Our next Jazzy Nights Event will be at the historic South Orange Blanchard Mansion where we’ll enjoy another swinging night of jazzy live music, fun and fellowship with friends and neighbors. This event is being held to celebrate our buddy CC Minton as the recently appointed president of Harlem World Magazine…
Read moreLet The Music Play — What's Going On In My Neck of the Woods for Sept. 2022
Well, Summer is quickly coming to a close but fortunately September 2022 has lots of Summer within the month along with a lot of live music events for sure. So here we go with Gregory Burrus Productions events all around our towns of Newark, Cranford, City of Orange, Maplewood, Linden, West Orange, Bloomfield and of course South Orange…
Read moreLet The Music Play - What's Going On In My Neck of the Woods for July 2022
Hey everybody, we have a great music scene running around the towns and we're proud of it. Our Jazzy live music events are the perfect way to spend a summer afternoon or evening. Our goal is to support local artists and help them get their music out there. Our events feature some of the best up-and-coming talent in the area, are family-friendly, and a great way to bring the community together…
Read moreWhat's Going On In My Neck of the Woods for June 2022
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Friday, June 3, 2022
What's happening all around our towns for June 2022. Please join us.
Jazzy Nights Presents a Gemini Birthday Celebration with MPack Music
Event Details: Friday, 6/3, 7-10 PM, Gemini Celebration featuring MPack Live with Lynette Sheard at South Valley BBQ and Lounge, Outdoor Patio, West Orange, NJ
Are you a Gemini? Come join us and have some birthday celebration fun with us at the new South Valley BBQ and Lounge luxurious new outdoor patio. Open to all with a new start time of 7PM. Bring a friend, family member, someone you just met, and let’s have some dancing fun. Register and make your reservation here and let us know you are coming or just show up for first come first serve seating availability. Prior events were sold out, so come early and get your seat, and let's dance!
Free, Open to Public:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jazzy-nights-presents-a-gemini-birthday-celebration-with-mpack-music-tickets-350663212107
Seton Village ArtBender / SoundBender
Event Details: Saturday, 6/4, 11-4 PM, ArtBender / SoundBender Art and Live Music All Around Town, ArtBender Event SoundBender at Seton Village, South Orange, NJ
ArtBender is a celebration of creativity and self-expression, happening in and around South Orange, NJ on June 4, 2022 (rain date June 5). Community members are encouraged to gather at “creativity hubs” by starting communal projects in neighborhoods throughout the town. Local businesses are also encouraged to host an arts event. Past ArtBender events have included painting, chalk street art, poetry writing, and live music and dance performances.
Click to learn more:
https://www.facebook.com/events/782725869755494
Smooth Jazz at The Woodland
Event Details: Saturday, 6/4, 8-10 PM, Jazz Funk Soul feat. Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp & Paul Jackson Jr. at The Woodland, Maplewood, NJ
Produced by Smooth Jazz New Jersey / Maplewood Arts & Culture, this supergroup can whisk your mind away with Jazz, humble your heart with Soul, and make your foot stomp with Funk. When describing the performance of “Jazz Funk Soul '' featuring 2018 Grammy-winner Jeff Lorber and Grammy nominees Everette Harp and Paul Jackson Jr., you’re talking about the real thing in adult contemporary music.
Purchase tickets at:
https://smoothjazznj.com/
"Juneteenth: Images Triumphant" at the West Orange Arts Council
Event Details: Saturday, 6/18, 2-3:30 PM, Live Music by Lynette Sheard & the James Austin Jr. Trio, "Juneteenth: Images Triumphant" at the West Orange Arts Council, West Orange, NJ
The “Juneteenth: Images Triumphant” art exhibition features the work of West Orange Arts Council members Dwight Carter (photography), Anthony Gartmond (drawings), Glendora Simonson (quilts), and Gabrielle Smith (quilts). A Juneteenth reception will take place on Saturday, June 18 from 12-4pm, featuring music produced by Gregory Burrus Productions with performances by Lynette Sheard Live featuring the James Austin Trio. The reception is supported by The Essex County (NJ) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.”
Learn more:
https://woarts.org/blog-post/juneteenth-images-triumphant-june-4-july-9-2022/
Community Art Project Celebration and Unveiling
Event Details: Sunday, 6/19, 2-4 PM, Dre Barnes Trio, SOPAC Juneteenth Holiday, South Orange, NJ
Join us in the SOPAC Lobby for the grand unveiling of the Juneteenth Community Art Project that was created at the painting event on June 17. Live music with Dre Barnes Trio. Light bites and refreshments will be available.
Learn More:
Barry Harris Institute of Jazz Presents
Event Details: Sunday, 6/26, 3-6 PM, location TBA. The Barry Harris Institute of Jazz Presents the Richard Clements / Murray Wall 11th Street Bar Band featuring James Austin Jr, along with special guests including the Barry Harris Jazz Chorus, Phillip Bingham, and others.
Learn more:
City of Orange Farmers Market Returns June 29
Event Details: Wednesday, 6/29, 12-5 PM, MPack R&B Jam. Come sing, come play, join in, every Wed. at the Orange Farmers Market at Hickory & S Main St, City of Orange, NJ
Produced by the City of Orange Division of Recreation, the City of Orange Farmers Market returns on June 29. Join us on the grass across from McDonald’s, every Wednesday from noon to 5PM. Bring your tune or your instrument and join us.
Learn more:
Cranford Summer Sounds Returns June 30, Every Thursday, Eastman Clock Plaza Park
Event Details: Thursday, 6/30, 6-8:30 PM, Stuff Brothers, Summer Sounds every Thursday at Eastman Clock Plaza Park, N Union Ave, Cranford, NJ
Produced by Downtown Cranford, grab a bite from a local restaurant and pull up a park bench for these special Thursday evening concerts in downtown Cranford. The streets come alive with a different sound from local artists each week. Performances take place at Eastman Clock Plaza.
Learn More:
About the Author Gregory Burrus
Gregory Burrus is a local live music ambassador, producer, promoter, event planner, and community partner. He combines his extensive corporate business and technology expertise with his love of live music and being a strong community advocate.
I love writing about it all. My mission is to help community groups, live music bands, and local nonprofits reach their goals and accomplish their missions while enjoying the day-to-day process of life.
https://gregoryburrusproductions.com/events/
Return of the South Orange Undercover Festival 2022 — Super Well Attended and Very Enjoyable!
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Even with a rain delay and all that goes into rescheduling a festival of this size, the Under Cover Music Fest (UCMF) roared back into town on Sunday, May 15, 2022 with a huge impact. This event was produced by South Orange Downtown (SODT) and presented by Mark Murphy’s Music and Pollock Properties Group of Keller Williams. The expected 1,000 music lovers of all ages came out to the Sloan St. parking lot throughout the day and enjoyed an afternoon of FREE live music, a very lively and bustling beer garden, along with selected food vendors. But first, the music.
Talking to Mark Murphy, the presenting sponsor and owner of Mark Murphy’s Music, it was obvious he was very excited for the return of the Under Cover Festival and mentioned, “We all need this opportunity to get together, celebrate and listen to some great music in the heart of South Orange.” Well, the music was fantastic.
The Deadful Greats opened up strong, covering everything about the Grateful Dead. The Grateful Dead remained among the highest-grossing American touring acts for multiple decades and gained a committed fanbase by word-of-mouth and the exchange of live recordings due to the band's permissive stance on taping. Today, they played the best of the 70’s Grateful Dead. This group, the Deadful Greats, are a local group that has been pleasing audiences all around Northern New Jersey with their talent for years now, and they did not disappoint us. These are talented performers helping to keep the band's legacy and music alive, well, and vibrant. They did a wonderful job and brought their own unique style to this performance by bringing to life the words and melodies we all remember oh so well.
Next up was the Karl Latham Big Fun(k) Group covering Herbie Hancock, the 14-time GRAMMY Award-winner and Academy Award-winner, and internationally renowned pianist and composer. Talking about covering Herbie Hancock, I found out the day before in my conversation with Don Braden that he was on tour in Amman, Jordan with the great Herbie Hancock. Well, closer to home, Karl Latham and his band of awesome professionals — Bob Magnus on sax, Oscar Perez on keys, and Gary Foote on bass — were simply funkified and masterful. As audience member and music events producer Norman Mann stated: “These cats were excellent and off the chain. Just fabulous.”
Continuing the live music was Vivienne Frederick & Mark Murphy’s Music Faculty Band, and the audience loved their renditions of some of Stevie Wonder's most popular songs. Stevie Wonder is the singer-songwriter and musician who is credited as a pioneer and was influenced by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz.
Vivienne Frederick, a senior at Columbia High School, is headed this fall to the University of Miami (FL) to study music and has been with Mark Murphy's Music since she was young. This was a special farewell performance for Viv with the MMM Faculty Band as they played the electrifying music of Stevie Wonder. She has a beautiful melodic voice, and along with the Mark Murphy's Music Facility Band they did a superlative job in covering her childhood singing influence, Stevie Wonder.
Continuing the live music explosion was the rising star and always-on-point Autumn Jones and her band covering Lauryn Hill. Covering Lauren Hill was perfect for her because as she says the soulful R&B she creates is an expression of her life experiences as told through her stories, expressed in each of her songs. In covering Lauren Hill, this singer-songwriter with a strong vocal technique and songwriting capabilities did justice big time for the Lauren Hill fans. In addition, she brought along a band that performed some exquisite solos that were magical to listen to, and the overall performance was loudly applauded by all.
On stage next was the Dustin Kaufman band covering Phil Collins, who is an English drummer, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for his tenure as the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis.
Dustin Kaufman and his band were a great choice to perform our favorite Phil Collins tunes. The band was definitely on point with the music, and combined with a swinging vocalist who came in from California they had many in the audience singing along. Together, they provided some wonderful memories of Phil Collins tunes that will last for a long time to come.
Last but not least, it was time to hear some of the best music from one of the most legendary bands of all time. Charlie Pollock and Friends covered Led Zeppelin, an English rock band formed in London in 1968 that was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the best-selling music artists of all time. At the Under Cover Music Fest, it was time to relive the glory days of Led Zeppelin with Charlie Pollock and Friends. Charlie stated previously about covering Zepplin, “The greatest mountain to climb for a supergroup is the legendary Led Zeppelin! The best players, the hardest riffs, the weirdest lyrics and the most awesome fashion. Zeppelin has it all.”
Well, Charlie Pollock (seen on Broadway shows 9 to 5, David Bowie’s Lazarus, and Pretty Woman) and Friends performed beautifully as they sang a number of entertaining tunes that took the huge crowd back to many days gone by. The band provided a very lively and wonderful close to an enjoyable day of live music.
The beer garden was laid out nicely along one side of the Sloan Street parking lot ending at Fox & Falcon, which served as a food source on-site alongside Miti Miti, and both served the food in a very timely manner. One thing I was asked a lot was: “Where are all the other food vendors?” Seems folks once sitting or laid out on the ground did not want to venture afar. Other than that, people enjoyed themselves as they filled up from the available fare for purchase or negotiated a trip to an outside location.
There were even kids activities provided by select participants to keep children entertained while parents enjoyed the music. Security was visible at every entrance point so everyone could enjoy themselves safely.
As mentioned previously, the festival was previously held on Sloan Street, and moving it into the Sloan Street parking lot was a wonderful, widely successful move. People came out in droves with lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy themselves as they watched these wonderful artists perform music from our early days.
About the Author Gregory Burrus
Gregory Burrus is a local live music ambassador, producer, promoter, event planner, and community partner. He combines his extensive corporate business and technology expertise with his love of live music and being a strong community advocate.
I love writing about it all. My mission is to help community groups, live music bands, and local nonprofits, reach their goals and accomplish their missions while enjoying the day-to-day process of life.
https://gregoryburrusproductions.com/events
https://www.jerseyindie.com/ji-blogger-gregory-burrus
https://patch.com/users/gregburrus
Interview with Paul Haley and John Ramsburg of Thrill Ride
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Saturday, March 12, 2022
Punk n’ roll band, Thrill Ride, brought some much-needed joy to passersby in South Orange-Maplewood (SOMA, for short) when they decided to move their practice sessions outdoors during the pandemic. I spoke with Paul Haley (guitar/vocals) and John Ramsburg (bass/vocals) of Thrill Ride at the end of March 2021, and now, almost a full year later, it’s interesting to see what things have changed and what has stayed the same. Paul and John are both cool guys, so it was a blast to learn about the inspiration behind their sound, their songs, and how their music has been received locally as well as internationally.
Joined by their drummer, Will Kramer — plus the band Forget the Whale — Thrill Ride will be performing live at Picket’s Village Bar in Maplewood on Saturday, March 19th, 7-10pm. Be sure to check it out! Also, be sure to follow Thrill Ride on social media for up-to-date announcements about new recordings and shows.
Thrill Ride is on Portland, OR via NYC via Buffalo, NY's Honey Puller Records.
Watch our interview above, or read the transcript below.
(Video and transcript have been edited for time and clarity.)
What are your names, where are you from, and what do you do? What do you play?
JOHN RAMSBURG: I'm John Ramsburg. I play the bass, I sing, and I write some of the songs in Thrill Ride.
PAUL HALEY: My name is Paul Haley. I'm the guitarist. John and I, we share songwriting responsibilities. We live in SOMA, NJ. I don't know what the outsiders think of that term, but we in South Orange or Maplewood call it "SOMA" for short. Will Kramer, our drummer, also lives in Maplewood.
Thrill Ride is actually the remaining members of our previous band, Dollar Store Riot. Thea Kearney, our singer at the time, needed to take a break. Dollar Store Riot went on hiatus, and John, Will, and I looked at each other and said, "Well, do we want to keep going or what?" We decided to keep going, so we came up with a new name, Thrill Ride, and we've been going ever since.
John came into the band shortly after Dollar Store Riot played Maplewoodstock back in 2016. It's probably the biggest musical event in Maplewood every year, every summer. Of course, last summer they canceled it because of the pandemic and, hopefully, we'll get back to that, but it's a very fun event. Dollar Store Riot had the opportunity to play. That was our original bass player's last show. I think John saw us playing and we offered him the job, which he happily took. Do I have the history right, John?
JOHN RAMSBURG: Yeah. So I've been friends with the drummer, Will, for quite some time. Our boys are the same age, went to school together. So when their bass player left, he knew that I played bass and asked me to audition. I got the part, learned all their songs, and we played for a while.
PAUL HALEY: It's kind of funny, John. You were in the band for, like, 17 minutes and then we put him in a Dollar Store Riot video.
JOHN RAMSBURG: Yeah, I'm in a video. It's not even my bass!
For first-time listeners, how would you describe your sound, and who are your musical influences?
PAUL HALEY: Oh, God. It'll take me three days to list mine. You go first, John.
JOHN RAMSBURG: Basically, your standard alternative garage. "Dad bands" is what they call us around town now. Our influences are The Police, The Clash, Buffalo Tom. All three of us come from very similar yet varied enough backgrounds where we each bring something interesting when we're working on new songs. If you liked to listen to 120 Minutes back in the day on MTV, you'd probably enjoy watching one of our shows.
PAUL HALEY: John and I share a bunch of favorite bands. When I hear our music, especially that last song that you added to the NJ Artists You Should Know (2021) playlist, "Shelf", it kind of reminds me of a The-Police-meets-The-Clash kind of thing.
I also hear a lot of what I like to call "punk n' roll." I hear Social Distortion. I hear many different influences coming in. Definitely, I wouldn't be playing guitar if it wasn't for bands like Buffalo Tom and The Lemonheads —that pop-influenced fuzz rock, overdriven rock, and things like that.
Will [Kramer] went to college out in the Seattle area — I think Evergreen State — and he grew up in the Boston area, so he definitely brings a lot of influences from there. It's kind of interesting how it all comes together. Will, John, and I definitely click. We could start playing something and it'll all start falling together.
