New Virtual Jazz Education Series from Metuchen Arts Council and NJ Jazz Society

Louis Armstrong 101: The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong

WHEN: 3 p.m., Sunday, June 13
WHERE: live streamed on the New Jersey Jazz Society website, njjs.org, as well as the NJJS Facebook page and YouTube channel
TICKETS:  free, but donations are encouraged. To register, log onto https://bit.ly/3iaEWqt.

“Countless fans know Louis Armstrong as the beloved singer behind iconic recordings such as ‘What a Wonderful World’ and ‘Hello Dolly,’ but he was also arguably the most influential musician of the 20^th century.” 

That’s the central theme of a virtual presentation to be made by Ricky Riccardi (above, with Armstrong's trumpet), Director of Research Collections for the Louis Armstrong House Museum. The live streamed event is the initial presentation in a new Jazz Education Series, jointly sponsored by the Metuchen Arts Council-Jazz and the New Jersey Jazz Society.

Riccardi, a resident of Toms River, NJ, is also the author of two books about Armstrong—Heart Full of Rhythm: The Big Band Years of Louis Armstrong (Oxford University Press: 2020) and What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong’s Later Years (Pantheon Books: 2011). Will Friedwald, writing in London Jazz News, called Heart Full of Rhythm, “an all-encompassing, vividly detailed biographical portrait of one of the richest careers in all of music.” 

Future Jazz Education presentations will be: 

• July 18, “Jeru’s Journey: The Life & Music of Gerry Mulligan” by Sanford Josephson, author of Mulligan’s biography of the same name and Editor of Jersey Jazz Magazine
• September 19, “Nat King Cole@100 (NKC100)" by Will Friedwald, music writer and author of Straighten Up & Fly Right: The Life & Music of Nat King Cole 
• October 18, “An Informal Survey of the Great Baritone Saxophonists” by baritone saxophonist Frank Basile, a member of the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Band
• November 21,  “Ellington and Strayhorn: Alone and Together” by David Hajdu, Columbia University Professor, Music Critic for The Nation, and author of Lush Life, a biography of Billy Strayhorn. One additional program will be announced later.

The Metuchen Arts Council’s mission is to enhance the life of its citizenry by promoting culturally enriching programs and events that foster an appreciation for the arts as a source of enjoyment, cultural understanding, education, and uplift. 

The New Jersey Jazz Society is dedicated to promoting and preserving America’s original art form—jazz. The Society seeks to ensure continuity of the jazz art form through its commitment to nurturing and championing local talent, showcasing outstanding national and international artists, and providing for the younger generation via arts education programs. 

NJ JAZZ SOCIETY PRESENTS  A Night On The Waterfront 

ABOUT THIS INDOOR – OUTDOOR EVENT:

Come join us for a night of incredible foods from our top chefs, dancing, jazz, comedy and music. Music by WBLS very own Chuck Chillout and Hakim Bell. Our lineup includes George Gee Swing Orchestra, Nat Adderley Jr Jazz Great, WNBA star and singer Kym Hampton and comedy Appearances by Headliner Terry Grossman, Kool Bubba Ice of Def Comedy Jam and many more...

WHEN: Sat, May 29, 2021, 3:00 PM – 11:30 PM EDT
WHERE: Newark Waterfront Center, 1100 McCarter Highway, Newark, NJ 07102
TICKETS: For Eventbrite ticket info, click here:

• JAZZ SHOWCASE ADMISSION ($50) (3 TO 8:30 p.m.)
  FEATURES NAT ADDERLEY QUARTET AND GEORGE GEE SWING ORCHESTRA
  Appetizers and refreshments will be served
• GOLD PACKAGE ($75) - Includes admission to the entire event. Dinner & Appetizers included
• VIP PLATINUM PACKAGE ($125) - Includes general admission ticket. Reserved seating + 1 premium bottle for 2 (per couple) + Appetizers & dinner including twin lobster tails 🦞
• For vegan selections & ticket sale questions, Call 📞 646-300-2428

Refund policy: Refunds up to 1 day before event. Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.

