Four Freshmen headline New Jersey jazz series in July

The Four Freshmen

The season of swing returns with gusto to Hackettstown, New Jersey, this summer when the 2011 Jazz in July Series  comes to the Centenary Stage with a line-up of Big Band, Dixieland, Swing and incomparable harmonies of The Four Freshmen.  

The series kicks off on July 9^th with the Rob Stoneback Big Band.   Boasting  17 instrumentalists and two vocalists, the Rob Stoneback Big Band  has performed throughout the Mid Atlantic region, often appearing with such luminaries as The Manhattan Transfer, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole and Rosemary Clooney, to name just a few.  Playing a program of great standards and current hits, this dynamic band celebrates thirty years in the business this season.   The Rob Stoneback Big Band will perform  on Saturday, July 9^th at 8 PM in the Sitnik Theater of the new David and Carol Lackland Center on the campus of Centenary College.  Tickets are $25 in advance and $30  on the day of performance.

Celebrating the music of the great two-tenor team,  Zoot Sims (‘Brother of Swing’) and Al Cohn, The Al and Zoot Tribute Band will perform on Saturday, July 16 at 8 PM.   It was the appearance of the Sims-Cohn Quintet that is reported to have changed the fortunes of the legendary Half Note jazz club in lower Manhattan.  Lines formed outside the club on Saturday nights to hear the two tenors’ free-wheeling, hard-booting,  joyous brand of music.    Tenors Lew DelGatto & Bob Keller breathe new life into the memory of the popular  group, backed by Jesse Green on piano, Tony Marino on bass, and Tom Whaley on drums.   Lew DelGatto has been a dynamic figure in the music scene for over 30 years, and colleague Bob Keller has been playing in the jazz scene for over 50 years, with such great big bands as The Buddy Rich Jazz Orchestra, and  Chuck Israel's National Jazz Ensemble.  Drummer Tony Marino’s notable performance career includes a musical stint with the late Al Cohn & Zoot Sims.    Tickets are $22.50 in advance and $27.50 on the day of performance.

Headlining the 2011 Series on July 23^rd will be the incomparable ensemble, The Four Freshmen, the group which pioneered a revolutionary new style of close-harmony vocals that set the stage for bands like the Beach Boys, Spanky & Our Gang, the Hi-Lo's, the Manhattan Transfer and countless others.   The Freshmen’s characteristic sound married tight harmonies with a lush improvisatory style, and while the names and faces have evolved along the way,  the legendary sound has continued, winning the group a ranking of #1 in both  the Downbeat Magazine and Jazz Times poll (2007)for “Best Vocal Group. ”  

With  smooth vocals and the musical mastery of nearly a dozen instruments between them, the contemporary group not only preserves the Freshmen sound, but enhances it with youth, vitality and talent,  giving a new treatment to the Great American Songbook.     The Four Freshman features Curtis Calderon (vocals and trumpet), Vince Johnson (vocals and bass), Bob Ferreira (vocals and drums), and Brian Eichenberger (vocals and guitar ).  At this performance, the group will also be backed by five swinging trombones.   Tickets for the 8 PM performance of The Four Freshman are $35 in advance and $42.50 at the door, on the day of performance. 

The high-energy, toe-tapping sound of New Orleans jazz will fill the Lackland Center when Clarinetist Dan Levinson leads a Dixieland Bash on Saturday, July 30 at 8 PM.    A specialist in traditional jazz and swing,  Levinson is one of the most prolific musicians on the contemporary scene, equally at home as a leader and sideman.   During a twenty-year career, he has appeared alongside such prominent artists as Dick Hyman, Mel Tormé and Wynton Marsalis.   The Dixieland Bash band includes Levinson on clarinet, Randy Reinhart on coronet, Jim Fryer on trombone, Mark Shane on piano, Brian Nalepka on bass and special guest Stephane Seva on washboard.    The band will perform on Saturday, July 30 at 8 PM.  Tickets are $22.50 in advance, and $27.00 at the door on the day of performance. 

A special subscription package, which includes all four concerts in the festival, is available for $95 and can be purchased through the Centenary Stage Company Box office at 908-979-0900, or online at www.centenarystageco.org.   Patrons may also purchase tickets directly at the Carol and David Lackland Center Box Office, located at 715 Grand Ave in Hackettstown.     Students under age 18 receive a special discounted ticket price for all jazz events.