I saw that you did a quarantine series on social media and YouTube. Whose idea was that?
PAUL HALEY: Well, we just can't sit around. I mean, the funny thing is — and I kind of said this to the band — even though the pandemic hit last year, Thrill Ride was very productive, and I don't know if it was just a timing thing, but John, didn't we release like five or six songs?
JOHN RAMSBURG: Well, we got lucky in that we had gotten in the studio and recorded a bunch of scratch tracks right before they shut everything down. So then I was able to record from home and sent tracks in to our buddy, Tom. He does all of our mixing and recording. Will and Paul would pop in when it was safe. Paul gets tested every week, so it was safer for him to go in than for me. I was more comfortable staying home. But yeah, it was frustrating because we had planned a five-song EP. We recorded a bunch of the scratch tracks, and then we had to stop everything. So we used part of that to put out the videos. So, we all recorded separately, listening to the same song. I edited a bunch of it together and posted it up. Then when we had time, we'd work through one of the songs, get it mixed, and put it out. So then our five-song EP became this slow drip of singles that kept coming out. It kept us moving, which is good.
Congrats on your most recent release, "Catching a Reset." I like the lyrics!
PAUL HALEY: Oh yeah. Ha!
What's the story behind that? Is that about someone specific?
PAUL HALEY: I was trying to remember who wrote the lyrics, and I said, "Oh, wait, I wrote those!" I'll plead the fifth on a lot of that. Especially the chorus.
John handled that song very well. When he was learning to sing this song, I sent him the lyrics. Then when we went to record, he had the original lyrics that I had since revised. When I heard him do it, I was like, "I thought I gave you revised lyrics" and he was like, "No, these are it", and I'm like, "Well, those are the original lyrics." You remember that, John? I said, "OK, we'll leave that. I like that." I guess I had to hear the original ones again. I'm kind of glad that he got the original lyrics as opposed to the revised ones.
JOHN RAMSBURG: He had so many words per minute, it was off the charts, especially for one of our songs. We're very short, succinct. Tom Lucas, our engineer, said it's our “prog” song.
I like it! What's the name of Tom's studio?
JOHN RAMSBURG: Laughing Boys Recording.
PAUL HALEY: Laughing Boys is out of South Orange. I'll probably get this wrong a little bit, but Tom was a producer in New York for many years and then he built a home studio. It's a home away from home. He's a great guy, I mean, all-around good guy. He plays in every band in South Orange and Maplewood. I can't think of one band he never stepped into, except maybe ours. He added tracks to some of our songs, and even Dollar Store Riot songs. Some, we didn't even know he was going to do. I was listening to, I think it was the last Dollar Store Riot song we recorded. I heard organs in the chorus and I'm like, "Did we record that?" So I went to Tom. Tom, he is a sweetheart. I always say he's "the glue of SOMA", the music. He's just so involved. I said, "Tom, did you record organ?" He goes, "Yeah, I felt like doing that. What do you think?" I said, "Yeah, it sounds great!" I recommend everybody to go to his studio to record, for sure. One block off of South Orange Avenue.
That's nice that you have a short commute from your homes to the recording studio.
PAUL HALEY: John can basically hit Tom's house with a rock. I'm a little bit farther, but it's still very close. Tom's great to work with. He'll give you feedback. You know, a lot of studios, they're demanding money. With Tom, you've got to remind him, "Hey, we owe you some money." He'll be like, "Oh, yeah." You know what I mean? He does it for the love of the music. That's a great person to work with, for sure. So we're very lucky in that respect.
The song that was added to the playlist, "Shelf", has some French in it. I speak zero French, so I went into Google Translate.
PAUL HALEY: That was John's brilliant idea. Those organs that you have, it’s all John. That's a John song from start to finish. I mean that in the highest regard. It's a fantastic song. John, I don't think I ever told you, but I love the fact that you put French in it. I think it's great.
JOHN RAMSBURG: I woke up one morning and I had the whole song, the verse-chorus. I ran downstairs. It's one of those moments where I was like, "I gotta write this down." I got my phone, a recorder, and I just played it straight out and it was done, the song was over. I showed it to the guys and we came up with the bridge, so it wasn't a minute long. The French is the first verse just repeated. I don't know where I got the idea for the French, but I just started singing it in French, my broken high school French, and it stuck. In just, like, five minutes I had the song done. That's the only time that's ever happened to me in my life.
PAUL HALEY: I have to say, that's definitely one of my favorite songs in our catalog. It's a fun, catchy song. John really put a great song together for us.
Do you have any special collaborations, any tidbits that you can drop about what we can expect for this new selection?
JOHN RAMSBURG: Well, the one song we were working on at this last rehearsal, it's called "Started to Stop." I actually wrote it with my daughter. She's 11 now, but she was 10 when we wrote it.
PAUL HALEY: The next song we're working on is a song called "Ride" that John also wrote. Again, a fun song to play.
JOHN RAMSBURG: I like working with Will and Paul because a lot of the times when I write songs at home, it's more like alt-country for the sound because I just sit with my acoustic guitar and play something either sad or trying to tell a bit of a story. Then I bring it to them, and they're like, "OK, so we're going to play it faster than this, right?" and then it progresses and becomes our grungy, punky feel that we have. So "Ride" started like that. When I play it on the piano, it sounds more like a Springsteen song than when we play it together as a band. It's like a straight Social Distortion-esque rockabilly style. So it comes at you really fast and just keeps on going right to the end. Very danceable. I want to see people dancing at our gigs.
So you both have a hand in the songwriting. So do you start with the lyrics first? What's that process like, and do you draw largely upon personal experiences?
JOHN RAMSBURG: For me, it all happens at the same time. I'll be messed around with some chords or have an idea and the words will just come out. They might be nonsensical, but I might get a core of something I want to talk about, and then I'll expand off of that on the lyrics. Sometimes I'm inspired by sitting on the train, New Jersey Transit. I heard a couple talking. They were basically saying, "We've gotta slow this relationship down." That's where "Chill Out" came from.
"Half as Much" is more about the social media obsession I was going through at the time, where I was just never present, I was always looking at my phone, and there was no reciprocation because it's social media — it doesn't care. Things like that. So I've pulled from all over. Sometimes I hear a song and I'll say, "I really like the way that song sounds" and I try to figure out that chord structure and see what I can change to make it mine and then build on that. So just a little bit of everything. It's a potpourri of songwriting.
PAUL HALEY: I would say usually it's the guitar riff that comes together. I'll dig through a bunch of lyrics and not like any of them. I tend to be more of a stickler with the lyrics. I can tell you that every line that I write means something. The meaning may be a subtle joke or somebody in mind. I would argue that all the lyrics that I write are usually about somebody.
When I think of songs like "Over His Emo", it's about one specific person.
"Beat a Skip" is, again, about a specific person. We wrote a really, really heroin chic version of it, and then one day we just decided to speed it up, and so we got two versions of it. We tend to play to the methamphetamine version of it now. I like playing it both ways, but I have to say the faster way is the fun way to play it.
I got this little acoustic guitar that I bought my son a long time ago. It's one of those three-quarter travel ones. I have it right next to the couch. I'll be watching March Madness and working on a riff and be like "Oh, this works!" But it's usually the riff first and then the lyrics, for sure.
You have a pretty international following.
PAUL HALEY: That's all John. He's got the connections.
What was it like, the first time you had someone outside of the US contact you and say, "Hey, I discovered you"?
JOHN RAMSBURG: I was checking either CD Baby or Spotify for Artists, and I saw someone in Vietnam had listened to our whole album, which I thought was great. So that was cool because Paul's right, I have friends who live in Europe and Canada. Their friends are nice, they take a listen to it. But now it's starting to pop up in different playlists, which is pretty cool because I'm not doing this to be famous. I really enjoy writing and playing music, and I have a fun time doing it, and if other people like what I put down, that's great.
PAUL HALEY: There were some interesting ones that popped up. It makes you wonder. Actually, while we're talking, I think I'll look!
JOHN RAMSBURG: To hear or see that there are other people who like the music enough to listen to it again on Spotify, or they're discovering it on their own separate from me somehow, I just think it's cool. I'm very grateful. It's very humbling.
You both have kids that are in their teen years. Do all their friends know about the band? Do they come to shows? Have they given you feedback? What's that like?
PAUL HALEY: My kids are a little bit older than John's. I've got a junior and a freshman. I don't know if they ever listen to it, but every once in a while my oldest son, Aiden, will come and say, "Oh, I saw somebody in town wearing your band shirt." He'll say it just like that. My youngest, Liam, none of his friends say anything, but some of Aiden's friends have said things to me, like "Oh, I heard your new song. It sounds great."
JOHN RAMSBURG: My boy's older. He's in seventh grade, and one of his friends really, really likes us. He has our stickers on his wall, on his desk. He has both versions of our T-shirt. His parents come and see our shows a lot. You know, we're a neighborhood band. A lot of our friends come see us when we do gigs around town.
My daughter, she does backing vocals on "Bleed For Three", but that's about it. Her friends are like, they don't care. My kids don't care when we're playing. It's like, "Oh, are you going to come to the gig?" They're like, "Well, who's going to be there?" and then they go play with their friends while we're doing the show, you know? That's about it.
PAUL HALEY: I think the funniest thing is when you walk around SOMA or you're driving somewhere and you see somebody with the shirt. I saw someone a couple of months ago, and I just started laughing because you just don't expect to see it. I'm like, "Oh, wow, somebody actually owns one of our shirts!" It's cool. It's fun.
Do your coworkers know what you do? Have they come to shows?
JOHN RAMSBURG: When we play in the city, a couple of people I work with will come out, which is nice. It's good, too, because we're normally one of the first sets. At 7 or 8 o'clock, no one's in the bar anyway, so actually having people show up makes it more than just a glorified practice. Some of my coworkers and ex-coworkers from previous jobs still keep tabs on the band. I let them know when we have a new release out and they'll listen. Some of them ask for the new shirts, so Paul's kind enough to ship them out.
PAUL HALEY: With my new job here, our office is officially open but we only have about four or five people, and I don't really know everybody yet. It was kind of weird, like this week there was somebody actually sitting a safe distance away from me. After months of nobody, it was like a Cast Away kind of moment. I was like, "Whoa! Are you going to be here tomorrow?" because it kind of freaked me out! I'm just not used to so many people here, you know? But my bigger point is I really am just starting to get to know people, and it's kind of difficult when no one's in the office and you're just depending on Teams or Zoom and stuff like that. No one even knows that I play music yet, and that's OK.
JOHN RAMSBURG: In my office, our global office newsletter actually included either the video for "Last Night" or "Chill Out." It was in the beginning of the pandemic when they were saying, "This is what people are doing while they're at home." So a whole bunch of people in my company found out that way, and I got positive feedback from that. So that was nice, to get exposure any way you can.
What would you say are some of the highlights that you've experienced so far, either as individual musicians/songwriters or collectively as a band?
PAUL HALEY: I think 2020 is a highlight for me. I think we played two shows before the pandemic hit, and then we were able to play an outdoor show on November 20th or something like that, right, John? You would think would be cold and nasty, but it turned out to be, like, 68 degrees and we were playing outdoors on Springfield Ave at this open market kind of thing. So many people showed up.
There are so many bands in SOMA, NJ and beyond that we're friends with, that we get to play with. Recording and getting those singles out in 2020, I think those are the highlights for me — just continuing to play despite the pandemic and everything else and playing with our friends and having friends come and see us. People were aching so much [to see live music] in November. I got so many texts like, "Hey, I drove by and saw your band!" I would consider that a highlight, and just getting those songs out. That momentum.
JOHN RAMSBURG: This band is actually the first one where I actually got to step up front and do the writing and singing and have a lot of support. The other bands I've been with have been supportive, I really liked working with them. One of my really good friends from college and I've been in a band forever and he is an amazing musician and singer, and I was always happy to be playing bass and working with him on his songs, but being able to finally come out in Thrill Ride and say, "Here are my songs. Do you want to play them?" and Paul and Will are like, "Yes, let's do this" and the affirmation that comes along with that, it's like, "I can do this!" Also, accepting the fact that a song's never really going to be finished, but I'm going to say it's good enough for me to play it out loud for people to hear. I think those are good personal highlights for me, just accepting that I can do this, and I'm really enjoying it. It's fun.
I was a theater major in school, so acting and stuff and being in front of people was fine for me, but I always felt that songwriting and singing was never something I was very strong at. So being able to overcome that with this group is the biggest highlight.
Also, some of the places we've gotten to play, like Asbury Park, Pianos in the city, just a lot of venues that I'd walk by or see other friends' bands play, and just popping in and getting to meet all these other great bands. This community here in South Orange-Maplewood, getting to play with our friends Tri-State, there's Maplewolf. They're a country cover band and they're great and it's fun to do a set with them because it just flips everything on its head when you're doing sets together. I love playing in this town. Everyone's so supportive. I can't wait to play gigs with some of the new bands that are coming up, like Thea [Kearney]'s band, Megasparkle. I think it'd be fun to go play with them, too.
PAUL HALEY: John and I also have radio shows on Bone Pool Radio. I tend to do a lot of mixed shows. I'm 30 shows in — Paulie’s Boutique, it's called. Whenever I do a mixed show, it's an eclectic mix. I always made sure to put a local band in the show. Then, I increased it from one local band — and this basically means SOMA, NJ and beyond, but in New Jersey — and then I decided, well, I can't keep up with this, I have to add two. Then eventually it turned into where I just put together two exclusive shows about all the great bands in New Jersey, and I'm not even done yet! You can probably relate to that. Then I realize that every time I put one of those exclusive shows together, I forgot about all these bands over here.
SOMA, NJ has so many great bands within close vicinity, a lot of fantastic bands. I don't want to speak on behalf of John, but I feel very lucky to be part of that whole musical scene, being friends with all these bands. Everybody gets along playing along, and it's just a great thing. I hope to see it continue. It's definitely a fun scene. It took a little bit of time to come to fruition, but it definitely did. There are all these great bands, from the doom metal Green Dragon, to what I call the "Indigo Girls-sound" of Marry the Sea, to Tom Lucas of Laughing Boys Recording. He's got that great band, Sad About Girls. It's just crazy.
Two last questions. Are there any dream collaborations you would love to do with artists or bands — alive or dead? Also, where can people find you and connect with you online?
JOHN RAMSBURG: We are on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @thrillridebandnj. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes. Google "Thrill Ride." You can also hear us played on Bone Pool Radio. That's an iHeartRadio station, so you can check them out there. That's the New Jersey local station where Paul and I have shows.
You can reach out to me on Instagram and Facebook if you want to talk about band stuff. I'm always happy to chat. Same with Paul Haley. You can look us up any time.
So Paul, who would you want to play with?
PAUL HALEY: You said "alive or dead." I would love a chance to play with The Clash, or maybe when hell freezes over and The Smiths get back together. Another one of my favorite bands, Buffalo Tom. If I had to collaborate, I'd probably do it with members of local bands. Members of Tri-State, I would love to have a chance to play with. Allied Chemical is no more, but I would love to have a chance to play with some of those guys. Tom Lucas of Laughing Boys Recording and Sad About Girls, for sure. So, definitely a lot of local bands.
JOHN RAMSBURG: I like a lot of different styles. I'm obsessed with Toad the Wet Sprocket ever since I was in high school, so I would love to get a chance just to play, let alone hang out with Glen Phillips and just see how he does his songwriting or just playing, jamming some songs, just having a good time with them. Lucero, an alt-country band. Not everybody's heard of them, but they write some really beautiful, heartfelt music. I really enjoy the way they write a song. If I had a chance to go back and sit with Black Sabbath and play bass along. I love blues metal. It's just fantastic. I was just listening to an earlier Wolfmother record. That guy changes his band every three weeks, so if I can get a cycle in there for one tour, that'd be awesome.