  

PJ Parker, Vocalist, & Joel Zelnik, Pianist, @ Ray's Bistro, Bound Brook

 

PJ Parker and Joel Zelnik  perform songs from  the Great American Songbook Vocalist PJ Parker and Pianist Joel Zelnik perform songs from the Great American Songbook including saluting the collaboration of Tony Bennett and Bill Evans WHEN: Thursday, May 6, 6:30-9:30pm WHERE: Ray's Bistro, 440 Union Avenue, Bound Brook, NJ 08805 848-249-9900 Dinner reservations required; no ticket cover charge raysbistroboundbrook.com

 

Ray's Bistro Website

Virtual Jazz Social Rebroadcast: Charlie Apicella & Iron City

 

Virtual Jazz Social
Charlie Apicella & Iron City
Special Re-Broadcast
Sunday, November 1, 4pm EST

on

Facebook Live, YouTube

For those of you that missed our October Virtual Social, we're pleased to offer a rebroadcast of Charlie Apicella & Iron City this Sunday, November 1, from 4-5 p.m EST which can be viewed on either the NJJS Facebook Page or YouTube Channel.

“A gumbo of styles that run from New Orleans blues and Chicago funk to Motown and New York bop.” That’s how AllAboutJazz’s Don Phipps described Charlie Apicella & Iron City’s 2019 album, Groove Machine. “The combination,” added Phipps, “makes for a ‘groovy’ listening experience—road music that will keep the head nodding and the mind trucking.” 

A typical Iron City set will always be based, Apicella says, on “the hard bop tradition of straight ahead jazz. I’ll focus on my compositions and tunes that I transcribe from the hard bop vernacular of musicians such as [alto saxophonist] Lou Donaldson and [guitarist] Grant Green.” Original compositions, he adds, are at the core of hard bop, which differs from Tin Pan Alley, aka the American Songbook. “Those are songs,” he explains. “They have lyrics. Jazz tunes like ‘Giant Steps’ [John Coltrane] and ‘Woody ‘n You’ [Dizzy Gillespie] are all about original chord progressions. A lot of hard bop bands wrote music specific to the ensemble—Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and bands led by Horace Silver, for example.”

Apicella’s band members are organist Radam Schwartz, drummer Allan Korzin, and saxophonist Gene Ghee. He likes to think of this group as a modern-day version of the Jazz Messengers. “What attracted me to that band,” he explains, “is the professionalism and craftmanship—the shared mentality the musicians clearly had, the ability to put the music first. We’re not an all-star band. We’re a cohesive unit that puts the band and original music first.”

Funding for the NJJS Socials has been made possible in part by Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding has been provided through a generous grant from Nan Hughes Poole. 

Juilliard Jazz students to perform at NJ Jazz Society Virtual Social 

NJJS Virtual Social

WHEN: Thursday, October 29, from 7–8 p.m.
WHERE: on the New Jersey Jazz Society Facebook page (NJJS)

In April 2019, Columbia University’s Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Program won first prize in the College Combo division at the Next Generation Jazz Festival competition in Monterey, CA. Two members of that ensemble—trumpeter James Haddad and pianist Joe Block, now students at The Juilliard School and Columbia—will be performing live from Brooklyn in a New Jersey Jazz Society virtual concert. 

Haddad, who has appeared at such New York City venues as Dizzy’s Club and Birdland, studied under Wynton Marsalis at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Summer Jazz Academy. Currently, he is honing his skills under the tutelage of trumpeters Joe Magnarelli and Chris Jaudes. Block has studied with several veteran pianists including Ted Rosenthal and Bruce Barth. In December 2018, he served as Musical Director and pianist for Marsalis’ annual holiday fundraiser and performance at Brooks Brothers. He has also been commissioned to write or arrange music for the JALC Orchestra and the Wynton Marsalis Septet. 

Funding for the New Jersey Jazz Society socials has been made possible in part by Morris Arts through the N.J. State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding has been provided through a generous grant from Nan Hughes Poole.

Upcoming Events from Jersey Jazz

more information

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ELLEN LAFURN TRIO
WHEN: March 4th @ 7 PM 
WHERE: Carlstadt Free Public Library,
420 Hackensack Street, Carlstadt, NJ

Bob McHugh, keyboard and Ron Naspo, bass

WHEN: March 7th @ 7 PM 
WHERE: Mt Fuji Japanese Steakhouse, 296 Old Route 17, Hillburn, NY

Tomoko Ohno, keyboard, and Takashi Otsuka, bass

WHEN: March 14th @  2:30 PM
WHERE: Old Bridge Public Library, 1 Old Bridge Plaza, Old Bridge, NJ

Bob McHugh, keyboard and Ron Naspo, bass

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NJJS Members Discount

Time Remembered: A Musical Documentary
On the life of pianist Bill Evans
Plus The Joel Zelnik Trio

WHEN: Saturday, March 7, 7:00 P.M.
WHERE: Ingalls Recital Hall at NJCU, Rossey Hall, 2039 Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City. The University parking garage is entered from Cutler Street. Call 201-200-2429 for the box office.

