Fall 2014 Love That Jazz... Love that Jazz is the theme of this year’s jazz concert Society, you’ll get a discount on Full Season subscriptions series presented by the Gold Coast Jazz Society. This year’s and single tickets. concerts include jazzy Broadway tunes, big band music, The ever popular Bill Allred piano jazz, Be-bop and more. Celebrating our 24th year of Classic Jazz Band with Jazz Comes presenting jazz in the community, the Gold Coast Jazz Society Up the River…From Bourbon is providing yet another season of nationally renowned jazz Street to the Big Bands will open talent in the annual classic jazz concert series presented at the series on November 12. This fiery the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing jazz ensemble, under the direction of Arts. veteran jazz musician, Bill Allred, The 2014-2015 jazz series includes seven concerts will wow you with a night ranging from New Orleans classics featuring international jazz stars as well as outstanding regional to big band favorites. and local jazz talent. All concerts begin at 7:45pm and we’ll On December 10, the nationally acclaimed jazz pianist, will be providing either a pre-show wine and jazz lecture or Bill Charlap and his Trio come to town. One lobby entertainment. All of our concerts occur in the intimate of the world’s premier jazz pianists, Charlap Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing has performed and recorded with many Arts, 201 SW 5th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. Full season leading artists of our time, ranging from jazz subscriptions are available for $245 per person and Jazz Trio masters Phil Woods and Wynton Marsalis to subscriptions (3 concerts of your choice) are available for singers Tony Bennett and Barbara Streisand. $110 per person by calling the Gold Coast Jazz Society at Since 1997, he has led the Bill Charlap Trio 954-524-0805. Single tickets for each concert are available with bassists Peter Washington and drummer at the Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office at 800-745- Kenny Washington, now recognized as one of the leading 3000 (Ticketmaster) or online at www.browardcenter.org or groups in jazz. www.goldcoastjazz.org. Student and teacher tickets are $10 Jazz Meets Broadway on January 14 with valid ID. If you become a member of the Gold Coast Jazz with renowned jazz vocalist Janis Siegel and the Shelly Berg Trio. Ms. Siegel is a founding member of the 9-time inside this issue Grammy Award winning group, President's Message ..................2 The Manhattan Transfer and will treat listeners to an evening of Special Jazz Event w/Tony DeSare .......8 jazzy Broadway favorites. A Gold Coast Jazz favorite, the stellar jazz Membership Roster..................10 pianist Shelly Berg and his trio of Chuck Bergeron on bass and John Yarling on drums will accompany Ms. Siegel. Berg Upcoming Events ...................11 is also a Grammy nominated jazz artist and Dean of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. Funding for this organization is provided in part by the Broward County Board of One of the most prominent and renowned musicians County Commissioners as recommended of our time, Arturo Sandoval, will join forces with the by the Broward Cultural Council. (continued on pg. 4) Officers President’s Message Tim Ingham President While still a young art form by world standards, our precious Richard Goldstein, M.D. American music of jazz is over a century old now and has had to Senior Vice President survive the passing of its pioneers and early masters. Fortunately new generations of creative artists have always come forward, finding Buzz Lamb inspiration in the legacy of the great jazz legends and updating the Vice President music to speak to their own special time, place, and circumstances. This balance of continuity and reinvention keeps the music alive and relevant and sustains our faith that jazz will keep swinging Sheila Bechert long into the future. At Gold Coast Jazz Society, we see that future Vice President in the young people who benefit from our educational programs— elementary school kids improving their academic skills through the Roberta Young innovative JazzSLAM program, older kids learning to jam with the Secretary/Treasurer pros at our First Friday Jazz Jams, and the very talented student musicians supported by our Jeanette Russell scholarships. So we know the future of jazz is bright. Directors Still, this past summer was a sad one, as we lost so many true musical giants. Pianist Ed DeChant and composer Horace Silver, the great bassist Charlie Haden, Little Jimmy Scott and his Stu Grant sweet contralto have all gone silent. Lionel Ferbos, who was blowing his trumpet loud and clear in the French Quarter at 103, has finally left to join Gabriel’s band. And Kenny Drew, Jason Hainsworth Jr., who gave a majestic solo piano