To what Paul was saying about collaborating locally, I've had this idea knocking around my head for a while where we do a charity record, but we all do a cover of somebody else's song in town. I think that would be a lot of fun.
Is there anything else that you'd like to add that I haven't asked you about or that we haven't discussed yet?
PAUL HALEY: I want to give a plug for Bone Pool Radio. Everybody should give Bone Pool Radio a listen, not necessarily for John or my show, but just overall listen to it, www.BonePoolRadio.com. They've got the app, iHeartRadio. They have their own app. It's just a great radio station. John and I are friends with the owner [Michelle S. Lomuscio]. She always wanted to have a radio station, so she made one. It's a lot of fun to do, and it's just great to have a radio station again. So whoever wants to listen, definitely give it a listen. It's a great station.
Patrick Hilaire’s LIGHT [+SOUND] Photography Exhibition at SOPAC (RECAP)
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Saturday, February 26, 2022
Encountering photographs and artwork directly — as opposed to viewing online or in a book — is important and enriching. An exhibition invites visitors to slow down and to experience work as the artist/photographer and curator intended. When one is viewing this South Orange Performing Arts Center Black History Month exhibition and are viewing the photography of local photographer Patrick Hilaire, your first impression or instinctive reaction might be like many others, “Wow he captured all of ‘this’ within one click of the camera.” Yes, some amazing shots were on display at the Patrick Hilaire LIGHT [+SOUND] Photography Exhibition. As explained in an earlier post, Patrick has a detailed preparation process, and these shots clearly demonstrate that Patrick, when working on site, is working within the moment.
About the Patrick Hilaire’s LIGHT [+SOUND] Photography Exhibition
“The exhibition showcases 25 stunning black-and-white portraits of Jazz musicians. Every portrait in this exhibition tells its own story,” says curator, Jeremy Moss. The Haitian-born self-taught photographer’s ability to capture compelling musical moments by renowned artists has brought Hilaire widespread acclaim. “Musical events are the intersection where the rhythm of the performer and photographer get to meet,” says Hilaire. “It’s really moments that I try to capture, and those moments only happen once.”
Artist Reception: Motivation Behind His Photography
During this reception’s artist talk, Patrick took the time to explain more of the motives and feelings behind his shooting process. Patrick discussed the musicians and their impact upon his process, which is more than just the shot. He also reflected on their commitment to the music and their history.
Take a listen.
You can also learn more here in a prior Jersey Indie post - Celebrate Black History Month with Patrick Hilaire.
Musicians Performance
During the exhibition, jazz could be heard across the exhibition floors. The mellow swinging sounds were waffling through the air. Folks actually were able to listen to the music, view the photos, and actually see one of the artists photographed in the gallery exhibition playing the music. A pretty cool move. The musicians performing also have an extensive musical history across the industry, which their bios reflect, and it makes the photography process even sweeter. Check them out.
Bassist John Lee — A Grammy-winning recording engineer/producer, has performed as bassist with legendary Dizzy Gillespie for 10 years and with other luminaries such as Aretha Franklin, Paquito D'Rivera, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner, James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Joe Henderson, Larry Coryell, Gregory Hines, Claudio Roditi, Arturo Sandoval amongst many others. John Lee runs from Dizzy Gillespie to Aretha Franklin and into the stars of today. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lee_(bassist))
Drummer Gerry Brown — Was Stevie Wonder's drummer for 14 years, helped create the legendary world-famous jazz tune "School Days'' with his friend Stanley Clark, is an ex-member of Chick Corea's iconic world renown tune "Return To Forever", performed with Kool and the Gang, and is currently touring with Diana Ross. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Brown_(drummer))
Pianist Alex Collins — A New York City-based pianist, composer, arranger and vibraphonist, made his debut at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival with the Brandon Wright Quartet, has performed with Ronnie Burrage, Micelle Coltrane, Big Funk, Gerry Gibbs, Karl Latham, John Lee, Lonnie Plaxico, Lenny White, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars amongst many others. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-collins-9ba56b4)
It made for some beautiful music, and you can read more about the musicians here on JerseyIndie — https://bit.ly/jazzyNightswJoh...
Patrons and Visitor Feedback
The music portion of the night was enjoyed tremendously. Here are a few comments from reception attendees:
Patrick’s black and white photography was aesthetically sexy. He captured the passion of the musician behind the drums and the commitment of the hornist on the Asbury Park boardwalk. And the smooth sounds of jazz were just the right compliment for the night. — CC M
Had a marvelous time with great music and wonderful photography.
It was a wonderful event and the photo exhibition will remain up, so come by and you won’t be disappointed! — Linda C.
Fantastic! Patrick Hilaire is my favorite photographer. — Charlie A
Continue Celebrating Patrick Hilaire Photography
While this exhibition ends on Feb. 28th in The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC, we hope you get to see it.
We also advise you to continue to view even more Patrick Hilaire photography. You can stay up to date here on his IG, @l1stener. If you like what you see at the exhibition, know that his art will be available for purchase as these will be museum-quality archival pigment prints on Bright White Velvet 100% rag paper.
About the Author Gregory Burrus
Gregory Burrus is a local live music producer, promoter who captures, and records live music performances, community events and private engagements. Gregory also loves to write and blog about the art and entertainment scene across New Jersey and New York.
My mission is to help artists, live music bands, community groups, and local nonprofits reach their goals and accomplish their mission while thoroughly enjoying the day-to-day process of life.
Learn more at:
https://www.jerseyindie.com/ji-blogger-gregory-burrus
http://gregoryburrusproductions.com
http://24hoursofmusicjamboree.com
https://patch.com/users/gregburrus
John Lee and Friends Keeping Jazz Alive Since Dizzy Gillespie and More at South Valley BBQ and Lounge
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Monday, February 14, 2022
In today's series of Keeping Jazz Alive, we talk about a venue that has had jazz performances on a regular basis for years, and then due to Pandemic plus the venue was sold, jazz has been missing for way too long. Well, SuzyQue’s is gone, and it's time to see if we can keep jazz alive at South Valley BBQ and Lounge. I say, let’s do it!!
We’ll also review some Jazz Masters that have been performing there and are all about Keeping Jazz Alive. These musicians are notable not only because they play jazz music but because it has also become their life's journey. They have, in some cases, played with and had their careers moved forward by past jazz masters. Some of these musicians we have been listening to have been entrusted to keep the jazz legacy alive and they do so every day. Their journey in life is learning, teaching, and performing their original compositions but also the jazz music that has passed down through the generations. Today we tell this Keep Jazz Alive Story through the venue that has a wonderful history of jazz events, but first it’s about the musicians who have performed here and will again in upcoming performances, which is what it's all about.
John Lee — Musician
Bassist, Grammy-winning record producer and audio engineer.
Most folks around here don't know that the unassuming friendly bass player leaning on the window playing the smooth bass as the jazz flows has an incredible musical legacy. As a recent Maplewood Matters Magazine article, “From Dizzy Gillespie to Aretha Franklin, John Lee is a South Orange Jazz All-Star”, stated:
“John Lee won a Grammy in 2019 for the ‘Best Latin Jazz / Jazz Album’ as the recording engineer, producer, and mixer for “Jazz Batá 2” by Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés.”
Around Dizzy Gillespie
If you don’t know, John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie is remembered by both critics and fans alike as one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time. John Lee was Dizzy Gillespie's bassist for 10 years, from 1984 through 1993. He performed and recorded in the trumpet master's various bands, including the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet, Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, and Dizzy's Grammy Award-winning United Nation Orchestra.
Around the World
John Lee has performed on over 50 albums and performed with the likes of Paquito D’Rivera, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner, James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Joe Henderson, Larry Coryell, Gregory Hines, Claudio Roditi, Arturo Sandoval, Joachim Kühn, Philip Catherine, Gerry Brown and the aforementioned Legendary Dizzy Gillespie, etc.
At the request of Dizzy’s family, John was asked to create an ongoing tribute to the great man and his music—and the concept for the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars was born. John is the bassist and Director of the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, and the Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience. The cast of musicians is an incredible list of great performers. These cats play some incredible music all around the world and are first-hand keeping jazz alive. (Read more at dizzygillespie.org.)
Around South Orange
John Lee supports, arranges, and organizes jazz events around the world, including the spectacular Giants of Jazz Concert at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. The Giants of Jazz Concert is an annual event that includes 70 fabulous worldwide musicians. John’s event was honored and captured in Artist Kevin O'Connell's "Giant Steps" giant mural in South Orange, NJ.
As the Grammy Award-winning record producer, audio engineer, and bass player who has produced over 100 recordings, John has a worldwide reach when it comes to the music business. When he performs, the band is always top-notch and you never know who might show up, as John always invites widely respected friends from all over the world to join in at our very local venue. Here’s a few upcoming friends that will perform with him in the upcoming performance:
John Lee’s Friends
Gerry Brown — Master Drummer
Gerry Brown began playing the drums at the age of five, and since 2000 he has been the drummer for Diana Ross. Gerry is a ”Jazz drummer who has featured with bassists Stanley Clarke and John Lee and is an ex-member of Chick Corea's Return To Forever.” (Read more here.)
His musical journey started with fellow schoolmate, Stanley Clarke, who introduced Gerry as a "Master Drummer" and the "first musician I ever played with!" Gerry, along with Stanley, crafted the revolutionary “School Days” recording which continues to inspire drummers and bassists worldwide.
His long list of accomplishments has landed him on stages and recording studios with George Benson, Marcus Miller, Lionel Ritchie, John Lee, Sonny Fortune, Alfonso Johnson and Phillip Bailey. He also has worked with the NDR Big Band, Brothers Johnson, Roberta Flack, Joe Sample, Slide Hampton, Tom Harrell, Larry Coryell, Dave Samuels, Chuck Loeb and Chick Corea.
Gerry Brown has performed at numerous SRO events worldwide and also holds the distinction of holding the drum chair for the legendary Stevie Wonder for 14 years.
His versatility is obviously well known in the industry as has also toured with Diana Ross, Jeffrey Osborne, plus others, and he still performs with some of the top musicians of today.
Gerry, formerly of Los Angeles, CA is lucky for us now residing in South Orange, NJ and continues to be a driving force in the industry. His first instructional drum video "R&B Drumming With Gerry Brown" was released to critical acclaim by numerous music publications. Gerry's insight as an educator and performer has established him as a sought after clinician for Yamaha Drums, Zildjian Cymbals & Drumsticks, and Evans Drumheads.
Steve Carrington — Saxophone
According to SOPAC’s website: “Born in East Baltimore, Maryland, Steve Carrington began playing the saxophone at age seven. After attending the Baltimore School for the Arts and Frederick Douglass High School (whose alumni include Cab Calloway), Carrington was awarded a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied with saxophonist Bill Pierce. His early influences were John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Grover Washington Jr., Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon, and Freddie Hubbard.”
“[In] New York, Steve sat in and performed with the likes of the late Elvin Jones, Joey DeFrancesco, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Wynton Marsalis, Wessel “Warmdaddy” Anderson, Eric Lewis (ELEW) and Chick Corea. He is close friends with his mentor Kenny Garrett. In a symbolic passing of the torch, Kenny gifted Steve with a saxophone in 2012. Long distances don’t prevent these two from sharing impromptu jam sessions via FaceTime, even when Kenny is on the road! […] In addition, Carrington has played with Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Hargrove, Milt Hinton, Frank Wess and Jimmy Heath, among many others.” (Read more here.)
“Just keep that big beautiful smile and that big beautiful sound.” – Chick Corea
“Steve’s music and robust sound demands that you take a listen.” – Kenny Garrett.
As leader of his quartet, Carrington has opened for Abbey Lincoln, Lionel Hampton, Stanley Turrentine, and Milt Hinton. He has been performing with Kool and the Gang. Currently, he is a member of Greg Bandy’s band, the Valery Ponomarev Big Band, and Cyrus Chestnut’s African Reflections band. Carrington’s recordings include his debut album A Caring Tone (2014) and Mind Traveler (2019). He is also on the faculty of the Jazz Mentoring Program at the Eubie Blake Cultural Center in Baltimore.
Alex Collins — Composer/Arranger/Pianist
Alex Collins is a New York City-based pianist, composer, arranger and vibraphonist. Alex made his debut at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival with the Brandon Wright Quartet in 2010.
Alex is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music (M.M. Jazz Composition) and earned his undergraduate degree from the Eastman School of Music (B.M. Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media (Piano)).
He received the Wynton Kelly Jazz Foundation Award for Jazz Achievement (2003) and participated in the prestigious Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead program (2006).
Aside from leading his own trio, Alex has performed in the bands of Ronnie Burrage, Micelle Coltrane, Big Funk, Gerry Gibbs, Karl Latham, John Lee, Lonnie Plaxico, Lenny White, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars. Alex has performed at prolific venues across the city, such as the Blue Note, The Plaza Hotel, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Lincoln Center, Fat Cat and Smalls Jazz Club, just to name a few!
As you can see, it's an all-star cast, the jazz will be extraordinary, and now on to the venue that John Lee used to hang out in pre-Covid days and hopefully will again on a regular basis, once again.
South Valley BBQ and Bar — West Orange, NJ
The former SuzyQue’s, if you haven't heard, is under new ownership and is now a Black-owned restaurant. John Lee and Friends had a regular Jazz Night that we captured periodically on Facebook. As time progressed, things changed, and then COVID came along and stopped everything.
Well, SuzyQue’s now the new South Valley BBQ and Bar and the new owners are looking forward to creating a wonderful and warm environment for all patrons to enjoy live music. Their first very visible modification was a newly remodeled Blue Room for events.
With an upgraded menu and an outside seating area, there’s still lots of free parking, and they currently have Karaoke nights, DJ spinning nights, football watch nights and more. Of course, we would love to add a Jazzy Night, and we would love for Jazz Fans to come on out.
Jazzy Nights
Let's work together at keeping jazz alive right here in West Orange, NJ.
Jazzy Nights Music with John Lee and Friends is coming to South Valley BBQ and Lounge, 34 S Valley Rd, West Orange, NJ 07052.
Live swinging jazz “like you like it.”
John Lee — Bass
Alex Collins — Keys
Gerry Brown — Drums
Steve Carrington — Sax
Please join us for 2 Sets - 8-9:15 PM and 9:45-11 PM
Limit Seating. To make reservations in advance, call (973) 736-7899.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnleeandfriends
Hope to see you at South Valley BBQ and Bar on Feb. 18th and beyond.
About the Author
Gregory Burrus books bands, produces, promotes, captures, and records live music events along with various other community and private activities.
I love writing about it all. My mission is to help community groups, live music bands, and local nonprofits, reach their goals and accomplish their missions while enjoying the day-to-day process of life.
Get Featured
So as you can see, these are some pretty cool places with awesome support groups and, more importantly, supportive venue owners, all hoping and helping to keep the Jazz Alive for a long, long time. If you want your favorite Jazz venue listed, let me know and I'll get you in on the next scheduled post.
Celebrate Black History Month at SOPAC with Patrick Hilaire’s LIGHT [+SOUND] Photography Exhibition
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history. You can read more about The Man Behind Black History Month.
Black History Month 2022 Health and Wellness
For Black History Month 2022, the theme is Black Health and Wellness, and in a recent recap article “2021 Live Music Year In Review” I opined about the health and mental benefits of the art of live music:
“For listeners, a live music concert is a pleasurable social event that is among the most visceral and memorable forms of musical engagement. It's the same for musicians, with the added note that for many it’s not a side business, it’s their lifeblood and the thing that keeps them alive. With that in mind, we all pushed on through the year making music and great memories.”
