Archive for Artists

Tearing Down The Nest With Gas House Gorillas

// March 20th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Blues Events, Gas House Gorillas, Recaps & Reviews, Robin's Nest, Linden, NJ

Gas House Gorillas rock out during their first set of the night.

Gas House Gorillas lead singer Rick Fink cuts an imposing silhouette in his fedora, A-shirt and suspenders.

Wow. Talk about a band that does not disappoint! It’s Saturday night and Jazzville, NJ Meetup Group is in attendance at the Gas House Gorillas show at the Robin’s Nest in Linden. It’s a friendly, if cozy, little juke joint that specializes in blues acts. But if you’re here to sit back and take in a quiet, relaxing evening, you are at the wrong show. Early in the night, the crowd’s energy boils over into spontaneous dancing as couples -and even singles- writhe and twist rhythmically among the tables.

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Best New Artist Esperanza Spalding Mesmerizes Crowd In Her Only NJ Appearance

// March 6th, 2011 // No Comments » // Artists, Esperanza Spalding, Jazz Events, Recaps & Reviews, UCPAC, Rahway, NJ

esperanza-spalding-bassist

Grammy Award winner Esperanza Spalding's innovative style is paving the way for future jazz musicians. PHOTO CREDIT: Afrobella.com

She may have made history at this year’s Grammy Awards by becoming the first jazz musician EVER to win Best New Artist, but Esperanza Spalding hasn’t let the hype change her. Humbly walking onto the unlit stage of the Union County Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 5, Spalding turned on a lamp, took off her coat and poured herself a glass of wine, creating an atmosphere of tranquility amidst the whirlwind of activity that’s occurred in these few weeks since then. Having read Esperanza’s bio detailing how she first decided she wanted to be a musician at age four after watching Yo Yo Ma perform on an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, I couldn’t help but feel that her “arrival”  was a small tribute to the daily ritual he performed at the start of every episode.

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Grammy Winner Esperanza Spalding To Play Union County Performing Arts Center

// February 16th, 2011 // 3 Comments » // Esperanza Spalding, Jazz Events, News

Esperanza Spalding, dressed in a smart black turtleneck and bead necklace, poses with her hands wrapped around the fretboard of her bass, her trademark hair swirling about her head in a display of ordered chaos.

Six years ago, at the age of 20, Esperanza Spalding became one of the youngest teachers in the history of the famed Berklee School of Music. This past Sunday she added to her list of achievements with a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. PHOTO CREDIT: Kyle Gustafson/FTWP.

Fresh off her win for Best New Artist at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards (and all the Bieber controversy that surrounded it), Esperanza Spalding will be playing at the historic Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway on March 5th.

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Join Jazzville, NJ For Two Meetups This Week

// January 17th, 2011 // No Comments » // Blues Events, Jazz Events, News, Radam Schwartz, Robin's Nest, Linden, NJ

Radam Schwartz at the Hammond B3 Organ

Master of the Hammond B3 Organ, Radam Schwartz will make his debut at Makeda Ethiopian on Thursday, Jan 20

Jersey jazz lovers: The weather outside is frightful, but don’t let that stop you from joining us this week at two live music events.

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Trenton International Jazz & Blues Festival Controversy

// October 15th, 2010 // No Comments » // Annette Njie, Commentary, Jazz Events, News

Screenshot of the 2010 Trenton International Jazz & Blues Festival Website

The website for the 2010 Trenton International Jazz & Blues Festival lists various sponsors, but problems paying the performers have left a negative mark on the event in the eyes of many.

I once heard a wise saying that went something like this: “Smart people learn from their mistakes; smarter people learn from the mistakes of others.”

Sadly, in the NJ jazz world we have an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of Annette Njie, the Trenton promoter who created the Trenton International Jazz & Blues Festival that ran earlier this year from September 17-19 at various venues around Trenton. The festival itself went off without a hitch, but when it came time to pay the two dozen acts, most were left high and dry, receiving partial payment or none at all.

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Cecil’s Jazz Club & Restaurant For Sale?

// October 6th, 2010 // No Comments » // Cecil Brooks III, Cecil's Jazz Club, West Orange, NJ, News

Cecil Brooks III at the drums

Cecil Brooks III selling his jazz club in West Orange?

Is the world-famous Cecil Brooks III looking to sell his jazz club in West Orange, NJ? I don’t know, but evidence points to this being the case. The listing says a “Local Well Known Restaurant & Jazz Club” in “West Orange, NJ” is for sale with an asking price of $1,000,000.

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2011 Newark Songbirds Calendar – Great Gift For A Great Cause

// September 22nd, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Denise Hamilton, History, Jazz Events, Madame Pat Tandy, News, Pam Purvis, Yvette Glover

You’ve heard me say it before – my daily NJ-centric jazz searches typically produce a list of band websites, local shows or other upcoming jazz events. On rare occasion, there’s a jazz club for sale or someone releasing a jazz-infused collection of Michael Jackson tunes. But late last week I had the unique pleasure of discovering a calendar featuring female jazz singers from the Garden State. What a treat! I had to investigate. (more…)

Jazz In Lincoln Park – Friday, July 30th

// July 27th, 2010 // No Comments » // Amiri Baraka, Jazz Events, News

amiri-baraka-poet

Poet and activist Amiri Baraka will host the jazz portion of the Lincoln Park Music Festival in Newark this Friday. PHOTO CREDIT: DePauw University

For those who didn’t know, Newark has always played a big part in the New Jersey jazz scene, rich in history and cultural traditions. So it’s only natural to learn that a major jazz event will be taking place there this Friday in Lincoln Park.

The 5th Annual Lincoln Park Music Festival is set to kick off on July 30th at noon. Hosted by famed poet and activist Amiri Baraka, the Jazz All-Star Newark Arkestra will pay tribute to Newark composers, covering James Moody’s “Moody’s Mood for Love,” Babs Gonzalez & Dizzy Gillespie’s “Oo Pappa Da” and Sarah Vaughan’s (the “Divine One”) “Lullaby of Birdland.” Homage will also be paid to Newark icons Woody Shaw and Larry Young.

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Jazz For Haiti – July 17th

// July 15th, 2010 // No Comments » // Gil "Bop" Benson, Jazz Events, News, Radam Schwartz, Yvette Glover

MIRON ABROMOVICI-photography

In addition to performances by a slew of jazz greats, photographic art by Miron Abromovici will be on display at the benfit to raise money for the people of Haiti. PHOTO CREDIT: Redbubble.com

If you’re looking for a way to help the people of Haiti following the devastation that was caused after that horrific earthquake just six months ago, stop by the Salem Roadhouse Café at Townley Presbyterian Church this coming Saturday.

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Like Father, Like Son: Cecil Brooks II and Cecil Brooks III Perform Together

// July 15th, 2010 // No Comments » // Cecil Brooks III, Cecil's Jazz Club, West Orange, NJ, Commentary, Jazz Events, News, Recaps & Reviews

Father and son, Cecil Brooks II and Cecil Brooks III performed together at Cecil's Jazz Club in West Orange, NJ on July 9 and 10, 2010

Father and son jazz drummers, Cecil Brooks III (left, background) and Cecil Brooks II (right, foreground), performed together at Cecil's Jazz Club in West Orange, NJ, on July 9 & 10, 2010 PHOTO CREDIT: Joshua Wilwohl for Patch.com

Last week it came to my attention that father and son jazz drummers, Cecil Brooks II and Cecil Brooks III, would be performing a set together. Although they played on back-to-back nights, circumstances did not allow me to attend either evening.

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