The legendary Bill Evans was one of the most important and influential pianists and composers in the history of jazz. Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, Evans had an unmistakable light, lyrical touch on the piano that left its mark on generations of jazz musicians including Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Marian McPartland, Keith Jarrett, and Bill Charlap to name a few. This critically acclaimed documentary helps capture that genius. A pre-screening concert features NJCU graduate Joel Zelnik on piano with Gary Mazzaroppi on bass and David Cox on drums.

NJJS Members enjoy a discount on tickets with the code CFTA-FRIENDS.

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CARRIE JACKSON

WHEN: Friday, March 6, @ 8-10:30 pm 
WHERE: Headroom Bar & Social, 150 Bay Street, Jersey City, NJ
ADMISSION: $20 Music cover
Please Call: 646-522-8345

WHEN: Saturday, March 14, @ 8pm-10:00pm
WHERE: Salem Roadhouse Cafe, 829 Salem Road, Union, NJ
ADMISSION: $20.00

Radam Schwartz organ
Charlie Sigler, guitar
Gordon Lane, drums

Jam Session 

WHEN: Tuesday, March 10, 24, @ 8-11 pm
WHERE: 16 Prospect Wine Bar & Bistro, 16 Prospect Street, Westfield, NJ
ADMISSION: No Music charge

Radam Schwartz, organ
Charlie Sigler, guitar
Les McKee, drums & surprise guests

Celebrating Women's Month: A Tribute to Sarah Vaughan

WHEN: Friday, March 27, @ 7 - 11 pm
WHERE: The Priory, 233 West Market Street, Newark, NJ 07103
ADMISSION: No Music Cover

Radam Schwartz, piano
Thaddeus Expose, bass,
Gordon Lane, drums

NJ JAZZ SOCIAL

WHEN: Sunday, March 15 @ 3 PM. Doors open at 2:30 PM
WHERE: Shanghai Jazz, 24 Main Street, Madison, NJ 07940
ADMISSION:  $10 for non-members, and there is a $10 food/beverage mininum for all attendees. 
(973) 822-2899

A Heather Thorn performance can be called a trip into the Roaring ’20s. The question is whether it’s back to the 1920s or forward to the 2020s. The Orlando, Florida, resident’s instrument of choice is the xylophone, something of a throwback to the early days of jazz, before the invention of the amplified vibraphone, popularized during the Swing Era by the likes of Lionel Hampton and Red Norvo.

While Thorn’s instrumentation is anchored in the past, her — and her band’s — repertoire spans several generations. What can you say from a set that might include a Benny Goodmanesque “Sing, Sing, Sing,” a breakneck rendition of “Tico Tico,” a transcribed Red Norvo solo of “I Got Rhythm”, and a nod to Ray Charles’ version of “I Can’t Stop Loving You”?  With the vintage instrumentation of the xylophone and her modern musical aesthetic, Thorn brings to mind some of the newer New Orleans brass bands in that she’s unafraid to perform a broad range of music.  As a player she is capable of performing sweetly melodic solos for some tunes, then sifting to furiously mallet-bending runs for others.

The percussionist can often be heard leading her band, Vivacity, a nine-piece retro swing group with a large following in central Florida, as well as orchestral groups featured in the Disney Orlando-area parks. The Canadian-born musician’s fame reaches beyond her home. Last year Vivacity, featuring Thorn, was the headline act for the I Love Jazz International Jazz Festival in Brazil. Last November, she was one of the stars at the Suncoast Jazz Classic in Clearwater Beach, FL.
On Sunday, March 15, Thorn will be leading a trio at the New Jersey Jazz Society’s Jazz Social at Shanghai Jazz in Madison. Thorn has invited along two metro area stalwarts of the swing tradition, saxophonist Michael Hashim and pianist Alberto Pibiri to join her at the Social.