After seeing the absence of music and art during this COVID pandemic and the slow recovery we are all going through, there is no doubt that Art and Music have a major effect on helping us feel better, recover, survive, and even thrive during the current state of the world.
Exposure to art and music along with participation in creative activities creates positive brain changes. That's according to a new report from the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH), an AARP-founded working group of scientists, health care professionals and other experts. Their latest report, “Music on Our Minds,” highlights research showing music's positive effect on emotional well-being, including improving mood, decreasing anxiety, and managing stress. There is creativity in making the music and there’s creativity spawned from listening to music. In an upcoming event, we will encounter exceptional creativity from a preeminent photographer who listens to the sounds and is inspired by the light.
Photographer Patrick Hilaire
"I am excited about the upcoming Light and Sound Exhibition at the beautiful SOPAC Gallery. This show gives me a chance to share and explore the deeper elements of my passion when it comes to understanding the intersection of sound and light in any live music performance. There's beauty in the moment and capturing it ‘just right’ amongst all else that is going on during a live performance is a challenge that I enjoy." — Patrick Hilaire
Around the Jersey NYC area there are many live music performances and, of course, numerous photographers. One notable local photographer that stands out from the pack is the professional photographer known as @l1stener or Patrick Hilaire. Over time, Patrick has compiled a remarkable collection of photographs of live music performances, the musicians, and the environments associated with the Greater New Jersey and New York live music scene. One of the things we notice is that whether he’s at a live music performance, a wedding, or he’s strolling down the street, he’s keenly aware of the details beyond what we normally see. While we see the daily activities of life moving around us, Patrick sees the details in one leaf amongst the leaves blowing in the wind, the formation of the icicles occurring on the side mirror of a car and, yes, while we listen to the music he sees the lights emanating from the sound.
Patrick is also known for capturing not just the music and the musicians, and if you stare in one direction too long, you may find yourself captured by Patrick. And the funny part is folks who say “No, not me,” end up loving his images of them. Since we get to hang out and be around him at times, we get to see firsthand his working process and how it unfolds. Sometimes he shows up, grabs a beverage, turns his hat around backwards, pulls out his camera, and starts shooting and the results are like this gorgeous one of our buddy Boz, RIP, 2020.
At other times, he shows up, eyes the environment, sets up all his equipment, pulls out his camera or cameras, adjusts the settings, turns his hat around and starts the shooting session. What we don’t see is that he believes, in preparation before the event, spending time getting to know his subjects and his environment. He thinks about posing and positioning of his subjects and then deliberately chooses camera settings that ensure the final result will look fantastic. Sometimes the preparation is all done in the blink of an eye, yet it’s all very professionally done.
The results speak for themselves as Patrick sees the light and more, in addition to the sound that comes from the musicians. If you've been in the presence of Patrick at any of our events, you can tell he sees more than we do, so we are very happy to see an exhibition of his work being put on display at the beautiful South Orange Performing Arts Center.
LIGHT [+SOUND] Exhibition
The South Orange Performing Arts Center describes this wonderful event about the photography of Patrick Hilaire as follows:
“His life’s work has focused on capturing the relationship between images and sound. Known as the man behind the camera at many Jazz happenings, Hilaire has been a staple in the local music scene for years. Hilaire has photographed performers from SOPAC’s Jazz & Blues in the Loft series as well as the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Band at the Blue Note in New York City. Hilaire has exhibited at several galleries, was featured at the South by South Orange Festival, and shot performances at the John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival as well as the South Mountain International Blues Festival.”
The Haitian-born self-taught photographer’s ability to capture compelling musical moments by great artists has brought him widespread acclaim. “Musical events are the intersection where the rhythm of the performer and photographer get to meet,” he says. A Jazz lover since childhood, Hilarie was first moved by the genre when his older brother Max Hilaire, also a noted photographer, brought home Herbie Mann's “The Glory of Love.”
Add to the above, Patrick has captured and documented numerous Jazz events at clubs and jazz venues all over Northern NJ and New York City, from Morristown’s Shanghai Jazz to Jersey City’s Brightside Tavern and Moore's Lounge. In between, you will see his beautiful captures from West Orange’s South Valley BBQ and Bar, South Orange Summer Saturdays Stages, Jazz On Sloan at the South Orange Gazebo, Papillon 25, The Fox and Falcon, Montclair’s DLV Lounge, Newark's Clements Place Jazz 973, NJPAC and, of course, SOPAC’s most prestigious Giants of Jazz Program. In New York, he’s covered just about every jazz venue, from North Harlem’s SMOKEs to the Village Vanguard, Blue Note, Small's, and Birdland in Southern Manhattan, along with venues in Brooklyn.
South Orange Performing Arts Center and The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery
According to the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) website:
“SOPAC is an accessible cultural destination located in the heart of downtown South Orange that presents world-class artists in an intimate and welcoming environment […] Through visionary leadership and an unwavering commitment, SOPAC has become a cultural centerpiece for the region, an economic driver for the community and a catalyst for artistic opportunity.
The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC showcases a wide range of artists bringing contemporary art to a broader audience […] With the support of the Gallery’s Art Advisory Committee, art exhibitions are selected according to the vision of the Curator, Jeremy Moss. Exhibition themes, artist selection, even placement of artwork is meant to lead visitors through the Gallery exhibition while telling a story, instigating questions and provoking conversations […]
The Gallery is located on the second and third floors of SOPAC. It hosts 4-5 art exhibits a year.”
Admission to the Gallery is free. Visit www.SOPACnow.org/gallery.
Light [+Sound] Exhibition Details
Celebrate Black History Month with the photography of local notable, Patrick Hilaire.
On Display: Showcasing Patrick Hilaire’s stunning black-and-white portraits of Jazz musicians.
Where: The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC
When: February 1 – 28, 2022
Hours: Monday-Saturday, Noon – 6 PM.
Admission: Free
Reception: Thursday, February 17, 5 – 8 PM, plus live jazz music.
The art will be available for purchase, as these will be museum-quality archival pigment prints on Bright White Velvet 100% rag paper.
Learn more: https://www.sopacnow.org/events/light-sound-reception/
About the Curator Jeremy Moss
Having studied photography and graphic art in the U.K., Jeremy Moss’s journey to the artist of today has been a combination of fine art shows and editorial assignments. His photographic, fine art limited editions have been shown throughout the greater New York metropolitan region in solo shows, juried fine art shows, and group shows. His work is held in both private and corporate collections, domestic and international. Jeremy is also a painter and mosaic artist. His paintings are mostly abstract textural pieces that have a definite relationship with his fine art photography.
In 2016, the South Orange Performing Arts Center appointed Jeremy as the curator for the Herb & Milly Iris Gallery. He is an experienced and visionary arts non-profit leader with over 19 years in arts and arts management, skilled at building exceptional teams focused on collaboration and results. He was brought on board to oversee the strategic direction of the gallery, as well as bring new exhibits to the South Orange landmark that reflect the mission of the Herb & Milly Iris Gallery — to encourage emerging artists and to bring contemporary art to a broader audience.
Jeremy is a native of Leicester, England and currently resides in Orange, New Jersey.
About the Author Gregory Burrus
Gregory Burrus is a local live music producer, promoter who captures, and records live music performances, community events and private engagements. Gregory also loves to write and blog about the art and entertainment scene across New Jersey and New York,
My mission is to help artists, live music bands, community groups, and local nonprofits reach their goals and accomplish their mission while thoroughly enjoying the day-to-day process of life.
Learn more at:
http://gregoryburrusproductions.com
http://24hoursofmusicjamboree.com
https://patch.com/users/gregburrus
2021 Gregory Burrus Productions Live Music Year In Review
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Tuesday, January 11, 2022
2021. What a fabulous, poignant, reflective year. In the beginning, we thought about it being a year of restart, recovery and renewal. I think we all lost some family, friends and, in our case, some fabulous musicians. Unfortunately, the losses continued so it was definitely a challenging year, but we found a way to live again. For listeners, a live music concert is a pleasurable social event that is among the most visceral and memorable forms of musical engagement. It's the same for musicians, with the added note that for many it’s not a side business, it’s their lifeblood and the thing that keeps them alive. With that in mind, we soldiered on through the year making music and great memories.
2021 Year In Review
As you can see, we made some great memories. Here are the 2021 lineup highlights:
In January 2021 we thought we’d start the year off with our Jazz973 program at The Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies, but no such luck as lots of uncertainties were still around, so our favorite Jazz Venue, Clement’s Place Jazz, did not have any programming.
For February for the Town of South Orange, we had a musical tribute and a South Orange Street renaming to honor our fallen buddy Lee Boz May. It was cold but a wonderful day.
For March, we celebrated Women's History Month with a wonderful online performance titled WHM2021 “Refresh in Progress” by Ife Basim. We also had a stirring and moving Cello performance by Caylen Bryant as we all Reflected Together For COVID-19 Victims at the lake in Meadowlands Park in South Orange, NJ. We tested the outdoor live music scene as Jazzy Nights, which joined the South Orange Jazz scene right before the pandemic hit us, turned into Jazzy Afternoons at The Fox & Falcon with an outdoor live R&B performance by MPACK. It was a big hit as folks starved for live music came out like crazy. It was really a great thing to experience.
For April, we honored Jazz Appreciation Month. Other than one rainout, it was a truly swinging set of Sunday afternoon performances which you can read more about here: Jazzy Afternoons South Orange Presents "Jazz Across The Generations" to Honor Jazz Appreciation Month 2021. The weather was great and music/the vibe was truly jumpin’.
Over the Months of May, June, July, August and September, we ran a number of concurrent live music performances. Our Summer Saturday South Orange Downtown performances ran every Saturday, 2 performances a day, along with our monthly Sunday Jazz On Sloan program at the South Orange Gazebo. There were about 60 fabulous performances. We rolled through Summer Wednesdays with a jumping Wednesday afternoon R&B-driven City of Orange Farmers Market. From 12-5 pm this program grew from a few attendees to a full house every week. We were also honored to crank up live music for the town of Cranford and had a really great Downtown Cranford Summer Sounds every Thursday evening all summer. Folks also enjoyed some great live music bands we provided to the town of Westfield with the Open Quimby Live Music program.
In September, we started with the Maplewood Community Music Maplewood Porchfest which was a nonstop all-day community fest of porch owners, honk paraders, and lemonade stands, and what really made it happen were some awesome local music performers and enthusiastic attendees. After a July weather cancellation, thanks to South Orange Downtown we conducted the 5th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree, adapted for our times. Saturday gave us 12 hours of music, and Overnight gave us online musical performances including a wonderful performance from Japan by the Kumiko Tanaka Trio. On Sunday, we were finally able to host a Tribute to Darryl Clark. It was a glorious 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree headlined by the famous Nat Adderley Jr. Trio and members of Darryl’s former band. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon of beautiful music and great tributes.
October finally saw the return of our beloved Clements Place Jazz Venue, and while all the performances through December were great, a few highlights were 87-year-old Houston Person with Matt Chertkoff and 94-year-old Bassist Bill Crow with 19-year-old Leonieke Scheuble performing for our Jazz973 program on Wednesday evenings. This year the October Live Music Fest took over South Orange, NJ Spiotta Park and we had a really good time every weekend (when the weather cooperated). Meanwhile, the town of Cranford, NJ reached 150-years-old and MPACK was there to perform. Also in October, we performed for Pink Out Cranford Events. Finally, we performed a few weekends for the wonderful Cranford’s 14th Annual Scarecrow Stroll which had some amazing scarecrows.
November brought us some wonderful live music performance opportunities. Thanks to Linda Moody, wife of famed saxophonist James Moody, we were Making History as Linda Moody Honored the James Moody Scholars at 100 Blanchard Rd. in South Orange, NJ. It was a beautiful elegant night to remember. This was one swinging jamming experience. We then happily covered A Smooth Jazz Explosion Lights Up the Woodland in Maplewood. This event was very cool, as it opened up with an exciting group of young teenage jazz musicians from our town, The Baker Street Trio. Then, we got to experience the fabulous Smooth Jazz performances of Yankee great Bernie Williams and the phenomenal Blood, Sweat & Tears Guitarist Gil Parris and his band. It was definitely a really great performance to remember.
December ended with our entertainer Lynette Sheard joining Mr. and Ms. Claus on a Holiday Chorals Walk around Downtown Cranford, NJ. We had a fun time performing with the return of the award-winning South Orange Open-Air Holiday Market. We closed the month out in Maplewood where we enjoyed another great local performance, where Local Resident Jacqueline Lee Opened for 2 Contemporary Jazz Stars, and a fabulous off-the-chain performance at the Woodlands where Marion Meadows and Alex Bugnon delivered an outstanding smooth jazz performance.
Of course along the way we conducted a number of private events as well.
Venues Around Our Towns
2021 consisted of multiple live music events, sometimes on the same day, conducted across multiple towns like South Orange, Newark, Cranford, Maplewood, the City of Orange, Westfield, West Orange, Montclair and more. You can read more here.
Videography. Livestream
Last year, we continued producing live music events and promoting them on various platforms. We were also happy to say that we continued documenting these events via video and livestreamIng them on multiple platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and other websites. You can watch them here:
https://www.youtube.com/gregoryburrus
https://vimeo.com/gregoryburrus
In The News
In addition, we continued to provide additional artists promotions via articles and blog posts on local news sites, TAPinto, Patch, Newsrecord and across New Jersey via JerseyIndie and JerseyNYC. Read more below:
https://www.jerseyindie.com/ji-blogger-gregory-burrus
https://patch.com/users/gregburrus
Social Media
As we move through another year of unknowns and another “Are we inside or outside?” life, please continue to stay in touch with all our live music events. We are programming events for 2022, so check out the links and signup to know when we will go live again:
https://www.facebook.com/gregory.burrus
https://www.instagram.com/gregoryburrus
https://twitter.com/gregoryburrus
https://www.facebook.com/gregoryburruspromotions
Stay Safe, Stay Healthy and Stay Connected.
Thank you again for joining us on this live music journey.
About Gregory Burrus
Gregory Burrus spends his time as a Photojournalist, Live Music Producer, Promoter, Videographer, Arts and Entertainment Writer, Blogger, Business Reviewer, and Community Events Reporter. Gregory develops, manages, promotes and documents live music programs in the Greater New Jersey and New York Area.
http://gregoryburrusproductions.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregburrus
https://24hoursofmusicjamboree.com
A Fabulous 5th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree, Sept 25 and 26, 2021 (RECAP)
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Wednesday, December 15, 2021
The South Orange 24 Hours of Music Jamboree started in 2017 as a local live music event, where the musicians performed on multiple local stages, year after year for 3 years in our neighborhood parks, stores, and gazebos. However, in our new pandemic world in 2020, we all had to adjust in many unexpected ways. The COVID-19 pandemic drove many industries to instantly shut down. Borders, race politics, it did not matter.
We were faced with a new world and understanding that to resolve this problem we needed to know that “we were and still are all in this together“. Hence, the 24 Hours of Music Jamboree had no choice but to adapt and evolve with the times. In 2020, we adapted the event to be totally online. And we had a great time.
The great thing we learned is that live music is universal and musicians can play with each other from all over the world. We evolved this year's performance program to meet the lingering needs of a global pandemic, ongoing social distancing, and sporadic worldwide travel restrictions.
Making It All Happen
Additional adjustments were needed this season as we had scheduled a full-day tribute to one of our fallen musicians, bass player Darryl Clark. We kicked off the Darryl Clark Tribute in July, but we ran into some extremely uncooperative weather. Hence, we had to reschedule this event before the end of the Summer Saturdays season. Addressing the above issues of travel restriction, rescheduling, budget restrictions, lingering social distance issues, etc., we turned this year's 24 Hours of Music Jamboree into a hybrid affair of online and offline performances. While not continuous due to pandemic restrictions, we used a single venue flow for all performances, therefore turning the 24 Hours of Music Jamboree into 36 hours of music over the weekend.