Jazz in July is made possible through the leadership of Ed Coyne (Chair of the Centenary Stage Company Advisory Board) and Coyne Enterprises, with the additional support of Heath Village and Skylands Community Bank.   The Centenary Stage Company is a not-for-profit performing arts series, in residence at Centenary College, dedicated to serving as a cultural resource for audiences of the Skylands region with professional music, theatre and dance events and arts education programs throughout the year.   All programs at the Centenary Stage Company are made possible in part through the visionary support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, as well as CSC sponsors Heath Village (platinum sponsor),  Panther Valley Pharmacy, Skylands Community Bank, and Hackettstown Regional Medical Center. 

NEW THEATRE:  Performances at the Centenary Stage Company enjoy their new residence in the state-of-the-art theatres of  the new Carol and David Lackland Center, opened just 9 months ago in Hackettstown.  Hailed as the most sophisticated performing arts venue in northwest New Jersey, the center includes the new 500-seat Sitnik Theater,  The Edith Bolte Kutz black box theater, a dance studio, as well as  WNTI, the College’s NPR affiliate station, and CCTV, Centenary’s Comcast-licensed television studio.   Named in honor of Carol Burgess Lackland, A Centenary graduate (Class of 1954), and her husband, David A. Lackland, a Centenary College Trustee, The David and Carol Lackland Center, has been designed to enrich student life and bring new cultural opportunities to northwest New Jersey.

LAWRENCE WELK'S BIG BAND SPLASH tv special on PBS

LAWRENCE WELK'S BIG BAND SPLASH, hosted by bandleader and trumpeter Doc Severinsen, is a celebration of the Big Band Era's classic hits, performed by the great Welk Band and the talented Musical Family on the popular “Lawrence Welk Show.” Broadcast on network television from 1955 to 1982, the Welk Show has been a popular weekly series on many public television stations since 1987.

Included in this special is Doc's guest appearance on “The Lawrence Welk Show” in 1972, playing the Oscar-winning song, “Love Story.” And the Welk Band salutes Doc — the conductor of “The Tonight Show” Band for Johnny Carson from 1967 to 1972 — with a performance of his signature song, “Johnny’s Theme.”
This brand-new PBS special, the 17th Lawrence Welk special to be produced for public television, pays tribute to 25 legendary bandleaders including Glenn Miller, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Les Brown, Count Basie, Ben Bernie, Artie Shaw, Clyde McCoy, Pete Fountain, Harry James, Bob Crosby, Sammy Kaye, Ted Lewis, Duke Ellington, Paul Whiteman, Ray Anthony, Doc Severinsen and many others.  
The complete song list:

• “In the Mood”
• “Let's Dance”
• “One O'Clock Jump”
• “Sentimental Journey”
• “I'm Getting Sentimental Over You”
• “Contrasts”
• “Sweet Georgia Brown”
• “St. Louis Blues”
• “Celery Stalks at Midnight”
• “South Rampart Street Parade”
• “Sugar Blues”
• “You Made Me Love You”
• “Big Noise From Winnetka”
• “Woodchopper's Ball”
• “Little Brown Jug”
• “When My Baby Smiles at Me”
• “Ring Them Bells”
• “Boo Hoo”
• “The Dipsy Doodle”
• “Boogie Woogie”
• “Love Story”  (featuring Doc Severinsen)
• “Panama”
• “Rhapsody in Blue”
• “Take the A Train””
• “Begin the Beguine”
• “Song of India”
• “Johnny's Theme”
• “American Patrol”
• “Toot, Toot, Tootsie”

Band soloists include Henry Cuesta, Bob Havens, Pete Fountain, Jo Ann Castle, Johnny Zell, Kenny Trimble, Jack Imel, Bob Ralston and Johnny Klein. Many of the Big Band numbers include the entire Welk Show cast. Vocal solos include Alice Lon, Mary Lou Metzger, Tanya Welk Roberts, Guy Hovis and Ralna English. Dance numbers feature Bobby Burgess, Cissy King, Elaine Balden, Jack Imel, Arthur Duncan and others. 
Doc's host segments were recorded at the Cicada Restaurant in Los Angeles, California, a beautiful Art Deco room, with its original décor of dark wood cabinetry and, appropriately, a large crystal chandelier.
PBS special programming invites viewers to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; hear diverse viewpoints; and take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. Viewer contributions are an important source of funding, making PBS programs possible. PBS and public television stations offer all Americans from every walk of life the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. To donate to your local PBS station, visit http://www.pbs.org/support.

