Elmwood Culture Club Presents Nat Adderley, Jr. and MPack in a Jazzy Afternoon of Live Music (Saturday, May 21, 3-6pm)

By Gregory Burrus | Posted Monday, May 9, 2022

In celebration of Spring, the Elmwood Church lawn will come alive with the explosive sounds of jazzy live music as Elmwood Culture Club welcomes internationally acclaimed pianist, composer, songwriter and Grammy Winner Nat Adderley, Jr. and his Quartet. Kicking off this inaugural Jazzy Afternoon on the Lawn live music experience will be one of North Jersey’s dynamic and swinging R&B bands, MPack, led by the Groove Master himself Clarence Conover.

3 pm - 4:15 pm MPack Music
4:40 - 6: 00 pm Nat Adderley, Jr.

Join us for this Jazzy Music Experience!!!

Donations accepted.

This benefit event is outdoors at 135 Elmwood Ave, East Orange, NJ and open to the public, so bring your lawn chairs, come out and join us for a day of music, food, and fun!

The Nat Adderley, Jr. Quartet

The Nat Adderley, Jr. Quartet provides a unique jazz experience that you will also not want to miss. The Adderley name is an important one in music because it’s synonymous with jazz, swing, funk, spirit and musical excellence. Nat Adderley, Jr. keeps the torch burning, with a lineage from as far back as Multi-instrumentalist Cannonball Adderley (Mercy, Mercy, Mercy and in Mikes Davis Band), and Cornetist Nat Adderley (“Work Song” and Lionel Hampton’s big band).

Over time, Nat Adderley, Jr. has created his own historical legacy. With over 20 years as the musical director and songwriter for Luther Vandross, Nat wrote “The Wave” for Kirk Whalum, arranged Natalie Cole’s 1987 recording of “When I Fall In Love”, produced “Just Another Lonely Night” for Johnny Gill, arranged Aretha Franklin’s album Jump To It, produced Gloria Lynne’s album No Detour Ahead, and produced “That’s How Heartaches are Made” for The Temptations.

This Yale University graduate in recent years has performed in Beijing Blue Note, Singapore Kool Kats Club, in numerous venues in New York and New Jersey, and has headlined WBGO’s “Somerville (NJ) Jazz Festival” amongst others.

Elmwood is excited to have this history-maker performing some of the time-honored standards created by his family along with tunes that he created, wrote and performed with some of the top best selling, global recording artists.

MPack — Clarence Conover

MPack Live. Kicking off this inaugural Jazzy on the Lawn live music experience will be one of North Jersey’s extremely popular, dynamic and swinging R&B bands, MPack. MPack brings an explosive energy to an event that is guaranteed to rock this Elmwood Jazzy on the Lawn experience.

MPack is a band, a brand, and a musical production enterprise, consisting of multiple elements in an ever-evolving flow. It is the musical brainchild of longtime multi-instrumentalist Clarence Conover. Clarence, also known as the ‘Groove Master’, is a bandleader, bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer and vocalist. Clarence founded MPack Music Productions over 4 decades ago with the motto “Life Changing Sounds.”

A product of the Philly sound, Clarence is a specialist in Funk, Jazz, Blues, Fusion, Neo-soul and R&B. Clarence has performed and or recorded with Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, Grover Washington Jr., The Delfonics, Bo Diddley and more. Clarence and his band have performed at the Morris Museum, South Orange Performing Arts Center, South Valley Lounge, Jazz On Sloan, and Crossroads along with numerous other venues across the Tri-State area including many North Jersey town-sponsored annual live music outdoor series.

This bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer and vocalist, when he’s not on stage, is in the studio devising new music with his MPack band for their fans. The Groove Master will be bringing along this dynamic band of like-minded musicians who have just provided some truly memorable and enjoyable live Jazzy music experiences at some recently sold-out Essex County venues.

Jazzy On the Lawn - Join Us

Come enjoy an afternoon of Jazzy live music among friends, family and the community. This is a great opportunity to come out and experience these very popular, live music musicians, a local food truck, and support the Elmwood Culture Club while you move and groove to some really great, live jazzy music on the lawn. Bring your memories, your singing voices, your dancing shoes and your lawn chairs, as this is an event you don't want to miss — the music will be absolutely amazing!

Please register and let us know you are joining us:
Nat Adderley Jr and MPack in a Jazzy Afternoon of Live Music 

About the Writer — Gregory Burrus, Live Music Ambassador

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 hollowboy

By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Saturday, May 7, 2022

Matthew Kessig has been releasing his fuzzed-out and introspective rock and roll under the name hollowboy since his first single under the name in August 2019. Since then, Matthew has released a handful of more tunes, ranging from early-era Weezer to modern bedroom pop. Throughout these releases there has been a constant with which hollowboy gets its unique sound; that constant being Matthew writing and performing all the instruments on his recordings. His latest single “something in the air” was self-produced and part of the Voices of Freedom: Artists in Support of Ukraine put together by local NJ artists Luke Lenczuk and Nicolas Palermo (Have a Good Season). I reached out to Matthew to tell me more about hollowboy and his songwriting/recording process. Thanks again, Matt! 

Who were your influences when first starting hollowboy? How have they changed over the years?

Honestly, there are a million bands that I could say I have taken inspiration from, but my friends have been my biggest influence. So many of my friends are incredibly talented creatives and push me to be a better musician at all times. There's almost a sort of mushy-competitiveness about it where we all are trying to achieve our own versions of 'success' while also supporting each other. I'm really, really lucky to be surrounded by so many great people that also happen to make great art, so it feels like my music has been shaped by those relationships. But also 1994-2001 era Weezer.