Set 1: Saturday, 10 AM - 10 PM
Planning was done in time to enjoy 3 sets of live music performances. The weekend was divided up between 12 hours live on Saturday, 12 hours overnight, and an 11-hour in-person Tribute on Sunday. Now, let's take a walk through a wonderful day of live music, jazz, R&B, and a DJ Dance party.
Baker Street Duo with Alex Desrivieres and Senia Raines
The Baker Street Trio, featuring Ben Collins-Siegel on keys, Ben Schwartz on drums, Alex Desrivieres on Sax, and Sen Raines on Bass kicked off the 5th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree. The music at 10 AM was wonderful and a great way to start the day. You can read more about these youngsters here:
Matt Chertkoff Trio featuring Houston Person, Vince Ector, and Matthew Parish
This was an off-the-chain performance at the 5th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree. Thank you to the phenomenal Matt Chertkoff Trio performance with Houston Person on Sax, Vince Ector on Drums, and Matthew Parrish on Bass. The noon to 2 PM performance was a jazz performance that will be remembered for a long time. Read more about Matt Chertkoff Trio feat. Legendary Saxophonist Houston Person.
Leonieke Scheuble Quartet
Thank you to the fabulous Leonieke Scheuble Quartet for joining us in the 5th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree. The music performed by Nick Scheuble on Drums, Chuggy Carter on Percussion, and Leonieke Scheuble on Keys, with the legendary bassman Bill Crow, was swinging and just beautiful to listen to and the audience loved it all.
Kumiko Tanaka
As you can see, the Kumiko Tanaka Trio’s performance was absolutely wonderful. Loving this performance and knowing that folks in Japan faced a lot of the same pandemic challenges we do in performing live music, I requested some background. I asked Kumiko about how they prepared, how they felt about their performance, and how it was received by their audience in Japan.
Read More: Japan’s Kumiko Tanaka Trio Live in NJ - 5th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree (RECAP).
MPack Music
Thank you to MPack Band for kicking off the dancing Sounds In Spiotta Park for the 5th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree. The band consisted of Kev Moore (Natz) on Drums, Larry Greenberg on Keys, Kenny Robinson on Guitar, with Patricia Walton on Vocals, led by Clarence Conover on Guitar and Vocals. We switched over to R&B, and folks started moving to the beat with their feet as all entered into jamming and dancing part of the weekend. The audience loved it.
MPack is the musical brainchild of bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer, and vocalist Clarence 'Groove Master' Conover. He’s the founder, leader, and vocalist of the Clarence Conover Project, the MPack Band, and the Founder and CEO of M-Pack Music Productions, whose motto is “Life Changing Sounds.” He released his first CD, My Time, in 2014.
New Jersey DJ Services LLC w DJ Jimmy
Thank you to New Jersey DJ Services LLC and their killer sound system for rocking Spiotta Park in the 5th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree. The music played by DJ James Buttros was swinging and got folks up on their feet dancing the rest of the night. It was a perfect way to end 13 hours of live music in South Orange Downtown Summer Saturdays.
Watch: https://www.facebook.com/gregory.burrus/videos/410486934031777/
“New Jersey DJ service is a DJ, entertainment, and party rental services. Party Rental includes bouncy houses, game trailers, etc.. We've been in business for over 25 years and our rates are best in the business.” https://www.facebook.com/newjerseydjservices
Set 2: Saturday, 11 PM to Sunday, 12 PM
Set 2 was reflective of last year, 2020, which was all online. Pre-recorded performances were played throughout the night.
Set 3: Sunday, 10 AM - 10 PM — Darryl Clark Tribute
As mentioned above, thanks to the Town of South Orange and South Orange Downtown, we were able to use the final weekend of the Summer Saturdays Live Music Season. The third part of this hybrid weekend was an in-person 3rd set of all-day music on Sunday 9/26. Here's a short snippet:
You can review and listen to the full Sunday tribute here:
Darryl Clark Tribute in the 5th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree
It’s been a lot of fun every year since the beginning. Hopefully, we see you next year. For now, enjoy some of the good times above and below that went from in-person to totally online, and now back to hybrid events.
Enjoy Past 24 Hours of Music Jamboree Experiences:
Hopefully, you enjoyed this video walk-through. Talk soon.
About the Author
Gregory Burrus books bands and produces, promotes, captures, and records live music events along with various community and private activities.
My mission is to help my customers, which are community groups, live music bands, and local nonprofits, reach their goals and accomplish their missions while enjoying the day-to-day process of life.
Learn more at https://24hoursofmusicjamboree.com and https://gregoryburrusproductions.com
Jazz973 Swinging Hard with Norman Mann and Rafiki at Clements Place Jazz for Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Sunday, December 12, 2021
One of the many tasks I perform every year is producing and promoting live music events. Curating the right band relies a lot on the bandleader bringing out all the right musicians and getting them to perform in a synchronous manner. This season, Gregory Burrus Productions had a number of "Norman Mann and Rafiki" live music performances that stood out as outstanding. This was evidenced by sold out, very happy audiences enjoying themselves to the maximum. Let's listen to a few performances and then meet the band.
Norman Mann and Rafiki were live in South Orange Downtown Live Music Concerts in August, and it was started then eventually was rained out. The band was Norman Mann on Percussion/Vocals, Gene Ghee on Sax, Peter Lin on Trombone, Joy Topping Mann (aka Ife Basim) on Vocals, Christopher Dean Sullivan on Bass, Alvester Garnett on Drums with James Austin Jr. on Piano. For the time they performed, it was oh so sweet.
They came back together again, live at the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies’ Clements Place Jazz in Newark, NJ. They all got together and produced a truly awesome live music concert. The band configuration was Norman Mann on Percussion, vocals, Gene Ghee on Sax, Peter Lin on Trombone, Joy Topping Mann (aka Ife Basim) on Vocals, Christopher Dean Sullivan on Bass, Sir G. Earl Grice on Drums, Tomoko Ohno on Piano.
As you can see and hear, Norman Mann curates a stellar list of musicians that perform some incredible sets. Part of this may be hinted at in the band name Rafiki. Norman has been quoted as saying, "Rafiki is a Swahili word that translates to English as ‘friend.’” So now, let's meet the friends in the band.
Norman Mann — Bandleader — Percussionist
Norman Mann, an alumni and Football Hall of Famer of Weequahic High School is widely respected within the community and was honored to perform at the East Orange Library’s tribute to Amiri Baraka.
Norman, along with Greg Salandis, are widely known for their past partnership at Skippers Plane Street Pub in November 2007. Skippers was a very popular spot in Newark located on University Ave and was a welcomed addition to Newark's nightlife. It was a place where music, food, drink, and conversation were the rage and occurred in a comfortable, friendly environment. Skippers featured many of the Tri-State’s musicians and singers. Norman Mann, as a musician, plays congas, percussion and also sings. He has appeared with drummers Greg Buford, Alvester Garnett, and singers Ty Stephens, Joy Topping Mann, Tomoko Ohno, and Dwight West along with one of Jersey's top organists and keyboardists, Mel Davis, to name a few.
Norman and his bands have performed in numerous venues around Northern New Jersey such as Montclair’s Trumpets Jazz Club, Newark’s Priory Jazz Club, City of Orange’s Mr. Jays, Jazz In Spiotta Park and Jazz On Sloan in South Orange, NJ. Norman is the CEO of G Mann Productions, has produced jazz shows at many of the Tri-State area clubs and lately has been producing events in Irvington’s Cricket Club.
Following are the bios of some truly cool members of the band.
Tomoko Ohno — Pianist
Tomoko Ohno, born in Tokyo, began piano studies at the age of 4. As a teenager, she began playing professionally in the Tokyo area jazz scene. After graduating from Rikkyo University in Law and Politics, Miss Ohno moved to the United States and entered the Jazz Studies Program at William Paterson University in New Jersey, where she studied with Harold Mabern and Rufus Reid. During this time she had the opportunity to perform with such artists as Jerome Richardson, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson and Joe Henderson. A recipient of the Student Award of Outstanding Performance and a member of the Dean’s List, Miss Ohno graduated with a B.A. in Jazz Studies.
She has performed at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital, Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, Birdland , in addition to appearing on live radio broadcasts by WBGO and WNYC, and ABC TV's Good Morning America. She has performed and/or recorded with Slide Hampton, Claudio Roditi, James Spaulding, Rufus Reid, The John Lee Quartet, The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Big Band and Sherry Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra, as well as working as a side musician with such diverse musical ensembles as the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble and The Spirit of Life Ensemble.
Miss Ohno also leads her own group, and has released three CDs on the Japan-based Tokuma label. In 1997 her first album, “Powder Blue” was released, and in 1999 her second album, “Affirmation” was released, followed in 2000 by the album "Natural Woman." Her album "Shadows of Spring" (recorded in Argentina) was released by MDR Records in 2005. "Tomoko Ohno in Buenos Aires" was also released by MDR Records in 2007. The duet album with legendary Argentine guitarist Ricardo Lew " From Tokyo to Buenos Aires " was released in spring 2011. The duo added the cellist Nestor Tedesco from Teatro Colon and released the Tango/Jazz album " Tres Sabores " in 2016.
Gene Ghee — Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet
Gene Ghee - (saxophone, flute, clarinet) is a long-time performer and educator. He graduated from NYU with a music education undergrad degree, from the Manhattan School of Music with an MA for music performance and from Columbia University Teachers College with a Master of Education degree. He has appeared as a sideman with an array of performers from Art Blakey to Stevie Wonder and is also a recipient of the Daily News Music Teacher Recognition Award.
Gene Ghee is a highly in-demand saxophonist and has performed with numerous professionals such as Art Blakey Jr., Brother Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, Teddy Pendergrass, Anita Baker, B.T.Express, Arthur Prysock, Little Anthony and The Imperials. Add to that Etta Jones, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Benny Powell, Eddie Palmieri, Machito, and Barry Harris plus the list goes on. He's a performer on recordings of Stevie Wonder (Do I Do), played tenor saxophone and contracted the horn section for the session which included Frank Wess, Virgil Jones, Ron Tooley, Britt Woodman, Clifton Anderson, Victor Paz and others. Recordings / performances with the likes of Evelyn “Champagne” King, The Village People, Candi Staton. T.S.Monk plus many more national and international performers.
Joy Topping Mann (aka Ife Basim)
Joy Topping Mann (aka Ife Basim) - In her early days as a Contemporary Christian artist, songwriter and arranger, Joy Topping-Mann co-produced three CD projects of original music which she performed nationally and internationally with her band ‘Gifts.’ She has opened for other well-known Christian artists, was signed with Jamm Records, a Los Angeles, California record company, and has had her music played on radio stations throughout the U.S.
As a producer and promoter of special events, Joy has received local acclaim for the Annual Women’s History Month Celebrations held each March at the St. Joseph’s Plaza (formerly known as the Priory) located in Newark, New Jersey. These uniquely memorable experiences have focused on honoring extraordinary women for their outstanding accomplishments, Audiences have been treated to virtuoso performances by the Tri-state’s most talented artists.
As a jazz vocalist, Joy’s rich melodic voice and unique phrasing take the listener back to the days of classic jazz, invoking shades of Sarah Vaughan and hints at the daring of Billie Holiday. Warmly embraced by enthusiastic audiences, she has appeared at several venues throughout the Tri-state area.
https://www.jerseyindie.com/blog/whm2021-womens-history-month-celebration-by-ife-basim-masterpieces
Christopher Dean Sullivan — Bass
Christopher Dean Sullivan - “a bassist who is authoritative and bluesy while bending notes that honor his affection for legends such as Slam Stewart as well as Ray Brown.” ~ Steve Monroe, Jazz Journalists Association
The critically acclaimed Chicago Ill born, Pittsburgh PA raised bassist Christopher Dean Sullivan is well traveled throughout the U.S. and abroad. Christopher started his career in Pittsburgh , PA. After a few years in Germany he returned to Pittsburgh and honed his craft as a bassist during his time with the Jazz Workshop Inc., located in the Homewood district, under the direction of Harold Young Sr, and the Archives, located in the Hill district, developed by Errol “Mobutu” Reynolds (Grant Green, Johnny Lytle), where Chris in his words stated …“I got the honor to perform with guitarist Grant Green on three different occasions, through my association with the Archives.”
Chris quickly became known for his own unique approach to playing the bass. He formed local commercial groups that would go on to open up concerts for such bands of notoriety as the Ohio Players, The Bar-Kays, New Birth, The Tavares, and others. Chris decided to expand his musical horizons and started performing with the jazz notables of the Pittsburgh, PA region; Joe Harris (Dizzy Gillespie), Roger Humphries (Horace Silver), Nathan Davis (Pitt University), arranger Arthur Powell, Pete Henderson, Larry Mcgee, Nelson Harrison (Count Basie), J. C. Moses (Eric Dolphy), Geri Allen, Carl Arter, Jothan Callins (Sun Rah), and others. Soon he achieved the opportunity to perform and travel with music notables Lou Soloff, Jimmy Owens, Johnny Lytle, and others for a number of years before locating to New York City.
While residing in the New York region Christopher Dean Sullivan has had the opportunity to share the stage in performance and/or record with Archie Shepp, Sheila Jordan, Carter Jefferson, Yusef Lateef, Odean Pope, Stanley Jordan, Freddie Hubbard, Billy Hart, Christian McBride, Stanley Jordan,
Sonny Fortune, Horace Parlan, Carl Grubbs, Irene Reid, Richie Cole, Jon Faddis, Vanessa Rubin, Eddie Henderson, Bob Gluck, Charli Persip, Henry Grimes, Pete Seeger, Roy Campbell, Della Griffin, Barbara Sfraga, Joe Lovano, Cotton Club All Star Band, Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers, Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Stanley Turrentine, just to name a few.
G. Earl Grice — Drums
G. Earl Grice - G. Earl has been playing music throughout the New York City area for the past three decades. His talents stretch from the piano to the drums. His favorite instrument is the drums. He currently plays with the Crown Heights Affair. He is affectionately known as 'Sir Earl' with his fellow musicians. Impressing everyone with his ability to text and drum at the same time.
G. Earl has shared the stage with artists such as Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry, Rhoda Scott, Stevie Wonder, George Benson and many others.
Earl was also the recipient of the 1997 Jazz Award from the Jamaica Development Corp. Other drummers who have received this award include Max Roach, Roy Haynes, and Charlie Persip.
In addition to his music background, G. Earl has worked on approximately fifty movies and television shows as an actor.
Peter Lin — Trombone
Peter Lin - Taiwanese-American trombonist Peter Lin is a young and creative musician active on the New Jersey and New York scene. A graduate of the jazz programs of William Paterson University (undergraduate) and the graduate program of Rutgers University, Peter studied with jazz trombone legends such as Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Conrad Herwig, Robin Eubanks, Steve Davis, & Frank Lacy. He has performed with many notable artists including Slide Hampton, Winard Harper, Charli Persip, Valerie Ponomarev, JD Allen, & Radam Schwartz. Peter is also an established educator, holding a prestigious faculty position at Melissa Walker & Christian McBride’s non-profit organization, Jazz House Kids.
His first record, With Respect, featured arrangements of classic Chinese and Taiwanese songs, which peaked at #3 on the NACC Charts and #4 on the RMR Charts. His second album, New Age Old Ways, features eight of his original compositions along with an original comic book with illustrations by Kelly Lin.
Norman Mann and Rafiki — South Orange Live Music Concerts
For me, booking this stellar cast of musicians every year means good times and great live music performances. Whether Norman Mann and Raiki are performing jazz originals and/or standards, you are guaranteed to be tapping your feet while dancing and swinging in your seat. These seasoned veterans combined have over 150 years in the entertainment business, creating a wealth of experience from numerous performances around the US and across the World. Hence, I invite you to check out the band Norman Mann and Rafiki and his other events currently at Irvington’s Cricket Club. I guarantee you a really great time.