concert for us in the Amaturo Theater a few years back, Jack Loving has also left us far too soon. Andrea McGee Closer to home a quieter giant of jazz, our dear friend, and founder of Gold Coast Jazz, James Maus Fred Ruffner died on August 12th. Fred was a renaissance man and a paragon of what we Buzz Merritt now call “the greatest generation.” A World War II veteran, he was a man of letters, an Miguel Ramirez entrepreneur, a philanthropist, and—among many other interests and talents—a hard-core Matthew Rocco jazz aficionado. Michelle Tuggle I cherish the years I spent with Fred on the GCJS board. He set the highest standards of integrity and artistry. No matter what else we undertook he insisted that a series of top- notch concerts could never be compromised. And he led by example, leaving behind an Founding President inspiring legacy in his second hometown of Fort Lauderdale, as a founder of the Broward Frederick J. Ruffner, Jr. Public Library foundation, a generous champion of the Bonnet House and so many other local treasures, and the visionary who built a sorely needed home for jazz here some 23 GCJS Staff years ago. Pamella R. Dearden Just as we count on the young jazz players of today to carry the music forward, it now Executive Director falls on all of us to carry on Fred’s mission, to keep Gold Coast Jazz alive and thriving through our memberships, our subscriptions, our advocacy, our volunteer work, our Judy Murfin donations, and—most importantly—our attendance (with family and friends!) to savor the music he so loved. Business Manager I thank you all for your support, as we take up the challenge. Gold Coast Jazz Society is stronger than ever, and with world-class artists like Arturo Sandoval, Bill Charlap, Janis Subscribe Siegel & Shelly Berg, Bill Allred, Mike Longo, Michael Kaeshammer, and Dr. Lonnie Smith Today! coming to our stage, I know our founder would be proud. 954.524.0805 goldcoastjazz.org follow "Gold Coast Jazz" on facebook 2 www.goldcoastjazz.org In Memorial to Frederick G. Ruffner, Jr. – Rosemary Jones Frederick G. Ruffner, Jr., the annual Key West Literary Seminar. philanthropist, publisher and longtime For a year in the early '90s Ruffner was publisher Fort Lauderdale resident, died August of Gold Coast Magazine, and focused on the cultural life 12 in Grosse Pointe, MI, following a of South Florida and contributions of local philanthropic long illness. He had just turned 88. organizations and their leaders. Best-known in Florida as the leader As founding president of the Friends of Las Olas, of cultural organizations that reflected he worked for the beautification of Las Olas Blvd. and his professional and personal interest promoted the adoption of the wave motif which has been in books, libraries and jazz, he initially carried out on AIA as well. founded the Friends of the Fort Ruffner also founded the Phileas Society to celebrate Lauderdale Library and led support the Bicentennial of Christopher Columbus at local venues. for the bond issue that resulted in the With his wife Mary, who predeceased him, he hosted construction of the Main Library and expansion of the County numerous cultural and philanthropic events during their Library System. years at Manga Reva, their Francis Abreu-designed house He also founded the Gold Coast Jazz Society in 1992. In on the New River. the '90s he extended the outreach of the Society through the All these activities were made possible by Ruffner's Bonnet House Jazz Fest held on the grounds of the Bartlett success as the founder of Gale Research Co., one of the Estate. Other ongoing cultural organizations that Ruffner launched leading reference publishers for libraries in the world, and supported include: the Broward Public Library Foundation with more than 400 employees and 1,000 titles in print, which continues to present an annual book and author event including a small office in Fort Lauderdale. Much of the known as Lit/Live, and Literary Landmarks Register, launched books' content forms the backbone of electronic products at Bahia Mar in honor of John D. MacDonald and since adopted widely used today, according to a former officer of Gale, by the American Library Association, resulting in over a which was sold in 1986 for $66 million. He and his son hundred landmarks nationwide. Peter then founded the reference publisher Omnigraphics, Florida Center for the Book, the first affiliate of the Center with offices in Detroit. for the Book in the Library of Congress, was another book- Ruffner is survived by his son Frederick G. Ruffner, focused organization he sponsored, as was the Fontaneda III, founder of Avanti Press, Peter E. Ruffner, who Society, a group of rare book collectors who supported the continues to lead Omnigraphics, and his granddaughters, Bienes Center for the Literary Arts (now the Museum for the Zoe, Jessa, and Isabella.