Despite his youthful appearance, Hashim has been a fixture on the jazz scene for more than 40 years, going back as far as the Widespread Depression Jazz Orchestra in the 1970s. A talented leader and frequent sideman, he has performed with such musicians as guitarist Chris Flory, bassist Dennis Irwin, drummer Kenny Washington, keyboardist Mike LeDonne, trumpeter Roy Eldridge, drummer Jo Jones, pianist Brooks Kerr, drummer Sonny Greer, and pianists Jimmy Rowles and Judy Carmichael. Hashim is no stranger to the New Jersey Jazz Society, having performed at the annual Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp, a Jazz Social in a small group and in concert with his Billy Strayhorn Orchestra.

Italian-born Madison resident Pibiri is heavily influenced by the work of Oscar Peterson and also has earned a spot as one of the better go-to names in swing jazz. He is mainstay of saxophonist Adrian Cunningham’s band, Professor Cunningham’s Old School, and appears on its latest Arbors CD release, Professor Cunningham and His Old School Swings Disney.

The New Jersey Jazz Society produces 10 Sunday Jazz Socials a year, all of which are free to members. Shanghai Jazz is located at 24 Main St. in Madison. Doors open at 2:30 p.m., and the music is performed from 3-5 p.m., with one short intermission. For more information, call (908) 380-2847 or email info@njjs.org.

More Info

Mountain Lakes Alto Saxophonist to Lead Quartet At NJ Jazz Society February Social in Madison

Alto saxophonist Alex Laurenzi

WHEN: Sunday, February 16. Doors open at 2:30 p.m., and the music is performed from 3-5 p.m., with one short intermission
WHERE: Shanghai Jazz is located at 24 Main St. in Madison
ADMISSION: free to members. Admission is $10 for non-members, and there is a $10 food/beverage minimum for all attendees
For more information, email music@njjs.org.

Alto saxophonist Alex Laurenzi, a resident of Mountain Lakes, is the winner of two DownBeat Magazine Student Soloist Awards and two Soloist Awards from Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington competition. He has performed at JALC as well as the Blue Note jazz club and at the Somerville and Montclair Jazz Festivals. Laurenzi was also a member of the 2015 Grammy Jazz Session Big Band and toured Peru in April 2016 with the Jazz House Kids on behalf of the U.S. Embassy.

Laurenzi will lead a quartet at the New Jersey Jazz Society's Social, held at Shanghai Jazz in Madison. Currently a student majoring in African-American history at Princeton University, he is an active member of Princeton's Jazz Program, playing in an ensemble led by composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue and a small group directed by alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, who is Director of the Princeton Jazz Program. He is also studying privately under alto saxophonist Ralph Bowen.

At Shanghai Jazz, Laurenzi will be accompanied by a rhythm section of Juilliard Jazz students. Pianist Isaiah Thompson is featured on the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra album, Handful of Keys (Blue Engine Records: 2017). Bassist Felix Moseholm, from Copenhagen, has studied under legendary bassist Ron Carter. Drummer T.J. Reddick has played at Smalls jazz club in Greenwich Village and is a member of Wynton Marsalis' Future of Jazz Orchestra.

Funding for the NJJS Socials has been made possible in part by Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment of the Arts.

Vocalist Frank Noviello Leads a Trio At NJ Jazz Society’s September Social in Madison

Vocalist Frank Noviello

WHEN: Sunday, September 15. Doors open at 2:30 p.m., and the music is performed from 3-5p.m., with one short intermission
WHERE: Shanghai Jazz, 24 Main St. in Madison
ADMISSION: $10 for non-members, and there is a $10 food/beverage minimum for everyone attending

Jazz critic Bill Milkowski once described Frank Noviello as a vocalist who "is constantly climbing out on a limb with his singing style, challenging himself and listeners by daring to do things spontaneously."

Noviello, who was born in Englewood, will be the featured performer at the New Jersey Jazz Society’s September 15th Social at Shanghai Jazz in Madison. He will be joined by David Braham on piano and Rick Crane on bass.

In 2007, Noviello teamed up with pianist Tomoko Ohno to record an album on the Silk Tree Records label entitled Jilted. According to Jersey Jazz Magazine's Joe Lang, the album displayed Noviello's "singular sound and inventive phrasing . . ."

The New Jersey Jazz Society produces 10 Sunday Jazz Socials a year, all of which are free to NJJS members. For more information, email music@njjs.org, or call 973 372-5409.

Funding for the New Jersey Jazz Society socials has been made possible in part by Morris Arts through the N.J. State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.