About the Author
Gregory Burrus produces, promotes, curates and hosts numerous live music concerts. Gregory Burrus is also a supporter of local businesses and community events. On a regular basis he writes for various art and entertainment news sites, blogs while documenting community events. Just having fun, living life, while helping others.
Learn more at http://gregoryburrusproduction.com.
Making History: Linda Moody Honors James Moody Scholars at 100 Blanchard Rd in South Orange, NJ (RECAP)
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Every year, the spectacular TD James Moody Jazz Festival comes to Newark, NJ — an absolutely fabulous jazz festival, in its 10th year, that is still sponsored by TD Bank. The TD James Moody Jazz Festival presents dozens of free and ticketed events at the beautiful New Jersey Performing Arts Center and selected locations around Downtown Newark. This year, the Godmother of the Festival, as NJPAC President John Schreiber referred to her, Linda Moody, widow of James Moody (RIP), came into town from San Diego and hosted a number of TD James Moody Jazz Festival events.
“I am honored and excited to come to the TD James Moody Jazz Festival every year. I have life long friends here and it feels like home. I know that my husband would be thrilled at this being the 10th anniversary of the festival. He would love the diversity of it because there is something for everyone. I especially love meeting with the James Moody Scholars from Purchase College and New Jersey. I thank Jazz House Kids for their hard work facilitating The James Moody Jazz Scholarship for New Jersey. Having the Scholars play together for the first time was heartwarming. I live in a constant state of gratitude and sometimes I just have to pinch myself.”
— Linda Moody
Our Host, Linda Moody represents the spirit of James Moody very well. She is very engaging and ensures everyone feels happy that they came out.
This year was special for us, as Linda Moody wanted to honor the James Moody Scholarship Scholars with a live music concert during her time here. There has been a recipient of the scholarship each year and now there are enough of them to have a band with a rhythm section.
Now for me, a person with a Jazz loving dad and mom, we grew up listening to the famous saxophonist James Moody. Then fast forward to the 1970s, when New York City radio DJ Frankie Crocker played the King Pleasure recording of “Moody's Mood for Love” every night at the end of his show on WBLS-FM. And, as one listener stated, “Frankie Crocker had the ENTIRE tri-state singing this song - word for word - every night at 8pm - genius.” To say I was ecstatic to find a location and host an event for the James Moody Scholars is an understatement. I was truly blown away and honored.
The James Moody Scholars
With band members coming from as far away as Trenton, NJ to perform, the James Moody Scholars Septet did James Moody proud, big time. Each band member came from a different year to play together for the first time. Bandleader Birsa Chatterjee (2015) Tenor Saxophone, Iyonna Herbert (2016) Drums, Andrew Wagner (2017) Trumpet, Caelan Cardello (2018) Piano, Jalin Shiver (2019) Alto Saxophone, Rayner Perez (2020) Trombone, and unable to attend was Paul Reinhold (2021). That night, Gervin Myles was on Bass, all under the direction of Saxophonist Birsa Chatterjee.
The James Moody Scholars Performances
Set 1:
The night opened with me, Gregory Burrus, being very happy to introduce the host, Linda Moody. Linda discussed the past scholarships, the meaning behind them and then introduced the band one by one. We proceeded to listen to the band swing and play on.
Set 2:
The power of jazz and improvisation was evident all night long as they also performed with the singers who came up to perform. The band continued swinging hard, playing the standards and continued playing beautiful and strong all night long. They were definitely in sync.
The Invited Vocalists
In addition, we wanted the night to be reflective of the real world, so selected local vocalists were invited to join in the fun. In attendance were: local entrepreneur, Blues and Jazz vocalist, East Orange’s Jacqueline Harmon Johnson; actor, producer, director and the unseated “West Orange Idol” Lynette Sheard, and the award-winning writer, playwright, and actor with the beautiful voice, Hillsdale’s Joy Topping-Mann.
I also should note that we had a wonderful introduction to freelance documentary filmmaker, pianist, singer, and songwriter Dara Tucker. Dara is the winner of the Nashville Industry Music Awards 2017 and 2020 Best Jazz Album and 2016 and 2017 Best Jazz Vocalist of the year.
Needless to say, all the vocal performances backed by the James Moody Scholars were simply fabulous.
The Jazz Supporters
A number of notable jazz supporters and special guests came out in support of the scholars. We were very honored to have the daughter of James Moody — Michelle Bagdanove — in attendance. That was just awesome. Also, special guests were: NEA Jazz Master Dorthaan Kirk and, as The New York Times, said “Dorthaan Kirk Is Newark's First Lady of Jazz”; Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies & Newark Archives Executive Director Wayne Winborne; Grammy award-winning record producer and audio engineer John Lee; SOMAtv Station Manager and Genealogist, Dustin Dumas, along with our local WBGO’s Jazz After Hours OnAir Personality Greg Bryant.
Also, thank you to New Jersey Jazz Society (NJJS) President Cydney Halpin, who commented, “I just wanted to thank you again for inviting me to last night's Moody Scholarship event. Those cats were wonderful!! And that house... heavenly!! Congratulations on a wonderful event!!”
The Historic Venue — 100 Blanchard Rd.
100 Blanchard Rd. is a gorgeous historic house in South Orange, NJ. Known as the "Blanchard Estate," this Georgian brick mansion has over 13,000 square feet of space and sits on 2 acres of private, stunning property with NYC skyline views. Built in 1924, this stately residence was designed in the style of the Gilded Age Mansions of Newport, well designed for entertaining friends with a grand foyer leading to the custom wood appointed ballroom with stylish coffered ceilings. It was a perfect location.
The Event Volunteers
None of this could have happened without support from our team of supporters and volunteers. A big thank you to:
GBP Volunteers that made the night run smoothly: James Pansulla, @DJ Roc M South Orange; Teresa Ware; Mary Collins and Donald; Barbara White; CC Minton; and we inducted Rayner Perez who helped us big time with the chairs.
Official Event Photographer All these creative folks documented the nights events with some truly beautiful photos: Albert Clarke, Allison V Brown and Patrick Hilaire.
Live Streamed Videographer We live streamed to Facebook, Youtube and TwitchTV, so thanks to our onsite Livestream and videographer Yardbird Entertainment - Peter Lin and our remote Livestreamer G2BProductions.
Also, Millie Austin’s Catering and Roxanne Burrus for supplies and delivery of light refreshments. A big huge thanks to our audience attendees who are helping keep live music alive. We thank you big time.
Patterson Foundation / Blanchard Conservatory — Our hats off to our venue host, Yvonne Patterson, for helping us make the night a huge success.
Final Words
Linda Moody, Nov 1, 2021:
"I am in complete awe of the James Moody Scholars and soooo proud of them!
All of the musicians, because they loved James Moody, were more than willing to help each year so that we could build a corpus large enough to award scholarships of $5,000 per year to each eligible student. Without the incredible musicians, none of this would be possible. But, one can't accomplish something of this magnitude alone. Jazz House Kids is the fabulous facilitator of this scholarship. I am forever grateful to all who have stepped up to help the James Moody Scholarship thrive. Honey and I wanted to create something that would continue long after we are gone and we have done just that. Keeping the music alive and helping young musicians grow is a dream come true. The love I feel for these kids grows with each meeting. It gave me a sense of pride and purpose watching them play together for the first time at Blanchard House.
Yvonne and John Patterson and Gregory Burrus Wow!
If anyone wishes to make a contribution please visit https://bit.ly/31i8bRT."
Gregory Burrus Productions
Gregory Burrus is a Live Music Events Producer, Promoter, Curator and Community Partner. Gregory Burrus is writing about his first love: the creative people, towns, events involved in the arts and entertainment scene that is happening all around South Orange, Maplewood and the overall JerseyNYC area.
Japan’s Kumiko Tanaka Trio Live in NJ - 5th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree (RECAP)
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Monday, November 15, 2021
While I always thought of our 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree as a local event, live music is universal and musicians that have performed locally actually come from everywhere.
One of the performers that performed in person in the 2019 3rd Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree was Kumiko Tanaka during the Jazz Jam session. This was pre-pandemic, all live in-person events, and we didn't record a lot as we were in person. Then, the COVID Pandemic hit us all.
5th Annual 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree
For 2021, we had to be cognizant of the pandemic that still exists while still addressing international travel band restrictions.
Our 5th Annual 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree (2021) ended up being a hybrid affair of live in-person performances in South Orange, NJ and a series of online performances on our 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree channel. One online broadcast was the Kumiko Tanaka Trio.
Kumiko Tanaka Trio Performance
The Kumiko Tanaka band members performing are:
Kumiko Tanaka
Yuma Kimura
Hironori Sato
As you can see, Kumiko Tanaka Trio’s performance was absolutely wonderful.
Loving this performance and knowing that folks in Japan faced a lot of the same pandemic challenges we do in performing live music, I requested some background. I asked about how they prepared, how they felt about their performance and how it was received by their audience in Japan. The following are a few observations by Kumiko Tanaka.
Question & Answer with Kumiko Tanaka
Describe the Planning / Preparation Process.
Scheduling
KT: When we decided to participate in the 2021 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree, our first decision was to schedule a performance date and it was June 12th. The venue contained very few customers due to the limited number of people because of social distancing. So I decided to call this year's session, Love, Peace & Soul, which we had a connection with as last year's session host. We also decided on this venue because Hironori wanted to play the drums.
Venue Selection
The state of (COVID Pandemic) emergency, which was originally supposed to be over by May 31st was postponed for two weeks. The live music venue which had been operated per the government's request, had to postpone our scheduled event. After careful examination and various adjustments, we decided on July 10th, but then the state of emergency was announced again from July 12th to the end of August. Now there was a possibility that it would not happen at all, but this time we were lucky.
Video Recording Software
For shooting this event, we used three cameras. There were two fixed angles that Yuma brought in and set up. The handheld camera was managed by my friend. When I told him that I would perform a live music performance and it would be delivered for the 24 Hours of Music Jamboree event in America, he offered to help with the videography. I was so happy with this unexpected help.
Video Editing
Since I had never produced a multi-angle video, it took a lot of time to learn how to use the application software. I'm the type who doesn't read the manual properly, so I asked Yuma to help me with learning how to use the software and camera. Now it became fun to think of camera placement and when to change capture angles while recording the session. The handheld camera captured the player's hands and facial expressions. My friend with handheld camera humbly states that he “only took video,” but he is "shadow actors" or "Behind-the-scenes supporter."
Video Recording Equipment
The equipment used was:
Front camera: Canon HF M52
Stage Left camera: Sony ZV-1
Handy camera: Sony α7III
Recorder: Roland R-26 created with DaVinci Resolve 16, Ableton Live Software.
These Japanese cameras performed very well.
Video Mixing and Editing
I edited the footage from the three cameras and Yuma mixed the sound of the camera and the recorder. As a result, I'm happy that it became an interesting video with movement and scene changes.
Describe the event and some thoughts about the performance.
Band Prep & Song Selection
Yuma and I chose selected songs so that the songs playing the melody would be halved. I wanted to stick to the arrangement, so I searched for various versions on Youtube and used what I found as a reference. I made a musical score and gave it to Yuma. However our drummer, Hironori, is totally blind so I explained it all during the rehearsal and he recorded it and remembered it. I think he had a hard time, but in the end all the songs were played according to the song's original score. I have to say, and I think you will agree, that our drummer, Hironori, is absolutely amazing.
July 10th Event Playlist
1st Set
Ribbon In The Sky
Street Life
Let's Stay Together
Creepin'
Armando's Rhumba
2nd Set
Kool
Lost Stars
Bright Size Life
Happy
Virtual Insanity
What You Won't Do For Love
Encore
Sunny
As background, the “Happy” (by Pharrell Williams) song was selected because when I went to NY in 2014, I was very impressed by the listeners at a jam in Robin's Nest in NJ who were singing the song "Happy." So I decided to play “Happy” and asked for audience participation with clapping and singing. The song “Happy” pleased our customers tremendously.
In developing this event for 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree, I am glad I asked about the beautiful blue garment Kumiko wore while performing.
On the Yukata
The blue kimono is a traditional Japanese garment worn in the summer and is called a "yukata.” Many people wear it at festivals such as summer fireworks festivals, but I rarely wear it, so I practiced how to wear it properly. Since the hem is long, I needed a place with a clean floor which took about 15 minutes to get ready, so I wore it at home and went to the live music venue. Even though it's summer clothes, it's not as cool as it looks, but much hotter than regular clothes, hence I was sweating all the time, and because it's squeezing my abdomen with strings and obi, it's much more painful than usual. There are many sacrifices made for the beauty of our appearances. I respect the ancestors who wore it every day.
Audience Response
During the actual live performance of “Ribbon in the Sky”, which was the first song we played, I read the lyrics in English and then translated them into Japanese. It's a very beautiful and moody song. However, when the performance of the song was over, it quietened down and no one applauded. We were shocked.
When I asked a listener later, she thought that they had to listen quietly like a classical concert. It was a phenomenon that clearly showed the politeness, quietness, and respect for the music by our Japanese people.
References
Kumiko Tanaka
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kumiko.tanaka.3572
Yuma Kimura
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/yumaguitar
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/yuma.guitar
Hironori Sato
Website https://hironorisato.com/
Just like in person, nothing beats a live performance, and when it's a live performance, anything can happen and Kumiko should be applauded for the preparation issues and challenges the band faces to make these live performances happen. The adrenaline of a live performance is unlike anything else and, as musicians say, the real test of a musician is a live performance on stage. Kumiko’s 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree performances are always well-received by our listeners and it's good to know they are liked at home, also. We thank Kumiko Tanaka, Yuma Kimura and Hironori Sato for performing and delivering a wonderful performance each year.
About Gregory Burrus
Gregory Burrus, Founder of 24 Hours of Music Jamboree, is a local live music ambassador, event planner and community partner that develops, manages, promotes and documents local community events in the Greater New Jersey and New York Area. Gregory Burrus loves helping people succeed by producing and promoting live music events all around our towns. For more information, visit gregoryburrusproductions.com.
Darryl Clark Tribute in the 5th Annual 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Wednesday, November 10, 2021
On September 26th, the Live Music Community came together with friends, family and fellow musicians to celebrate the life of local West Orange resident Bass Man Darryl Clark. Folks came from as far as Massachusetts, New York and more to express their sentiments. Folks who could not make this event in person, joined in and viewed the livestream from New York, Florida, California and more.
We had tried this in July, but the 2nd time was a charm as on a perfect weather day the community came together for the 5th Annual 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree Sunday that celebrated the life of bass player, father and community member Darryl Clark. Darryl became a fixture on the live music scene as he performed in numerous live music events in and around South Orange NJ. Always friendly, always helpful, Darryl jammed with us, produced some truly swinging performances and enjoyed playing bass all over the area.
It was a beautiful day, the weather was great as we recreated a number of environments Darryl performed in.
The South Orange Farmers market where Darryl jammed numerous times.
His band DC Fusion with former band members Howard Hall and Alex DeLazzari.
The Nat Adderley Jr. Trio as Nat was one of his biggest supporters and played with Darryl Clark many times in Spiotta Park.
We also live streamed events overnight with submitted performances by his college buddy saxophonist Marshall McDonald and vocalist Lynette Sheard, amongst others, who performed with him in the past.
Below is a taste of each of the live music tribute events that reflected Darryl’s musical life in and around South Orange with friends and family.
Full events will be found at https://vimeo.com/gregoryburrus.