How does hollowboy differ from any of your past projects and bands?

hollowboy essentially began because I was sitting on a stockpile of unreleased songs. I have been in a few bands in my life and loved all of those experiences, but I was never the core songwriter for any of them. I just wanted to have an outlet where I'd have 100% creative control over the music and not have to try and fit my pieces into somebody else's puzzle. It's a blessing and a curse. Sometimes it's nice to have another mind to keep yours in check, but I find myself more attached to these songs than anything else I've done because of it.

You play all the instruments for your own songs. Which instrument do you start with first? What usually follows?

I would say almost all of my songs are written on acoustic guitar. I am an enigma in that I am a musician that gets anxious about being too loud, so if I'm playing at home it's almost always acoustic. That being said, drums are lowkey the most important thing to me. I spent so many years playing drums that it's just a part of my soul now, can't be separated, so while I'm writing the guitar parts I'm envisioning what the drums will be in my head. It's not until I lay down the guitar and drums in GarageBand that I start to figure out any additional parts, which there are typically many of. 

Your latest release "something in the air" was part of the Voices of Freedom: Artists in Support of Ukraine compilation. Can you tell us about that track and how you got involved with this compilation?

Two of my very close friends Nic and Luke put together this compilation. Luke approached me with the details and asked about possibly contributing a song and obviously there was no other answer than yes. 'something in the air' was one of those previously mentioned stockpiled songs that I had written at a time when the world just wasn't feeling right to me. It, unfortunately, felt relevant again, so I sent it over to Luke. They did such an incredible job putting this compilation together and got so many great artists to be a part of it. I recommend everybody please go check it out and donate to the cause. It would mean a lot to us.

"something in the air" is also self-produced and sounds amazing. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of self-produced recording?

The advantages/disadvantages are essentially the same as the band vs solo question. Working by myself is nice because I have complete creative control and unlimited time to be able to tinker it to how I hear it in my head. Explaining the sound in your head to someone is not easy. The downsides are that I have no idea what I'm doing and nobody can help me. 

All of your songs have a distinct feel since you are the sole instrumentalist. Any plans to record a hollowboy release with other musicians? And how do you think that would change the sound, if at all, to you? 

I've always tried to make hollowboy at least somewhat collaborative throughout. I always send my music to friends and encourage them to give me feedback or even contribute some parts if they have ideas. Speak of the devil, you've ripped a few guitar solos and bass lines on hollowboy tunes. It would be a massive waste for me not to utilize all of the talent I'm surrounded by, so whenever I get the chance I try and get my friends to add their own touch to my songs. 

The thing is that I don't have any plans at all. I pretty much have been operating on my own out of necessity. I sadly don't have unlimited time to dedicate to music even though I wish I could drop everything to do it, so gathering members and regularly practicing is not easy. hollowboy may be a 5-piece one day, who knows, I'm honestly just here to have fun. The second it stops feeling fun is when it'll be over.

Who have you been listening to lately that you can see influencing hollowboy music going forward?

I'm always trying to listen to new bands. Fast, slow, light, heavy, whatever. As long as it's catchy or makes me feel something, it's going to make me want to write a song of my own. “Baby Bye Bye” by Beauty is a hell of a song, though.

You can keep up with all things hollowboy here and support Voices of Freedom here!

Jazz in the Community for Your Social Wellbeing, Featuring the Dynamic and Powerful Dre Barnes Quartet (Friday, May 6, 5-7PM, Newark, NJ)

By Gregory Burrus | Posted Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Time to come out to meet and greet with friends, family, neighbors and jazz lovers. A time to affirm… this is an event to build wholeness in our community!  Please join us, as the music will be swinging and slammin’.

Not so long ago, the Weequahic Park community building sorely needed an upgrade to complement everything the public grounds had to offer. The Essex County executive, with some much-needed input and help from South Ward community leaders, got to work to envision a new building. Once the county secured a grant from the state to fund construction for a new facility, the project broke ground in December 2020.  Nine months after construction commenced, local, county and state leaders descended upon the new building, named the Feldman Middleton Jr. Community Center, to dedicate what Gov. Phil Murphy called the new “crown jewel” of the South Ward. 

Feldman Middleton Jr. Community Center

This high-use park and its facilities are an absolute beauty and the community is very proud of the jewel. This Friday, the community will join in a gathering for Social Wellbeing! After all we have been through, it’s time to affirm each other and build wholeness in our lives. Come join us and rekindle old friendships and build new relationships while enjoying the community and enveloping yourself in some truly swinging, fantastic jazz, refreshments, and goodwill!

This is a free Community Jazz Event. Register today and let us know you are coming through, and enjoy these professional musicians listed below that will be performing for you at this event.

Dre Barnes — Jazz Pianist

Born in Philadelphia, Dre Barnes started piano lessons at a young age and developed a good ear for jazz. While a teenager, Dre performed with his high school jazz and ensemble and performed in various venues within and outside the school. Barnes attended William Paterson University to study music and further his opportunities to play jazz. Dre went on to further his studies at Rutgers University graduate program where he studied under jazz master pianist Kenny Barron.

Upon graduation from Rutgers University, Barnes formed a trio and performed at several venues in the Tri-State area. Barnes has performed with a wide array of artists including; vocalist LaDee Streeter, saxophonists Willie Williams, Don Braden, and Stacey Dilliard, Bassists Curtis Lundy, and the T.S. Monk Septet to name a few. Barnes' most recent recording “Wandering Spirits” features drummer Lewis Nash and Bassist Reuben Rogers. Barnes notes Cedar Walton, John Hicks and the late Mulgrew Miller as primary influences.

“Dre Barnes is an impressive jazz pianist and composer who delivers his choice notes with a firm touch and potent rhythmic heft” Zan Stewart, The Star Ledger.