Diana Krall Solo Concert disappointing

First, let me say that I've been a very enthusiastic fan of Diana Krall since the first time I saw the "Live in Paris" DVD. I've purchased all her CD's, watched her television appearances, and drove 350 miles to see her perform live at the Flynn Theater in Burlington, Vermont.

Sunday (June 5, 2011) I drove only 40 miles to the world class New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey to see Diana in her new Solo Concert. Normally she works with a jazz trio, but at the Victoria theater it was simply Diana at the piano, plus an antique horn phonograph. The concert was originally scheduled for 7pm, but on arrival the audience was informed of a thirty minute delay to 7:30pm. Diana actually appeared on stage about 15 minutes later remarking that she had a 'zipper' issue.

From our vantage point in the second row right, Diana appeared either tired or bored. She did indicate that she was short of breath after opening with Peel Me A Grape and Did You Ever See A Dream Walking, remarking that she may need to get back to the treadmill. Consequently, Diana was not in the best voice for the rest of the 90 minute program.
The real disappointment was in the program selection. Very light on classics from the time tested Great American Songbook (It's Just A Garden In The Rain, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter, What'll I Do, and the Crosby novelty Don't Fence Me In)  and very heavy on a group of obscure tunes 'she found in her Dad's collection of 78's'...there is a reason why these songs never became classics...they are simply pleasant at best.

She did do a nice feature on Fats Waller including Your Feets Too Big. Diana also included a composition "Home" that she had composed with her husband Elvis Costello, it was also just pleasant. To close the program she moved to a stool and appeared very ill at ease strumming a ukulele that she clearly has not mastered.

The awkwardness of the evening may be that we were actually viewing a dress rehearsal for the Solo Concert she will do over several days at the Montreal Jazz Festival later this month. A call to her publicist for comment or clarification went unanswered.

Back to the point about song selection, we were friends with Rosemary Clooney who had a very successful jazz career during the last half of her marvelous career. Rosie said that the best advice she had ever received was from Ella Fitzgerald..."sing only the great time tested songs....they make a good singer sound great."   

Tony Bennett, who was in the same theater complex on Sunday night, is quoted as follows; " I sing in Asia and I sing in Europe, and I start singing a Cole Porter song or a Gershwin (George Gershwin) song and the whole audience starts singing it with me. They are America's greatest ambassadors. We have created the greatest popular music that has ever been written and will not be topped because it's not dated. It doesn't sound old fashioned, it's not old. The corporations will say, 'That's old music'. It's not old music, it's great music and it comes out of the United States." 

Glenn Miller SwingFest in hometown set for June 23-26

Join us in Fort Morgan, Colorado, the boyhood home of Glenn Miller for four days of music, sights and history from the big band era. The Viaero Glenn Miller SwingFest will be held June 23-26, 2011 and features the big band sounds of the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and the Pied Pipers. Cathy Shull, event coordinator is excited to be on board: “I was part of the original team that developed this event 15 years ago and I am so excited to be back on board. With the support of Viaero and other sponsors and the dedication of the School for the Performing Arts (SPA) we will be able to continue to grow this event to be a premiere event in Colorado.”

Throughout the four day event there will be something of interest to all ages and many of
the events are at no charge. Starting Thursday, June 23rd we will be kicking off the City of
Fort Morgan’s Summer Concert series with the sounds of Platte Valley Community Band
and performers from SPA based in Fort Morgan. Friday continues with the first dance of the weekend to the tunes of Company B and a fun dance competition for the Golden Trombone award.

Saturday the 25th is a full day of activities starting with a Fly In at the Fort Morgan Airport
with breakfast cooked up by the Lion’s Club. From there head back downtown to the park
and enjoy an afternoon of music on stage, take a bus tour, Fort Morgan Museum and U. S.
Historical Military Museum tours and take in a movie featuring The Glenn Miller Story. Throw
in some WWII Reinactors and refreshments at the Sunrise Optimist booth to make the afternoon complete. On stage will be the Eastern Colorado Trombone Quartet, the Morgan Community College Jazz Band, the Timberline Brass Quintet and students from SPA. The evening culminates with a VIP Cocktail Reception to raise funds for the School for the Performing Arts as part of a challenge grant from Anschutz Foundation and then you can adjourn back to the airport for dancing to the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and the Pied Pipers.

