James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival 2013
Newark's rich jazz legacy comes to life again this week with the TD James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival, which is named for the revered saxophonist who helped put Newark music-making on a global stage.Co-presented by NJPAC and WBGO Jazz88.3FM, the festival offers more than a dozen performances and special events citywide, from Nov. 4-10. There is a mix of free events, fundraisers and ticketed events.
The festival kicked off last night, November 4th with an Evening with Jimmy Heath at Bethany Baptist Church (275 W. Market St).
Other highlights include a 50th Celebration of Amiri Baraka's "Blues People," WBGO's fundraising Champions of Jazz gala, a free Day of Swing for the entire family, Dorthaan's Jazz Brunch and Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition.
Complete Schedule Below
Nov. 4: Evening with Jimmy Heath
7pm; Free; Bethany Baptist Church
Saxophonist Jimmy Heath brings his quartet. The event also acknowledges the church's year-round Jazz Vespers program, curated by WBGO personality Dorthaan Kirk.
Nov. 5: Keep Your Razor Sharp
7pm; Free; Newark Museum
avant-garde composer and trombonist Craig Harris will perform the world premiere of a full length NJPAC-commissioned work entitled "Keep Your Razor Sharp," inspired by Blues People: Negro Music in White America, Amiri Baraka's highly influential literary exploration of African-American music. Newark's famed author, poet and activist, Amiri Baraka, will introduce the evening and the work. "Keep Your Razor Sharp" celebrates the main topic of the book: the blues continuum, presenting a musical journey from the Malian deltas to the Mississippi deltas and from the rural plantations to the urban projects. The piece is comprised of music composed by Harris, themes from Blues People and poetry from one of Baraka's other writings, Wise, Why's, Y's: The Griot's Song Djeli Ya.
Nov. 6: Dave Stryker Organ Trio
12pm; Free; Gateway Center
Free concert, sponsored by WBGO
Nov. 6: WBGO's Champions of Jazz
7:30pm; NJPAC
This year's honorees are the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and the station's President and CEO, Cephas Bowles. Thirty-four years of jazz broadcasting is celebrated with music by Christian McBride & Inside Straight, Kenny Barron, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Gretchen Parlato, Ray Vega and Michael Wolff & Mike Clark and Melissa Aldana, followed by Felix Hernandez's Rhythm Revue Dance Party.
Nov. 7: A Good Place: Celebrating Lorraine Gordon and the Village Vanguard
7:30pm; NJPAC
Joining in the all-star salute in the Victoria Theater are the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and special guests Christian McBride, NEA Jazz Master and pianist Barry Harris, organist Rhoda Scott, and clarinetist-saxophonist Anat Cohen and her quartet. For this special evening, East Orange's NEA Jazz Master and GRAMMY-winner Slide Hampton wrote a new arrangement of James Moody's "Last Train From Overbrook."
Nov. 8: Jazz Meets Samba
8pm; NJPAC
Jazz Meets Samba headlines two multi-talented Brazilian pianists and singers: the hit-making Sérgio Mendes, one of the original bossa nova pianists, and scintillating pianist and vocalist Eliane Elias. Also on the bill are guitarist Lee Ritenour, percussionist Marivaldo Dos Santos and special guest saxophonist Joe Lovano.
Nov. 9: Day of Swing
10am; Free; NJPAC
Day of Swing is open to families and children of all ages at NJPAC's Center for Arts Education. This fun-filled day of jazz exploration, includes workshops in improvisation, swing dancing and rhythmic storytelling; a screening of the award-winning documentary The Girls in the Band; a master class with Christian McBride and R&B singer and songwriter Jeffrey Osborne, and Swing Along with Bucky Pizzarelli, a conversation-performance with the legendary jazz guitarist.
Nov. 9: Portrait of Duke
2pm; NJPAC
led by journalist and playwright Terry Teachout (author of the new biography Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington), is a conversation about the great bandleader, including a panel discussion in the Victoria Theater. Musical selections from the 1920s-1950s, by Ellington and his chief collaborator, Billy Strayhorn, will be performed by Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, an 11-piece band expanded to 17 pieces to authentically replicate Ellington's latter-day sound. Giordano is the GRAMMY-winning musical director for the HBO series Boardwalk Empire.
Nov. 9: Sing, Swing, Sing!
8pm; NJPAC
showcases the Christian McBride Big Band with jazz vocalist Melissa Walker and a stellar gathering of singers: Dianne Reeves, Al Jarreau, Jeffrey Osborne and Cyrille Aimée. Sharing the program is acclaimed alto saxophonist Gerald Albright. "One of the main things we're trying to show in this concert is the idea that the big band swing tradition always included singers," says McBride. The performance will also pay tribute to the late keyboardist, composer and singer George Duke, who was originally scheduled to appear.
Nov. 10: Dorthaan's Place Jazz Brunch
11am & 1pm; NICO
opens with New Jersey saxophone and clarinet virtuoso Paquito D'Rivera and his quartet.
Nov. 10: Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition
3pm; NJPAC
hear five talented women compete for the "Sassy Award" and its $5,000 prize. This year's finalists are Teira Church of Los Angeles, Lydia Harrell of Boston, Barbra Lica of Toronto and Camille Thurman and Jazzmeia Horn, both of New York City.
More info at: www.njpac.org/Moody