Read more: www.drebarnes.studio

Lance Bryant — Saxophone

Saxophonist, arranger and vocalist Lance Bryant performs in the New York/New Jersey area. When Lance is not performing his own music he is touring with revered South African pianist, Abdullah Ibrahim, performing and recording as saxophonist with fellow New York area players, teaching and writing commissioned arrangements for other artists and bands. Lance comes out of Markham, Illinois, a small town near Chicago. He received his formal music education at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, where he studied saxophone, composition and arranging. After moving to New York City in the mid. 1980s, Lance continued his education, studying saxophone and arranging privately with Frank Foster, the former director of the Count Basie Orchestra. He also studied composition with Bruce Adolphe of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Society. In 1990 Lance began his decade-long relationship with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and in 1993 became the Orchestra's Musical Director and Principal Arranger. Lance also made his film debut in Spike Lee's Malcolm X and traveled extensively with Phyllis Hyman, Jon Hendricks, Pete "LaRocca" Sims, Wallace Roney, Abdulah Ibrahim, Bootsy Collins, James Williams and others. In the early summer of 2000, Lance was selected as an on-stage musician for the Broadway production of the musical review Swing!, which received six Toni nominations.

Read more: www.lancebryant.com

Sir G. Earl Grice — Drums

Started playing drums at the age of 3 years old. Began performing with many gospel choirs and groups in the New York area for over 30 years. Has performed with many artists and genres including jazz, gospel, funk, rock, R&B, latin, reggae, pop, and marching. Has shared the stage with artists such as Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry, Stevie Wonder, George Benson, Gary Bartz, and many others. Was entered in the “Who's Who in Newark Jazz” section of the book, “America's Music, Jazz in Newark”, and also “The Encyclopedia of Newark Jazz”. Both books are authored by Barbara Kukla. Has performed with his quintet to a sold-out crowd at “Thelonious Jazz Club” in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Has performed abroad at the “Coronet” in London, GB; the “Blue Note” in Milan, IT; and also in the country of Kazakhstan (former Soviet Union). Has performed with recording artists Crown Heights Affair, Ronny Jordan, and Roy Meriwether.

Drums/Actor. Crown Heights Affair, Ronny Jordan, Sonny Rollins, Rhoda Scott. 50+ movies & TV shows. Sir G. Earl Grice Drummer/Actor (New York, NY) Has appeared in 50+ movies and television shows as an actor.

Read more: www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/sir-g-earl-grice 

David Kingsnorth — Bass

Double bassist David Kingsnorth received his MA in Music from Montclair State University, studying with Linda McKnight and twice winning the Cali School Writing Award. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Music from the University of California, Berkeley. He is an active performer in both the jazz and classical music genres, having performed with Oscar Brown Jr., Richard Wyands, Frank Jackson, New Jersey Ballet and the Summit Symphony.

And David Kingsnorth, bass, is known for his stellar work with guitarist Rick Stone & pianist Ted Kooshian. Has performed at venues such as PAPILLON 25 Restaurant and Martini Bar, Live At Mezzrow, and numerous other venues around the area.

Read more: www.montclair.edu

Be informed, come enjoy some great jazz, build political awareness, and improve your social being as you connect with others in our community. May 6, 5-7 PM.

About the Writer, Gregory Burrus

Gregory Burrus - Weequahic Park Feldman Middleton Jr. Community Center

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    

An Absolutely Amazing Night of Smooth Vocals, Funk, and All That Jazz at The Woodland (RECAP)

By Gregory Burrus | Posted Tuesday, April 26, 2022

On Saturday, April 23rd the Vibe in the air was nothing less than very exciting for Rich Engel’s Smooth Jazz New Jersey event, as all of us were expecting an event that was at least as great as prior Smooth Jazz performances.

The Woodland, 60 Woodland Road, Maplewood, NJ

Well, this production of Smooth Vocals Funk and Jazz was absolutely amazing as folks came out and every seat in this beautiful Georgian Revival-style mansion called The Woodland was sold out.  

The opening event was hot right out the gate. The first performance featured classical flautist-turned-Jazz-flutist Alexander Zonjic. Zonjic is a 15-time Detroit Music Awards winner with deep and multi-faceted ties to the city of Detroit. This  “flute guy from Canada” is also a DJ and is the owner of a veritable cottage industry as the artistic director and producer of more than 10 annual festival events in the region and philanthropist under the umbrella of his Hi-Falutin Music. His performance was impeccable. 

Alexander Zonjic Band

Alexander brought with him a swinging band that provided the funk big time, consisting of the widely renowned and incredible pianist James Lloyd, co-founder and member of the famed Pieces of a Dream, Kris Kurzawa on guitar, who has become one of the Detroit area’s most in-demand guitarists since the early 2000’s, drummer Jeff Canady whose captivating performance was creating more fans all night with each drumbeat, and Detroit bassist Mike Harrington who has toured with Brian Culberson, The Spinners, KEM, Jeff Lorber, Kirk Whalum, Angela Bofill, etc., and tonight they introduced Electric Violinist Phenomenon Evan Garr who currently tours with Stanley Clarke and Jean Luc Ponty. 

Doing the Detroit Sway with the Alexander Zonjic Band.

The Woodland was alive and swaying for sure as folks were singing, dancing and doing the Detroit Sway. Comments from a few attendees noted Alexander's great stage presence and what a great bandleader he was. Together, it was one exciting moving performance and they laid it all out on the stage. The band started swinging hard and he immediately drew everyone in and, of course, he had folks up and dancing the Detroit Shuffle in the front, on the sides and in the back.  