South Orange Farmers Market Jam led by Peter Lin
A huge thank you to Peter Lin Trio with Gordon Kuba on Drums, Billy Smolen on Bass and led by Peter Lin on Trombone for leading off Day 2 of the 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree. It was a perfect and fitting tribute of live music for our buddy Bass man Darryl Clark as we recaptured the South Orange Farmers Market Jazz Jams.
Jazzy Nights DC Fusion Band led by Howard Hall
Here we have a little bit of Darryl’s original band, DC Fusion, in Tribute to Darryl Clark in 5th Annual 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree in Spiotta Park, South Orange NJ.
Thank you to DC Fusion Jazz, led by the Howard Hall Quartet, in celebration of the DC Fusion Band, Darryl Clark Rides Again on Day 2 of the 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree.
DC Fusion rode one more time in honor of Darryl Clark with Coo Moe Jhee on Bass, band member Alex De Lazzari on Sax, filling in Errold Lanier Jr. on Drums, and led by Howard Hall on Keys. Thank you all for replaying the tunes he loved and for recreating the Jazzy Nights scene. Especially nice was calling up the folks he loved to play with as they came through. Just fabulous live music all around, all day on a beautiful sunny day.
Family and Friends Tributes led by Gregory Burrus
Folks came from as far as Massachusetts to express their sentiments.
The tributes were amazing.
Fellow Musicians Led by Neighbor Nat Adderley Jr.
A big thank you goes out to the Nat Adderley, Jr. Trio for headlining the day and closing out our 5th Annual 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree. From the 1st tune to the end, your trio with Bassist Chris Berger and Drummer Jerome Jennings was slamming.
A Great Tribute and Great Day of Live Music
The live music was smoking hot, made everyone feel welcome, and I know it made Darryl Clark proud as the music flowed hard, fast and friendly. Thank you for having fun with all of Darryl‘s Friends and Family and audience members who clearly enjoyed themselves while paying tribute to Darryl.
Darryl William Clark (1962 – 2020)
We commemorate our buddy Darryl Clark who now resides in musical heaven.
“A year ago today my world stopped and it felt like I’d never breathe again. But you, our amazing sons, the love that surrounds us and God, have been the source of my strength. You were and still are a blessing to me, and for that, I am thankful. I miss you everyday. Rest in peace my bass man, my captain, my love.” —Michele Clark
Thank you Good Buddy Darryl for being you. — Greg
James Moody Jazz Scholars Celebration at the Blanchard House in South Orange, NJ (Nov. 17, 2021, 6-9PM)
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Friday, November 5, 2021
Gregory Burrus Productions is extremely proud to produce the James Moody Jazz Scholars Celebration for The James Moody Jazz Scholarship for New Jersey. This event is for the Jazz Scholarship recipients that have been presented this award since 2015. This event is also supported by the Patterson Foundation / Blanchard Conservatory and will be hosted at their beautiful, historic Blanchard Mansion in South Orange, NJ.
About Saxophonist James Moody
Saxophonist, Flutist, Vocalist, Educator James Moody was awarded the distinction of being an NEA Jazz Master in 1998 from the National Endowment for the Arts. The National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowships are the self-proclaimed highest honors that the United States bestows upon jazz musicians. In the jazz world, it just doesn't get better than that. Learn more: Wikipedia NEA JazzTimes James Moody.
James Moody Jazz Scholarship for New Jersey
James Moody Jazz Scholarship for New Jersey is an award that honors the life of Newark native and saxophone giant James Moody. The James Moody Jazz Scholarship for New Jersey is an award presented by Linda Moody that is offered annually to an outstanding high school senior. The recipient embodies the qualities expressed by the NEA Jazz Master throughout his life and works—musicianship, creativity, leadership and community involvement.
James Moody Jazz Scholars
In its 7th year, the winners of the James Moody Jazz Scholarship for New Jersey will consist of the James Moody Jazz Scholars led by bandleader Birsa Chatterjee. Past winners are:
2015 Birsa Chatterjee
2016 Iyonna Herbert
2017 Andrew Wagner
2018 Caelan Cardello
2019 Jalin Shiver
2020 Rayner Perez
2021 Paul Reinhold
Jazz Scholars Band
The band will come together performing a number of standards and some originals.
It includes Birsa Chatterjee – Tenor Saxophone, Iyonna Herbert – Drums, Andrew Wagner – Trumpet, Caelan Cardello – Piano, Jalin Shiver – Alto Saxophone, Rayner Perez – Trombone, and joining us in Paul Reinhold's absence will be Gervin Myles on Bass.
Jazz Scholars Jazzy Nights Agenda
6:00 - 6:15 PM Opening Remarks
6:15 - 6:45 PM The Jazzy Nights activities will be comprised of standards and originals performed by the musicians
6:45 - 7:30 Presenters and Invited Speakers
Linda Moody - James Moody Jazz Scholarship for New Jersey
Wayne Winborne - ED of Institute of Jazz Studies Rutgers-Newark
John Lee - Jazz Legacy Productions & The Dizzy Gillespie Big Band
7:30 - 9:00 Jazz Scholars band continues. During this set, an invited set of local Jazz vocalists from the community will perform with the Jazz Scholars band.
Venue/Location
The Blanchard Mansion - 100 Blanchard Rd., South Orange, NJ 07079 - is a 1920's Georgian Mansion in South Orange that transports visitors right back to the Gilded Age. The home draws inspiration in its design from the style of the Gilded Age Mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, perhaps the most famous one being The Breakers. At 11,000 square feet the house features an ostentatious custom wood appointed ballroom with coffered ceilings and New York City skyline views, accessed via a grand foyer lined with Corinthian columns. Situated on two acres of English style lush garden landscaping, with walking paths throughout, the land offers residents opportunities for quiet reflection and meditation.
Gregory Burrus Productions
Gregory Burrus is a local live music ambassador, event planner and community partner that curates, manages and promotes live music events in the local SOMA/MAPSO (South Orange, Maplewood) community, Northern NJ and New York Area. Gregory Burrus currently writes as the South Orange Patch Mayor, the statewide Jersey Indie website and on Gregory Burrus Productions.
Patterson Foundation / Blanchard Conservatory
The Patterson Foundation strengthens the efforts of people, organizations, and communities by focusing on issues that address mutual aspirations, foster wide participation, and encourage learning and sharing. The Patterson Foundation's staff and consultants are ready to provide an engaging presentation about the foundation and its initiatives.
You are invited to the James Moody Jazz Scholars Celebration on Nov. 17, 2021, 6-9PM. This free event will have light refreshments, limited seating, and access will be provided via Facebook / Eventbrite Registration only. Please join us.
Bernie Williams-Gil Parris Quartet with Baker Street Trio Knock it Out of The Park at the Woodland in Maplewood
A very special event took place in a historic, very beautiful and very spacious 1930 Georgian Revival-style mansion with an adjoining auditorium known now as The Woodland. It was completed in 1930 as an elegant home for the Maplewood Woman’s Club and has served as a hub for Maplewood Township's cultural and civic life for over eight decades.
The Great Hall at The Woodland
The Woodland was designated a local historic landmark in 2014 and this architectural jewel houses two unique spaces — The Parlor and The Great Hall. These venues are used frequently for public events. Tonight, the Woodland was beautifully decked out for this very important live music performance.
The Bernie Williams-Gil Parris Quartet Come To Town
On October 22, a unique and powerful set of live music performances added to The Woodland’s wonderful historical legacy. Four-time World Series Champion and five-time All Star New York Yankee Baseball legend Bernie Williams was coming to Maplewood-South Orange, NJ.
The excitement was in the air as Bernie Williams, the former Yankee Baseball player, now a guitar virtuoso/Latin Grammy Nominee, was coming to perform in the Great Hall at the Woodland. Teamed up with long-time friend and fellow musician, guitarist, Grammy Nominee and bandleader Gil Parris, the expectations were high and you could feel the music in the air.
Smooth Jazz Productions
Rich Engel is a New Jersey resident who has for decades been involved with Smooth Jazz in NY and “Smooth Cruises.'' For us local folks, Rich was the Owner of Live At Nite Sound, Producer of Smooth Cruise N.Y.C., created the Angela Bofill Experience stage show, and produced this event. He produced and released Angela Bofill "Live From Manila" CD on the independent Black Angel label. Also, he produced the German release Saundra Records "Bigfoot " featuring our local musicians Bassist John Lee and Drummer Jerry Brown along with Danny Toan. The night’s programming became my favorite theme of jazz across the generations with a fabulous opening act by local up and coming jazz group The Baker Street Trio.
Opening Act - The Baker Street Trio
This was a genius move, as the Baker Street Trio consists of 3 young teenagers ages 14, 15 and 16. They began playing together through Montclair's Jazz House Kids.
“The trio was formed in the Fall of 2020 out of these young musicians' love for jazz and the need to be able to play together -- safely, outdoors. They played a standing gig through the Fall and Winter of 2020 on a street corner on Baker Street in Maplewood Village, and in doing so during these tough times entertained and brought the joy of jazz to countless appreciative audiences.” - Lisa Mainardi
Quick Background - The Baker Street Trio
I encountered the group during various events this year like the Maplewood Porchfest, the 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree, and the Baker Street Trio has also performed for me in South Orange. See Baker Street Trio Debuts in Summer Saturdays at Jazz On Sloan St.
My comments upon hearing them: “Baker Street Trio—3 teenagers (14, 15, and 17) will be making a serious mark on Jazz for a long time. These young cats were killing it... After listening to them perform a number of tunes — if you closed your eyes, you would've thought they had way more experience than their actual ages combined. These young folks were swinging hard. I highly recommend all jazz fans should check them out whenever, wherever you can."
Hence, I for one was very happy to see these young dedicated jazz musicians opening for the Bernie Williams-Gil Parris Quartet.
The Baker Street Trio with Ace Williams
Introduced by the guest MC, Maplewood Mayor Frank McGehee, The Baker Street Trio, Ben Collins-Siegal, Ben Schwartz and Ryoma Takenaga, came out strong and performed a thunderous tune “The End of a Love Affair” by Edward Redding. It was fast moving and grabbed the audience by the ears as it was a perfect engaging opening song that said there is nothing timid or young about us, we are here to play!
For a jazz lover, their next two tunes were a tribute to multiple Grammy winner Roy Hargrove and it was a perfect tribute. Roy was born Oct 16, 1969 and passed Nov 18, 2018 and will be loved and remembered by the Jazz community forever. Joining in this tribute was the very talented teenage trumpeter Ace Williams, son of a Maplewood resident, the award winning performer/composer Jazz tenor Saxophonist Willie Williams. They performed Roy’s tunes “Top of My Head” and “Strasbourg/St. Denis.” The tunes were played to perfection and the audience expressed their approval with long, loud cheering and clapping.
Bernie Williams-Gil Parris Quartet
Next up were the event headlinders, the Bernie Williams-Gil Parris Quartet, a true super group with the legendary “World’s Most Dangerous Bassist” Will Lee and the multitalented drummer and vocalist Josh Dion.
Bernie Williams - Guitar
Bernie Williams is a classically trained guitarist who plays and composes music with influences that include jazz, classical, pop, Brazilian, and Latin sounds. Bernie stated that he “became this musician in great part due training and mentorship of Gil Parris who let [him] sit in on jams all over town for the past 17 years.”
Gil Parris - Lead Guitar
Gil is an American Grammy-nominated rock, blues, jazz and pop guitarist. After briefly attending the Berklee School of Music because, as his Mother said in this New York Times article, “Mrs. Parris conceded she was '‘a little worried'‘ when her son returned home with photocopies of lecture notes and said he would ‘sit in his room’ and teach himself the school's jazz guitar curriculum.''
Parris then left to tour Europe as part of a musical troupe performing Jesus Christ Superstar before becoming a recording artist. Parris has released six solo albums and played collaboratively with over 20 other groups/artists. He has recorded and toured both as a solo artist and as a sideman with major artists including Dr. John, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Diane Schuur, David Mann, Billy Vera, Bobby Caldwell, Toni Braxton, Sonny Fortune and Kenny Barron, to name a few.
Will Lee - Bass
I was going to say “who’s Will Lee”, then my research showed that I heard Lee many times before. Trumpeter Randy Brecker called Lee out of a class one day and invited him to audition for Dreams. In New York, Lee's career as a session musician flourished, and he toured with many artists. In 1982, Lee became one of the original members of The World's Most Dangerous Band, the house band on NBC's Late Night with David Letterman. He holds the distinction of playing with Paul Shaffer, on both Late Night and The Late Show, longer than any other member of the CBS Orchestra. Highlights also include getting a lifetime achievement award from Bass Player magazine, playing with many luminaries such as all The Beatles -- George Harrison at Royal Albert Hall, Paul McCartney at The Concert For NYC, D’Angelo, Chaka Khan, Phoebe Snow, James Brown and more.
Josh Dion - Drums and Vocals
Josh Dion was born at the tail end of the disco funk era, when popular radio bore the sounds of Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, and “four on the floor” drum beats! Raised in Storrs, CT, Josh started playing his father's drums before he even started kindergarten. Dion is a singing drummer who made his first impression in New York in February 2004 at Blue Note. Josh was noticed by jazz guitarist Chuck Loeb, who offered him an opportunity to be seen and heard by a whole new level of the music audience. From that platform, he has gone on to work with some of the major brand names of the music world: Candy Dulfer, Spyro Gyra, Will Lee, Pat Martino, Jeff Kashiwa, Jason Miles, Anthony Jackson, Edgar Winter, Randy Brecker, Bob James, Eric Marienthal, Til Bronner, Jim Beard, saxophonist Kim Waters and on and on.
This night, as was noted by a few attendees, was not just a smooth jazz concert, as the band played a mix of blues, funk, jazz, rock and even some New Orleans type jazz. They performed a mix of classic songs with creative arrangements that brought back many memories. One of my favorites was Rick James’s “Give It To Me Baby” that was innovative but right on point. They also performed some original material that was very entertaining and were instant hits with the very attentive and involved crowd.
The night in review was outstanding, Bernie was smooth and mellow, Gil Parris unbelievable on guitar, Will Lee was an absolute beast on bass and Josh Dion singing and drumming was simply off the chain. The singing and drumming was amazing. It was a fabulous performance. At the end of the night, the audience wanted more and they were called back for an encore tune that did not disappoint, and we clapped and enjoyed tremendously. Truly, it was a wonderful performance and a night to remember.
Mayor Frank McGehee
Closing the night, Mayor Frank McGehee thanked folks for coming out and reminded them they were just steps away from the most diverse choices in eating right here in Maplewood, so please enjoy the town on your way home.
Gregory Burrus with The Baker Street Trio and Ace Williams
Gregory Burrus is a local live music producer, promoter, event planner and community partner that curates, manages and promotes live music programs around Essex County.
South Orange, NJ October Live Music Fest Takes Over the Sounds In Spiotta Park and Jazz On Sloan Street
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Friday, October 8, 2021
As the 2021 Summer Saturdays season ended, audiences and a number of community members continually asked what's next in terms of live music. After much thought through September, the idea is to continue the music every Saturday and Sunday through the month of October, with a lot of help from a lot of our musician friends and a local live music production group.
This month, the October Live Music Fest is off and running. The newly formed October Live Music Fest aims to continue the Summertime live music weekend excitement and also produce some unique, lively and engaging performances at Sounds In Spiotta Park, Jazz On Sloan, and in South Orange, NJ.
We hope you can come join us every Saturday & Sunday in the month of October, as the following lineup contains some wonderful performers looking to entertain you.
Events - Every Sat. 3- 5 PM & 6:30-9:30 PM; Sun. 3-5 PM & 6:00-9:00 PM.
