindness shown toward NJJS in his honor. We wish 7th Wave Recording . 10 was absolutely smokin’.She has so much energy and Arbors Records . 11 Jack well as he retires from that job and passes the enthusiasm it just gets everyone up on their feet! Friday, SOPAC . 12 clipboard on to Ed! Jazzdagen . 13 Marcia Ball came in. She is one heck of a Southern belle Music at United. 14 ■ Sunday, Sept. 13, bathed in glorious sunshine, we and her singing and keyboard expertise were appreci- Skipper’s . 14 went to OSPAC in West Orange for a pleasant ated by all. Check out her CD Peace, Love & BBQ. The Attilio’s Tavern . 15 Folk Project/ afternoon. We had to leave early to go to our first Jazz series closed with the ever-popular Yellow Jackets. There NJJS Swing Dance Benefit. 17 Social at Shanghai Jazz, but we did get to hear very was an “ewi” on stage (Electronic Wind Instrument) Chicken Fat Ball . 19 North Carolina Jazz Festival . 20 good music while sitting at our NJJS info table up on which made funky sounds and enthralled the audience. Jazz in Bridgewater. 21 the hill. The Bob DeVos Organ Trio featuring vocalist Sort of like a flute/ piccolo combination. The heroes of Berrie Center Ramapo College . 23 Shelly Productions Glen Rock Inn. 24 Newark Jazz Elders. 25 Pio Costa/Circa 27 . 26 Hibiscus. 27 NJJS Bulletin Board Union CountyPAC World Music . 31 Jerry Topinka CD Release McLoone’s. 33 BE A STAR for NJJS! We always need help with our efforts. Volunteering is fun! [email protected] Billy VerPlanck Memorial Show . 35 Arbors Records Party . 37 FREE Jazz Socials Our season of Jazz Socials (formerly called Member Meetings) continues November 22, around Jim Fryer & The Unusual Suspects . 39 at Shanghai Jazz. These Socials offer a great opportunity to meet other jazz lovers, while being entertained and informed. Swingadelic. 42 Members pay only a $5 venue charge; open to the public for just $10 + the $5 minimum, so invite somebody! We often Symphony Space Arturo O’Farrill/ALJO . 43 Jim Eigo Jazz Promo . 44 have great items to raffle at these meetings — tickets to shows, concerts from our partner organizations. Watch for details PA Jazz Society . 44 at www.njjs.org or via E-mail. bergenPAC . 45 Union CountyPAC Jazz Series. 47 FREE Film Series Next Film: Thursday, November 19 in Chatham. Details on page 8 and watch for E-blasts. WPU Jazz Room . 49 CTS Images . 50 Got E-mail? Friends got E-mail? Get on board for raffles, freebies, discounts! Shelly Productions Mulberry’s . 50 Some special offers for NJJS members are late-breaking — so please send your E-mail address to [email protected]. WBGO PhotoBlog . 56 For example, some of our partners have recently made discounts and free tickets available to us. We are only able to pass Cape May Jazz Festival November. 56 those deals on via our E-mail list. 2 _________________________________ November 2009 New JerseyJazzSociety NJJS Record Bin Tell them you saw Featured $10 titles: Allan Vaché — Revisited! (Nagel Heyer/NHCD 044) it in Jersey Jazz! Scott Whitfield — Live At Birdland (Summit/SMT 390) Metz Family — Metzin’ Around (Arbors/ARCD 19299) Complete list at www.njjs.org, or write J. Sinkway, 43 Windham Place, Glen Rock, NJ 07452. the series were the sponsors, New Millennium Social at Shanghai Jazz. He’ll talk about his great deal of responsibility and some sleepless Bank and the Karma Foundation — they make it career as a composer, what led to the formation nights as I worry about it all. I’m leaving, happen for the theatre. We thank Dan Grossman, of the Eric Mintel Quartet in 1993, and he’ll knowing our Society is solvent, and that we are VP Marketing of the State Theatre, for the hospi- provide us with great entertainment at a able to continue giving out scholarships from our tality shown to NJJS by giving us tickets to raffle wonderful restaurant. Sounds like a win-win to Educational Fund, bolstered now by the JazzFeast off and for allowing us to have an information me — please come in from the cold and say hello donation. That fund could use more help, so if table on their stage. Check their website for more at around 3 PM. you’re in a giving mood, consider making any information www.StateTheatreNJ.org. ■ Save the date: At our Annual Meeting this year contribution you can afford. Go on-line to our ■ Here are upcoming events you might be (Sunday, December 6 at Shanghai Jazz), we’ll be Website, www.njjs.org or check with Frank interested in knowing about: Monday Nov. 9 is changing the guard and I’ll be passing the gavel. Mulvaney at [email protected]. Hopefully going to be an evening you won’t want to miss. We always have entertainment as the main part this fund will continue to thrive in the future.