Vocalist Maysa Leak

Next up was Maysa Leak, who according to her bio “is the kind of singer who takes hold of a song and enraptures her audience in the palm of her hands, as she delivers lyrics, phrases, melodies and harmonies in a way that only she can." Blessed with an instantly identifiable honey-toned mezzo-soprano and an undeniably brilliant and magnetic stage presence, Maysa’s alluring vocals, candor, honesty, humor and purity as an artist make her a rarity in this business” (maysa.com)

Well, this Baltimore native is the recipient of many awards for her work, including Soul Train’s first Centric Award in 2009, and her first Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Performance and has previously collaborated with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Incognito, Angela Bofill, Will Downing and Jonathan Butler, Phil Perry and more. Maysa was a former “Incognito” lead vocalist, a Grammy Nominee, ranks #2 on the UK R&B charts and tonight the awesome band she performed with at The Woodland included Angela Phillips — assistant vocals, Damon Bennett — music director/ keys, Charles Baldwin — bass, Tim Hudson — drums, and Richard Tucker — guitar.

Maysa Leak performs at Smooth Jazz Live event at The Woodland, Maplewood, NJ.

Clearly, Maysa and her band came to deliver as she continued the heat, laid down by the opening act, and quickly got folks into the mood. The crowd was hooked from the first song to the last. Throughout the night, as mentioned, earlier her honesty and humor was evident as she wrapped into her musical selections stories about her son, Jazz, her travels as an artist, and life in general. She sang a host of her originals from recently released albums along with a number of widely popular songs taking us way back in time. The medley of ’70s ’80s hits went over big time as folks swayed in their seats, started singing along, and next thing you know the place came alive as people jumped up and started singing and dancing and enjoying the beat. The night was on fire all night long as people truly enjoyed her performance. 

As I wandered around the event in my Arts and Entertainment reporter role, I encountered folks excitedly talking about the night, and one person said to me “Maysa put on a vocal show extraordinaire as she covered smooth jazz, R&B and funk so easily and effortlessly.”  Another patron told me he traveled 3 and half hours just for this show because “Maysa is absolutely phenomenal and was happy to drive back to Boston tonight as Maysa did not disappoint at all.” Closer to home, a local resident that I invited said “Wow, this is great to have this fantastic quality of music so close to home. I will be back.” Well, this is nice to know because in communicating with Maysa after the show Maysa said, "I loved performing in such a quaint, classy, beautiful town. I really would love to live in Maplewood. The audience was just fantastic, and I hope to come back soon!" Who knows, hopefully she does come back soon.

Talk about putting a town on the map. Continued sold-out standing-room-only Smooth Jazz live music performances like this at The Woodland Mansion in Maplewood, NJ is definitely the way to do it. The Woodland has this very serene environment with great parking that makes it an excellent place to listen to music of any type with family, friends, and those who want to enjoy the community.  Overall, it was clear almost 50 percent of the audience was not from local towns, as folks came in from Long Island, South Jersey, Philly, and even Detroit.

Gregory Burrus with Maplewood Mayor Dean Dafis.

And it was of course very appropriate to see the newly elected Mayor Dean Dafis tell the audience, you don’t just go home when the show is over but instead walk around the corner, stop in town and enjoy drinks and dinner at a local restaurant and have a great time. Having had some experience with live music events, I can tell you these events will clearly go a long way into turning Maplewood/South Orange into a Live Music Destination. 

About the Writer 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 Kqhyt Kqhyt

By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Monday, April 25, 2022

Kqhyt Kqhyt has to be one of my favorite bands to emerge from Asbury Park since I started writing for Jersey Indie. Whether you know how to pronounce their name or not, you have no doubt caught them playing their booze soaked rock and roll throughout Asbury Park. Since forming in 2019, their long anticipated first single “Carey Bronson” was released April 8th of this year. Accompanied by a great music video, their self-titled release came out April 22nd and is available to purchase here. I recently reached out to lead guitarist Alex Rosen and the band to talk about the beginnings of the band and their upcoming plans. Thanks again, Alex. <><>

When did you first start making music together? How was the band formed?

In early 2019. It is a bit of a long story, but the short of it is I had gotten Brian and Brendon down to jam. I went to Brendon's house and Bronson came down and asked when practice was. That was pretty much that.

What is your songwriting process like?

Brendon pretty much has a couple albums worth and growing of songs. So he brings some to practice and we just kind of work ‘em out.  Or he has older fully realized tunes and we all just work it to full band. I have contributed some songs and Brian has a few up his sleeve. It is a mostly collaborative effort. You hear this a lot with bands, but it is always cool to see how the idea you had for a song completely transforms when you bring it to other people and jam on it.

Favorite song you have written as a group so far? Why? 

Brendon wrote "Mullica" and I really dig how everyone kind of added their own little mark to it. Brendon had the song already done, but each member added themselves to it. Lyrically, it is great as well.  

Favorite venue to perform at? 

Not sure if we have a favorite of all time since we are pretty new. But places like The Saint, Asbury Park Yacht Club, and Bond St. have always been good to us.

You recorded an album last year. Who did you work with? How was that experience?

We worked with Pete Steinkopf at Little Eden. The experience went great, and I am really so happy with how the tunes sound and how everything came out. Pete knocked it out of the park!

The band name is super unique. How did you end up with it and what does the band name mean to you?

No comment at the moment.

Your first single “Carey Bronson” is accompanied by a great video. Who did you work with for the video and how was that experience?

I went to my bud Mike Brown (Phasor Video) who is a really interesting dude. Does a lot of touring with big musicians as well as has a bit of a cult following in the WWE or wrestling world. I asked him if he would do a music video for us. We just gave him free creative control and that was that. I sent him, I think, three songs, and he picked “Carey Bronson.” It is cool just letting someone have their own vision on something you did. Kind of shows you how a song can mean different things to different people.

Any upcoming plans for the group?

We have a full-length out on vinyl and digital on 4/22. It is self-titled and limited to 100.  In late April, we are going to record our new record with Mike Mobius at Moonlight Mile. We also have a live album recorded, actually the final show at the Brighton Bar, just been slow-moving with it. We have some shows in Buffalo later this year and May 15th at Red Tank brewery. I would like to get a brewery to do a beer for us, get a tattoo gun and maybe give Bronson another nickname. Just try and make up for some lost time.