Sunday the 26th gives you a chance to get some outdoor exercise with the Little Brown Jug 5K Run/Walk to raise funds for S.A.R.A, Inc. (Sexual Assault Response Advocates) and end the weekend with a Champagne Brunch featuring a presentation by Alan Cass on Glenn Miller.

Fort Morgan, Colorado, is about 80 miles northeast of Denver along Interstate 76. An
agriculture community with scenic vistas, hidden treasures and friendly people, Fort Morgan and the surrounding communities will give you a warm welcome and a step back in time with their historic downtowns.

James Graff, committee chair and co-owner of the School for the Performing Arts, "We are so excited to host this event and continue to bring people to our area to enjoy the sights and sounds of the big band era." Further, James, said "I am excited that all proceeds from this event go to help kids. From the main focus of scholarships to the School for the Performing Arts to our partnerships with Lion’s, Optimist and S.A.R.A., Inc. you too can be a part of the fun while also supporting worthy causes."

Plans are already in the works for the 4th weekend in June, 2012, where our featured band will be The Glenn Miller Orchestra.

For more information and ticket purchases you can check out the website at

www.glennmillerswingfest.com or e mail glennmillerswingfest@gmail.com or call 970-768-
6106. Then follow us on Facebook @GlennMillerSwingFest or Twitter @GlennMillerSF to
keep up with the latest news.

Review: Diana Krall Solo Concert disappointing

First, let me say that I've been a very enthusiastic fan of Diana Krall since the first time I saw the "Live in Paris" DVD. I've purchased all her CD's, watched her television appearances, and drove 350 miles to see her perform live at the Flynn Theater in Burlington, Vermont. 

Sunday, I drove only 40 miles to the world class New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey to see Diana in her new Solo Concert. Normally she works with a jazz trio, but at the Victoria theater it was simply Diana at the piano, plus an antique horn phonograph. The concert was originally scheduled for 7pm, but on arrival the audience was informed of a thirty minute delay to 7:30pm. Diana actually appeared on stage about 15 minutes later remarking that she had a 'zipper' issue.

From our vantage point in the second row right, Diana appeared either tired or bored. She did indicate that she was short of breath after opening with Peel Me A Grape and Did You Ever See A Dream Walking, remarking that she may need to get back to the treadmill. Consequently, Diana was not in the best voice for the rest of the 90 minute program.

The real disappointment was in the program selection. Very light on classics from the time tested Great American Songbook (It's Just A Garden In The Rain, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter, What'll I Do, and the Crosby novelty Don't Fence Me In)  and very heavy on a group of obscure tunes 'she found in her Dad's collection of 78's'...there is a reason why these songs never became classics...they are simply pleasant at best.

She did do a nice feature on Fats Waller including Your Feets Too Big. Diana also included a composition "Home" that she had composed with her husband Elvis Costello, it was also just pleasant. To close the program she moved to a stool and appeared very ill at ease strumming a ukulele that she clearly has not mastered.

The awkwardness of the evening maybe that we were actually viewing a dress rehearsal for the Solo Concert she will do over several days at the Montreal Jazz Festival later this month. A call to her publicist for comment or clarification went unanswered.

Back to the point about song selection, we were friends with Rosemary Clooney who had a very successful jazz career during the last half of her marvelous career. Rosie said that the best advice she had ever received was from Ella Fitzgerald..."sing only the great time tested songs....they make a good singer sound great."   

Tony Bennett, who was in the same theater complex on Sunday night, is quoted as follows; " I sing in Asia and I sing in Europe, and I start singing a Cole Porter song or a Gershwin (George Gershwin) song and the whole audience starts singing it with me. They are America's greatest ambassadors. We have created the greatest popular music that has ever been written and will not be topped because it's not dated. It doesn't sound old fashioned, it's not old. The corporations will say, 'That's old music'. It's not old music, it's great music and it comes out of the United States."  

Here Diana is singing a standard;