Sat 10/2 - 3-5 PM Tim Rodner / Bruce Tyler, Swing Jazz, Jazz On Sloan
Sat 10/2 - 6:30 - 9:30 PM Tara Layne Blues & Rock n Roll Band, Spiotta Park
Sun 10/3 - 3-5 PM Michele Fiorindo, Jazz Guitarist, Spiotta Park
Sat 10/9 - 3-5 PM Acute Inflections - Is This Love? Bob Marley Tribute, Spiotta Park
Sat 10/9 - 6:30 - 9:30 PM Andy Lackow & Mess Around, Blues, Rock, Spiotta Park
Sun 10/10 - 3-5 PM Kenita Alani Hopper, Opera In the Park, Spiotta Park
Sun 10/10 - 6:00 - 9:00 PM Jacqueline Harmon Johnson Quartet, Jazz on Sloan
Sat 10/16 - 3-5 PM Tim Rodner / Bruce Tyler, Swing Jazz, Jazz On Sloan
Sat 10/16 - 6:30 - 9:30 PM Los Traficantes del Amor, Latin Tribute, Spiotta Park
Sun 10/17 - 3-5 PM SPK Trio Salt, Pepper, Ketchup, Spiotta Park
Sun 10/17 - 6:00 - 9:00 PM Laredo, The Band, Rock Covers, Spiotta Park
Sat 10/23 - 3-5 PM Hal Keshner, Piano / Vocals, Jazz On Sloan
Sat 10/23 - 6:30 - 9:30 PM BlackWax, Original Funk and Soul, Spiotta Park
Sun 10/24 - 3-5 PM Michele Fiorindo, Jazz Guitarist, Spiotta Park
Sun 10/24 - 6:00 - 9:00 PM Jacqueline Harmon Johnson Quartet, Sing with Jacque, Spiotta Park
Schedule subject to change and updates, check for latest updates at https://gregoryburrusproductio...
We hope you continue to come on out, support the musicians and enjoy the October Live Music Fest while the weather is still nice. Remember, music is life so take it all in and feel the relief in these troubling times.
Tell a friend, grab a jacket, a lawn chair, a local meal, the kids and come join us. Don't forget to Mark Your Calendars & Save The Dates.
Hosted/supported by South Orange Downtown, South Orange Village and Gregory Burrus Productions.
Sign up for future events at gregoryburrusproductions.com.
Annual MAPSO Funk Fest is Food, Music, Great Vibes and More (Saturday, August 28, 2021)
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Sunday, August 22, 2021
Have you heard about the brand new MAPSO Funk Fest? Well, MAPSO Funk Fest will be a really cool family-friendly festival targeted at helping local Black / Minority-owned restaurants, artisan businesses and the community recover and thrive through these pandemic times. The other day we caught up with MAPSO Funk Fest Founder Lexi Hellerman who was being interviewed by Gregory Burrus Productions Interviewer Lynette Sheard.
That’s right, MAPSO Funk Fest Founder Lexi Hellerman has proclaimed: “MAPSO Funk Fest is going to be a family event created to celebrate the diversity of MAPSO through food, music, and the arts!
MAPSO Funk Fest will be showcasing & supporting Black & minority-owned restaurants and artisan businesses in the greater Maplewood & South Orange area. There will be music all day by local DJs and live performers.”
MAPSO Funk Fest
Lexi stated that "Many small brands have been faced with big challenges and this day is an opportunity to revive the flavor of our neighborhood, invigorate local hand-picked restaurants, and remind people of the rich culture that we are surrounded by." So here's a little about the day’s planned activities.
Food
Food Trucks and Restaurants
There will be food vendors sourced from local restaurants along with food trucks that will be secured from the local communities. Food vendors will ring the park in strategic easy to reach locations for fast and easy access. There will also be a food tasting selection that local restaurants will be participating in for which attendees may purchase tickets and sample a number of the vendors' menu items.
Beer Garden
In addition, I am very happy to announce there will be a beautiful MAPSO Funk Fest beer garden hosted by our exclusive craft beer provider, Montclair Brewery. This minority-owned business will provide a host of home grown brews to our attendees all day. Please bring ID in order to be wristbanded and purchase beer garden tickets.
Live Music
“One good thing about music, when it hits you you feel no pain”
What's a festival without some funky music? From setup to shut down, there will be music highlighting the various genres representing the diversity of MAPSO, or as Lexi stated in the interview: “there will be house music, funk music and soul music.“ Throughout the day, there will be local DJs and a few live performances at the Springfield Gazebo.
Kids Zone
There will be kid-friendly vendors, educational readings and activities as well as mini workshops throughout the day. Please visit the website for additional activities being added on a periodic basis.
Wellness Activities
According to the experts, our folks are not looking for an average wellness experience. They’re looking for wellness practices that invigorate them, that allow them to find community, and that speak to their unique sense of culture and identity. MAPSO Funk Fest Wellness events are designed with our core audiences in mind.
Funk Fest Yoga
Stressed? - Then come on out with the kids, or not, and enjoy the vibe and engage in a relaxing yoga session, gain more flexibility and energy flow. If high energy is your thing, don't worry we got you covered. You will leave totally refreshed, relaxed and reinvigorated to take on your day. We have Funk Fest Yoga for All Ages, Yoga & Stretch Practice #Yogaworld365
Sponsorships and Supporters
The event will boost local talent, businesses, and restaurants. The event is being sponsored by Blackstock & Weber, Springfield Avenue Maplewood, and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate agent Maria Morrison Heningburg. Learn more about then here.
Other community partners include Inspired Dream Real Estate, Maplewood Bike Shed, Words Bookstore, Finlay + Gage Music Instruments, Blue Life Karate and Gregory Burrus Productions.
Additional Sponsorships are available for you to support the MAPSO Funk Fest and you can learn more here.
Volunteers
That's right, all MAPSO Funk Fest volunteers are happy people. Yup, you feel real good so why not let's get happy together. We need your support and it takes a village. Volunteers are what makes events like this successful. If you're interested in helping make this day possible, please visit the MAPSO Funk Fest Support page or click here for more information.
About
MAPSO Funk Fest Founder Lexi Hellerman
Born and raised in Maplewood & South Orange, Lexi graduated from CHS in 2012 where she had started Diversity Rocks Club at CHS in order to educate and celebrate the diversity of the student body addressing issues of racism in the school district and the goal of creating a unified sense of community among students of different backgrounds. She graduated from Rutgers Newark in 2016 where she studied Sociology & International Affairs. With a never ending appetite for travel and a passion for all things creative and expressive, Lexi loves exploring new places, trying new things, and meeting and connecting with new people.
“With a passion for people and self-expression, I consider myself a multifaceted creative curator. I've always been proud of growing up in such a multicultural place, whose identity is shaped by a wealth of creatives and entrepreneurs of all backgrounds. I truly love crafting a vision and bringing it to life. Inspired by community projects and social impact work, my mission is to continue strategizing and organizing programs, events, and initiatives that truly make a difference for people."
I believe that small business is the very fabric of any community like ours, representing the passion, creativity, and entrepreneurship of its residents, providing a meaningful service, safe space, or hub for people to connect.”
Contact Information Lexi Hellerman, Freelance project manager, event producer, and brand strategist.
973-986-8305
Won’t You Join Us?
And now, a final word from our Funk Fest Creator and Founder Lexi Hellerman:
“The day will be a magical celebration of diversity and community with food, wellness and artisan vendor booths surrounding the park with live entertainment and folks enjoying themselves.”
“This is a highly inclusive event that supports businesses of all kinds. We’ve worked diligently to prioritize inclusion of Black, minority, women, and LGBTQ+ owned entities for optimal representation. Please know this event will follow all state-mandated COVID-19 guidelines. So bring your friends and family for good food, good music and great vibes!”
About the Author Gregory Burrus
Whether it’s MAPSO or SOMA, Gregory Burrus is writing about his first love: the creative people, towns and events all around South Orange and Maplewood, NJ. Gregory continually observes, participates in, reports and writes on local community news, live music and the arts and entertainment scene of the Jersey/NYC landscape and beyond, right here as JI blogger Gregory Burrus.
Contact Gregory Burrus Productions to promote your event, business or nonprofit across various social media and blogging platforms. https://gregoryburrusproductions.com or 8622057660.
Jazz On Sloan Proudly Presents Mezzo-Soprano/Vocalist Ema Mitrovic and David Budway at the South Orange Gazebo
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Wednesday, August 4, 2021
We are bringing back Jazz On Sloan in a huge, huge way!!! You are invited to enjoy this very special, spectacular performance by award-winning and critically acclaimed operatic mezzo-soprano/vocalist, Ema Mitrović along with renowned jazz/classical pianist David Budway. This entertaining live music performance will cover Opera, Jazz and Classical Theatre. Learn more about these wonderful performers.
Crossover Live Music Performance
As you know, Jazz is a true American art that goes way back in time. That’s because Jazz began here in America, hundreds of years ago, in the fields where black people worked as slaves and made up songs to pass time. Opera is a key part of the Western classical music. Born in Italy more than 400 years ago during the Renaissance, opera—a combination of vocal and orchestral music, drama, visual arts and dance—has been inspiring people for ages. Classical Theatre is a type of theater which relies upon imagination to convey the setting and atmosphere of the play. Classical theater usually contains lofty, grand prose or free verse dialogue. Combining these 3 distinct yet connected art forms of Jazz, Opera and Classical Theatre into one powerful performance is an accomplishment that you have to experience. We are very happy to have these wonderful powerful artists share their gifts and present their one of a kind crossover live music performance. Here's an introduction to these Artists for this upcoming performance.
Operatic Mezzo-Soprano/Vocalist, Ema Mitrović
"It's kismet that David and I are able to perform at Jazz on Sloan! Gregory Burrus had asked me to come a number of times and we finally found a date/time that works! I'm really excited, as a resident of East Orange, just 1.7 miles away to be exact, to have this opportunity to perform for my neighbors, my community, in my backyard." — Ema Mitrovic
Award-winning and critically acclaimed operatic mezzo-soprano/vocalist, Ema Mitrović, is described: “out of the ensemble, I found Ema Mitrovic...to be the standout” (Opera Manhattan, Suor Angelica ’12) and "Her rich mezzo is pure pleasure” (Hudson Opera Theatre, Lucia di Lammermoor ’18).
Ms. Mitrović performs as an ambassador of music across different genres, having performed 19 operatic roles thus far, a number of solo recitals, and has enjoyed being a strong cross-over jazz singer, performing along New York City’s finest musicians, including Tim Horner, Joe Locke, Ted Rosenthal, and Jim Ridl, to name a few.
She's been on stage at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and New York City's renowned jazz venues Birdland, The Kitano, and Smalls. Often, she performs programs that include both classical and standard jazz repertoire to connect to her audience.
This season, despite strains from the COVID-19 pandemic, Ema was grateful to perform in recital at Brooklyn’s Soapbox Gallery and Nyack’s Maureen’s Jazz Cellar, as Annina (La Traviata) with The Lighthouse Opera Company, and recording with the New Jersey Youth Symphony Chamber Ensemble in a newly commissioned piece, “La Frontera” by Raul Abbad. Later this season, Ema will return to New York’s The Lighthouse Opera Company in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte (Dritte Dame) as well as make a role/company debut with Bronx Opera Company in its production of The Bartered Bride (Háta).
"As a performer, your audience is your lifeline, and I'm excited for people to hear what we are all about, to share Opera, Classical, Jazz, and the works with them! Not many people do what David and I do and my hope as a musician is to make as many people as possible hear this music in a fun, informal, and beautiful way."
— Ema Mitrovic
Passionate as a performer, Ema is equally as passionate in teaching, having done so for 7+ years. During the COVID-19 quarantine, Ema has been proud to keep a full studio remotely (on Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, etc.) of roughly 30+ voice and piano students, at both the non-profit The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and privately owned Elefante Music, among her own.
Ms. Mitrović is a proud, first generation Croatian-American, born and raised in New Jersey. She happily resides in East Orange with her partner, drummer Tim Horner.
Max Jazz Recording Artist David Budway
Max Jazz Recording Artist David Budway is one of the most versatile pianists on the New York music scene today. While deeply rooted in many styles, his masterful command for Modern Jazz has propelled him into the midst of present day jazz pioneers. (www.davidbudway.com)
As a Classical pianist David has performed countless recitals. He studied extensively with Ruth Slenczynska, Dr. Carole Riley, CDP, Gerald Jennings, and performed in Master Classes with Artur Balsam, Warren Jones, Eugene List and Sheila Paige. In Italy, David studied at the prestigious Rome Festival where he performed Opera and Chamber Music under the baton of Maestro Fritz Maraffi. Born in Pittsburgh, PA , David grew up listening to the improvisations of his father Leo Budway, and became interested and well versed in the style of Arabic music. Later, he earned his Masters Degree in Piano Performance and Percussion at Duquesne University where he also studied Jazz Composition and Arranging with Dr. John Wilson. David went on to be Adjunct Professor at Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon University for 15 years before moving to New York. In 1992, Mr. Budway made his solo debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with them on many occasions including special performances with the late Marvin Hamlisch.
Since moving to New York, David has performed at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Village Vanguard, Birdland, The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard and The Hollywood Bowl with both Liza Minnelli and Hubert Laws. David studied chamber music extensively with master musician Bernard Goldberg, and has continued his love for the flute repertoire throughout his 30 year tenure with Master Flutist Hubert Laws. Some of his recording credits include the entire Bach Sonatas for Flute and Piano. David's Trio is currently in residence at the famed Carlyle Hotel in New York City. Mr. Budway's recording credits as both a leader and a sideman include artists Branford Marsalis, Michael Brecker, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Hubert Laws, Stanley Turrentine, Jimmy Heath, Christiane Noll, Ravi Coltrane and Eric Leeds. David has toured worldwide with Stanley Turrentine, Hubert Laws, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Regina Carter and Liza Minnelli.
As a composer, David has several albums to his credit. His release, “A New Kiss”, on the Max Jazz label was awarded 4 stars in Downbeat Magazine. His song “Love You Tonight” reached number one on WBGO's playlist in 2012. Most recently, the disc was charted at number four in Canada. Other releases include “Brief Encounter to Last a Lifetime”, “The Music I Hear”, “Bud Way”, “Jazz... the Budway”, and his latest release “3 Budways” with siblings Kathy and Maureen Budway. “Sweet Candor”, Maureen Budway's release in 2015 on the MSG Jazz label, received 4 1⁄2 stars in Downbeat Magazine.
Honoring his late sister, David and his wife Brianne Higgins have recently opened MAUREEN'S JAZZ CELLAR in Nyack, NY. The intimate venue features Jazz, Classical, Cabaret, Acoustic Music, Comedy and Rock and Roll. Mr. Budway's newest CD, “The Jazz Piano Man”, features original songs co-written with lyricist Lou Tracey. David was a proud recipient of two prizes in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition. He has scored the music to the motion pictures Lift and Giant Steps starring Billy Dee Williams, and has been published in Downbeat Magazine’s Masterclass section: Contemporary French Music’s Influence in Jazz Harmonies.
South Orange Downtown Jazz On Sloan at the South Orange Gazebo
Yes, we are thrilled to present operatic mezzo-soprano/vocalist Ema Mitrović and jazz and classical pianist David Budway for your listening pleasure. Come early and secure your best spot. Jazz On Sloan at the South Orange Gazebo is extremely excited to present this fantastic, one-of-a-kind performance for your listening pleasure. When you hear Ema, you will know why I am so excited. Please grab your chair, your friend and please join us outdoors for this perfectly wonderful one-of-a-kind Sunday afternoon performance.
About the Writer Gregory Burrus
Gregory Burrus is writing about his first love, the creative people, towns and events all around South Orange NJ. Gregory continually observes, participates in, reports and writes on local community news, live music and the arts and entertainment scene of the Jersey NYC landscape and beyond, right here as JI blogger Gregory Burrus. Contact Gregory Burrus to promote your business or nonprofit across various social media and blogging platforms. gregoryburrusproductions.com