We have a bunch of merch we are working on and if you would like to grab our record and future items please check out our Bandcamp: kqhytkqhyt.bandcamp.com

Instagram: @kqhytkqhyt

You can find our stuff on Spotify and all that stuff too.

Thanks again.

You can listen to and support Kqhyt Kqhyt here <><>

Jazzy Nights Presents “R&B Music Nights” Led by Clarence Conover and the MPack Band

By Gregory Burrus | Posted Sunday, April 24, 2022

We have had some absolutely fabulous Jazzy Nights events this year, and one of the bands that's become a favorite and will be returning often is the MPack band. 

MPack brings an explosive energy to the stage, guaranteed to rock the house all night long! MPack is a band, a brand, and a musical production enterprise, consisting of multiple elements in an ever-evolving flow. It is the musical brainchild of bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer and vocalist Clarence 'Groove Master' Conover.

M-Pack Music Productions Motto
“Life Changing Sounds” 

This cross-genre musician is creatively talented, and he has gathered other like-minded musicians and vocalists that will join him on occasion:

• Vocalist Patricia Walton

• Vocalist Lynette Sheard

• Pianist/keyboardist Larry Greenberg

• Drummer Kevin "Natz" Moore

• Guitarist Kenny Robinson

• Guitarist Brett Calder

Thankfully, we can go back inside and this year Jazzy Nights is happy to present MPack Music Live at South Valley BBQ & Lounge. Here's an introduction to the band because this year’s Jazzy Nights repeat performance will have our favorite musicians returning, plus a few of Clarence’s friends. We also list a few performances so you can get a feel of why you should come on out. 

Groove Master Clarence Conover

Clarence Conover, also known as the ‘Groove Master’, is a bandleader, bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer and vocalist. Clarence founded M-Pack Music productions over 4 decades ago with the motto “Life Changing Sounds”. Clarence has performed and recorded with Patti Labelle, Teddy Pendergrass, Grover Washington Jr., The Delfonics, Bo Diddley and more. Clarence is currently performing at numerous venues across the Tri-State area such as Morris Museum, South Orange Performing Arts Center, South Valley Lounge, Jazz On Sloan, S.O. Crossroads, and is a highly requested performer at many NJ towns annual live music outdoor series. When he’s not on stage, he’s in the studio devising new music for his fans. And here's a taste from our last event so you can enjoy it. 

Vocalist Patricia Walton

Born in Germany, raised in New York and currently residing in New Jersey, Patricia has been singing since she can remember.  Her singing career started in school choir, while still in Germany.  She was a soloist and member of the Mt. Sinai UCC choir, a member of One Accord, and as a lead vocalist for several party/dance bands and has performed at various venues in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Currently she performs both as a Solo Jazz singer and is featured artist in Jazz, Blues and R&B Band as the lead vocalist of MPack! Her warm voice is sure to put a smile on your face and set your feet tapping!

Vocalist Lynette Sheard

Lynette Sheard is a gifted versatile vocalist with a five octave range. She is an actor, producer and director. She is the unseated “West Orange Idol”. Her performances have been acknowledged in numerous publications including, NY Times, The Record and the Chronicle. The Star Ledger proclaims that “Her voice reaches deep into one’s soul and finds a soft spot” She performs Jazz, R&B, Gospel, Soul and Pop music throughout the tri-state area. From our last event here's Lynette Sheard leading on Rufus & Chaka Khan - Sweet Thing.   

Keyboardist Larry Greenberg

Multi-keyboardist and synthesist, composer/arranger, bandleader, and studio musician performs in multiple genres of Funk, Jazz, Jazz Fusion, R&B and Latin Rock. A ‪former Skyy band member “Call Me” topped Billboard’s R&B chart and was No. 26 on the pop side. Larry is a regular on the New Jersey live music scene and has performed in many local venues at the Morris Museum, South Orange Performing Arts Center, Roxy and Dukes, Crossroads and more.

Drummer Kev "Natz" Moore

Kev Moore is a Jersey boy through and through. He's been making music since he was a teenager, and his drum performances have won him fans all over the Garden State. This Master Drum from East Orange High School has performed in numerous venues across the industry, was part of the popular Band Aurra – Interviewed by Don Cornelius and has performed on the cutting edge of music, dance and culture Nationwide TV Show "Soul Train". Kev Moore is a local musician who has performed in many venues throughout New Jersey. Kev loves playing drums and interacting with audiences, and he always gets the crowd involved in the show. He has performed regularly at the Morris Museum, South Orange Performing Arts Center, Roxy and Dukes, Crossroads, and many other local spots.  

Guitarist Kenny Robinson

Newark Arts High School Alum, Kenny Robinson is an in demand guitarist. He's a former longtime band member of The Black Widow Blues Band along with Ricki Lewis. Kenny has played at numerous venues , churches and special events around the Tri State area.

Guitarist Brett Calder

This veteran soulful  guitarist list a Guitar Center Hero, a regular performer around Northern NJ venues such as The Vintage Edge Wine bar,  Jazz in the Loft at South Orange Performing Arts Center, the South Orange Village Juneteenth Events along with regular performances Downtown After Sundown and at the memorable Roxy and Dukes. Along with being in MPAC Brett, performing in Harlem Nights fundraiser and is also a member of the very cool The Groove Syndicate band.

What's Next?

As you can see the musicians are heavy hitters playing across many venues throughout the Tristate and beyond…

South Valley BBQ & Lounge

South Valley BBQ Live Music By Gregory Burrus

MPack sings “Aint Nobody”

Take a listen above and note folks were singing along, sitting dancing, talking with friends, eating and just enjoying the moment all night long.  The last sold-out Jazzy Nights event was packed at the beginning and full throughout the night and just like last year folks came to enjoy themselves. Inside we will be in the blue room of South Valley BBQ & Lounge under new ownership, so come find us. 

Going Forward

The Blue Room

We are going to have a number of events as we move forward including one this Sat April 30. Read more: https://gregoryburrusproductions.com/events/ and https://www.facebook.com/jazzynightslive 

About the Writer Gregory Burrus  

Gregory Burrus is a local live music ambassador, event planner, live music ambassador and community partner that curates, manages and promotes live music events in the local Northern NJ and New York Area.

He sits on a number of local boards and committees and is currently serving as a Board Member of Maplewood Community Music and is a Board Member of Harlem World Magazine Advisory Board. 

Year-round Gregory Burrus also curates, books and produces: the Jazz973 live music jazz series at Clements Place Jazz for the Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies,  the Jazzy Nights Live Music performances, and Cranford NJ Summer Sounds.

In addition to producing events, Gregory Burrus Productions also showcases, photographs, videotapes events annually such as the annual NYC John Jay College Friends of Myrna Bain Scholarship Fundraiser, the Orange NJ Farmers Market, numerous local bands at various local venues. 

 Gregory Burrus has a passion for making live music happen anywhere and everywhere he can whether locally around town or around the world while living life every day to the fullest.

Learn more at Gregory Burrus Live Music Ambassador.

Jazzy Nights Kicks Off 2022 Live Music Season

By Gregory Burrus | Posted Friday, April 22, 2022

Tapping into the region’s top live music talent, Jazzy Nights hosts live music performances from big-name local artists drawn from all over Northern New Jersey and nearby New York City, Produced by Live Music Ambassador Gregory Burrus of Gregory Burrus Productions. 

Jazzy Nights is not just about jazz but all genres of jazzy live music. It's jazz, it's R&B, and it's jazzy. The Jazzy Nights Live mission is focused on keeping the community of summertime live music lovers enjoying live music throughout the Fall, Winter and Spring, whenever possible.  

Following is a post about how Jazzy Nights made it to this season. Back in the day, just a few years ago, the South Orange live music season would run June ‘til September and stop. However, so many local folks and attendees from around the various towns wanted more and more. So, we extended the end of the 2019 season by going indoors and kicked off Jazzy Nights Live at The Fox & Falcon restaurant to keep the wonderful vibe going that was established all summer long. Following is a year-by-year recap of previous years up until this year. 

2019  November Jazzy Nights at The Fox & Falcon

2019/11/14 Inaugural Season Kickoff in the Essex Room with DC Fusion Band.

The 2019 Jazzy Nights Live Music season was led by our buddy and bassman Darryl Clark. We ran monthly live music sessions from November to April with the wonderful DC Fusion instrumental band led by Darryl Clark on Bass, Howard Hall on piano, and Bill Bang (Mauricio de Souza this night) on drums. We augmented each event with special guest singers (Shadiyah and Joy Topping-Mann this night), folks came out strong, and we packed the Essex Room of The Fox & Falcon. We were moving along nicely each month right up ‘til April 2021 and then the COVID Pandemic shut the world down, including our Jazzy Nights. 

In tribute to our buddies.

Sadly, this season was also marked by the passing of many musicians including two of our friends from our Live music community. Community champion and jazz lover Lee Boswell May aka Boz passed before the South Orange Summer Season started. After the 2020 Summer season in November, our beloved Jazzy Nights Bandleader and Bassman Darryl Clark passed on. May they both RIP in musical heaven.

Jazzy Nights (Afternoons) 2021 South Orange NJ

2021 March Season Opener — Outdoor COVID Sessions.

Enter 2021, and because we were all still under a Pandemic watch from 2020 we started the Summer Season early on a beautiful sunny day in 2021 on March 21st. With a live music community starving for entertainment, we came back out in March of 2021, and due to COVID Pandemic Social Distancing guidelines, the world had moved outside and so did Jazzy Nights as “Jazzy Afternoons.”

Jazzy Nights Presents MPack Band at The Fox & Falcon

Thanks to The Fox & Falcon restaurant owner, Jazzy Nights Live became Jazzy Afternoons Live in the Sloan Street Parking Lot on March 21. We moved from Thursday nights to Sunday Afternoons.

As you can see, lots and lots of people came out with family and friends to enjoy the live music of the MPack Band and the community.  

We continued our performances throughout April, which is Jazz Appreciation Month. We planned for live music every weekend. Weather canceled one weekend, but we did produce some very well-attended and swinging live music weekend performances.  

You can read all about it: Jazzy Afternoons South Orange Presents "Jazz Across The Generations" to Honor Jazz Appreciation Month 2021

Read more here: Exciting Rising Pianist Leonieke Scheuble Leads Her "Jazz Across The Generations Trio" for Jazz Appreciation Month 2021

Mike Lee Trio with Billy Drummond and Mike Kane in Jazz Appreciation Month 2021.

Radam Schwartz Trio with Gene Ghee Sax in Jazz Appreciation Month 2021.

The season continued throughout the Summer, we extended it and worked to extend the live music through October. 

October Live Music Fest 2021 

Also in 2021, after the Summer Live Music Season we produced the October Live Music Fest. 

Take a listen to this event. Performances were 2 times a day every Saturday and Sunday throughout the month.  

You can read all about it here: South Orange, NJ October Live Music Fest Takes Over the Sounds In Spiotta Park and Jazz On Sloan Street.

We created live music sessions all year from March thru October, so 2021 was a good year. 

Jazzy Nights 2022 at South Valley BBQ & Lounge

Enter 2022, and this year we are back and in a new location and already have produced two extremely successful Jazzy Nights events. 

2022 Feb. 18 Jazz Season Opener in the Blue Room.

South Valley BBQ and Lounge Presents John Lee and Friends

We are starting off the 2022 Jazzy Nights Live Music Scene in a really nice new location, and we started earlier this year with our first event on Feb. 18th in the new South Valley Lounge. In their newly remodeled Blue Room, we kicked off the season with world-renowned bassist John Lee and his awesome friends. 

Read all about it: John Lee and Friends Keeping Jazz Alive Since Dizzy Gillespie and More at South Valley BBQ and Lounge 

2022 Apr 9th R&B Season Opener in the Blue Room.

Jazzy Nights Presents MPack Music Live at South Valley BBQ and Lounge

We started off the Jazzy Nights R&B Live Music Scene in the new South Valley Lounge on April 9th in the newly remodeled Blue Room. We kicked off the season with the extremely popular R&B Band MPack. 

Our first Jazzy Nights R&B performance was literally off the chain!!! Folks came to dine and dance and had fun all night long. 

Jazzy Nights — Next Steps

For 2021, all of these veteran professionals came to perform and they delivered big time. So, a great start over 3 years through a pandemic, and we are continuing on throughout 2022. 

At Gregory Burrus Productions, we always have something going on to get you, your family and your friends involved, so take a look at our events calendar and come join in the live music party.

Check Out Our Upcoming Events Calendar! We'll See You Soon.

https://gregoryburrusproductions.com/events/

About the Writer Gregory Burrus  

Gregory Burrus is a local live music ambassador, event planner, live music ambassador and community partner that curates, manages and promotes live music events in the local Northern NJ and New York Area.

Gregory Burrus sits on a number of local boards and committees and is currently serving as a Board Member of Maplewood Community Music and is a Board Member of Harlem World Magazine Advisory Board. 

Year-round Gregory Burrus also curates, books and produces: the Jazz973 live music jazz series at Clements Place Jazz for the Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies,  the Jazzy Nights Live Music performances, and Cranford NJ Summer Sounds.

In addition to producing events, Gregory Burrus Productions also showcases, photographs, videotapes events annually such as the annual NYC John Jay College Friends of Myrna Bain Scholarship Fundraiser, the Orange NJ Farmers Market, numerous local bands at various local venues.  Gregory Burrus has a passion for making live music happen anywhere and everywhere he can whether locally around town or around the world while living life every day to the fullest. Learn more at: Gregory Burrus - Gregory Burrus Live Music Ambassador    

Interview with Bobby Mahoney (New EP, "We Go On")

By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Friday, April 15, 2022

Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son are no strangers here on Jersey Indie, and we are always anticipating their next release. Their work ethic is unmatched and their appetite for songs with big choruses and hooks just seems to grow more and more with each new single. Bobby and his band had been hard at work for their newest release, “We Go On” (which premiered on 4/8), and we can now hear what they have been working on these past few years. To help celebrate this momentous release, they hosted a two-day Release Weekend at The Saint in Asbury Park with a handful of talent from up and down the East Coast. I caught up with Bobby to take a closer look at their latest singles “Moth to the Flame” and “Lay It On Me”, as well as what’s next for the band. Thanks, Bobby!

When did you start writing for your newest release, “We Go On”?

We started writing these songs in fragments in the later half of 2019. They have definitely been a slow-burn. There are other ideas that have been around longer, but I felt strongly about these as they came together, so they got to cut the line a bit. 

How did writing for this record differ from past Seventh Son records? How have you grown as a songwriter? 

This record was collaborative with all four of us, James McIntosh, Andrew Saul, Jon Chang-Soon, and I writing together. I would come up with skeletons/outlines/hooks in acoustic demo form, then I brought them to the others for us to flesh out as a group. The actual pre-production was done remotely, or in-person but masked and socially distanced due to the pandemic. James and I jammed through songs on his electric drum kit, Andrew and I made home pre-production Logic demos, and Jon and I discussed overall “vibe”, soundscape, structure, and arrangement at length ahead of recording as well. We didn’t know if it was going to be an EP, or the first half of a full length, but we felt the five songs we chose really stood on their own, and were a dense, impactful twenty minutes of music. 

“Moth to the Flame” is a rocker, the song also seems autobiographical. What remains to be your favorite thing about playing live shows?

”Moth to the Flame” is extremely autobiographical! It is about our need to create, despite all the factors that try to deter us from doing so. My favorite thing about playing live is when all the hours of practice and prep come together so I don’t have to think, I can feel. Which sounds silly, but I think there is a Keith Richards quote about something like that. When the four of us lock in, we can ride the energy, follow gut/instinct, and do what we know we can do. There are so many hours of things that are NOT playing the guitar that go into being a musician, so when we get to actually do what we signed up for for 20-60 minutes, and connect with people who care about what we do, it makes it all worth it. 

You’ve been playing shows for quite some time. How do you feel shows have changed if at all since the pandemic? 

I think it would have been a nice change to come back to shows with people being a bit more respectful of other audience members and the performers, but I don’t necessarily think that has happened. I think if anything, we are all now less likely to take it all for granted, at least I would really hope so. Before the pandemic, I caught myself taking live music for granted, and after losing it for over a year, I am extremely thankful for any chance I have to go see a performance or to perform myself. In a lot of ways, nothing has changed, yet everything has changed. We are still in weird times, but things are healing.

Who did you record “We Go On” with? Did you and the group do anything differently from previous recordings that you’re excited about?

We recorded “We Go On” with our good pal Joe Pomarico in his parents' basement in Holmdel, NJ. Aside from home demos and some pre-production phone meetings, we actually only rehearsed these songs a handful of times as a unit before we began tracking in Fall 2020. I wanted the songs to feel fresh, live, real, and given the circumstances, I wanted to capture the basic sound of people playing music in a room together. We tracked drums, bass, and rhythm guitars live over one weekend, and then spent a year overdubbing when we were able to get together, and doing Zoom editing/mixing/production meetings remotely! It was a weird way to make a record, but for this record — these songs, at this moment in time — it worked and I am very proud of what we were able to create.

The songs are “classic Seventh Son” — catchy with loud guitars and drums — but they have a new spin with this current line-up working together that led to some of the most exciting and unique songs we have ever recorded. We definitely wanted to push ourselves in every aspect to put out an EP that we felt represented what we do, and where we would like to go. 

What were you influenced by for your latest single “Lay It On Me”? How did that song come together?

I started taking notes for what became “Lay It On Me” while visiting Paris in August 2019. In the lobby of a hotel, they had old American Western movie posters on the wall, and I wrote some titles and taglines down. Many of our favorite songs were inspired from cinema, and many of the best songs are movies in themselves. Incident at Phantom Hill was too good not to note, and Fistful of Dollars is a classic. The irony of going all the way to France to be inspired by the American “West that never was” isn’t lost on me.

“Flower power and violence” is directly about the protests we saw in 2020 for the murder of George Floyd, the fights many Americans have had to wage on our own soil in order to secure their own rights/freedom in our history — painfully recent history — and present. Who the fuck is anyone to deny another human being the same rights they themselves desire and demand? “Will we find redemption?/Tune in next week.”

The song ultimately is about recognizing our own boundaries, and how much each of us can take on at once without being burnt out, burned, or burnt alive.

Musically, I wanted to focus on dynamics- starting very quiet and then gradually getting louder and louder, until it becomes one of the heavier moments on the EP. 

Thanks to everyone who has supported myself and this project over the years. We are excited to share with you all, and excited to see what the future holds! 

~

You can keep up with Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son here. 

Interview with Rory D'Lasnow (New Release, "Songs From An Empty Room")

By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Friday, April 15, 2022

Hailing from Bergen County, NJ, Rory D’Lasnow has been penned a “golden voiced troubadour” (NJ.com), and his latest release “Songs From An Empty Room” further proves that notion. Having released music since 2011, Rory continues to dig deeper and tap into raw emotions that listeners can't help but feel connected to. Rory is also responsible for starting The Songwriter Showcase, which was a web series during the height of the pandemic in order to keep songwriters together and inspired through those trying times. Following the release of “Songs From An Empty Room”, Rory was kind enough to answer some questions about the record and his process upon the return of his run of shows in California. Thanks again, Rory!

When did you first start releasing your own music?

I put out my first EP in 2011 right after college. I’ve been singing, writing songs, and playing guitar upside down and backwards since I was five, but I took a while to really be consistent and intentional about it. While I had my first proper “show" at twelve at the local library, my journey has involved a lot of fits and starts due to anxiety, self-doubt, and loss but I’m here now and I feel like having taken such a circuitous path has given me some sort of perspective and ability to hopefully encourage others who face similar challenges.

Who were your biggest influences when first picking up guitar?

I was obsessed with The Beatles as a kid — I wanted to be John Lennon so badly haha. Now I’m more of a Paul guy — but their presence loomed large in my musical development. I also really loved Queen, The Everly Brothers, and Billy Joel though, of course, he wasn’t much of a guitarist! Basically, anything other than the era I was born into. That changed eventually, though. And now I’m a sworn emo kid forever. 

You run The Songwriters Showcase. How did you start that community? What inspires you most when meeting different songwriters?

I do! I initially started it as a way to just stay connected with and provide a small platform for my pals in the music scene during the COVID pandemic, but then it grew a bit to include over 250 artists across twelve countries which is something I’m super proud of and still super shocked by. I probably most enjoy hearing about different folks’ approaches to the craft. There are so many different ways to arrive at this common goal of writing a song that is evocative (and maybe a bit catchy, too).

You’re about to head to the West Coast for a few shows. Will this be your first time playing out there? Where has your favorite out-of-state show been?

Yes! I actually just got back from my first three shows in LA — it was! I lived in the SF area for a bit around 2014, but I only played an open mic or two as I was focused on pursuing “rational” things like a career at a startup in the Silicon Valley (what could be more irrational than ignoring your creative passions?). I was fortunate enough to link up with some fantastic like-minded musicians out in LA, though, for a few shows and I was ecstatic to have the chance to play at Hotel Cafe, which is an unreal space that some great musicians have come through.

The shows in LA definitely are up there, but one other spot I really enjoyed playing was Birmingham, AL with my buddies Anna Hope and John Armstrong Feller. I did a little southern run in January across eight cities and I’d never been anywhere in Alabama but everybody there was so warm and welcomed me with open arms. Knoxville, TN was a really cool one, too — shout out to Melissa Hale!

Favorite show you played in New Jersey?

Oh man — there have been so many great ones for so many different reasons, but I recently had the chance to open for my buddy Jarod Clemons down at Wonder Bar in Asbury Park in celebration of his father, Clarence Clemons, and it was a really special night in so many ways. Jarod and I unfortunately both know what it’s like to have lost our parents and the evening really was just a spectacular way to commemorate them and the impact they had on us. He was kind enough to invite me back up to do “My Hero” with him (RIP Taylor Hawkins — I still can’t believe it) in honor of our dads, and there were just a lot of emotions that came to the surface. It’s been a long, winding road to playing music more consistently for me, but moments like that make me so glad that I decided to pursue what I love with reckless abandon. And I’m so grateful for Jarod and all of the other folks who have had my back. That sense of community is something I failed to anticipate when I sat on my hands for the majority of my twenties.

Tell us about your latest EP “Songs From An Empty Room.” What does this record mean to you? What do you hope the listeners will feel from this release?

The record represents so much to me. Most of these songs predate me losing my best pal — my dad, who gave me my first guitar and really helped develop my love of music — but the songs have become increasingly personally relevant to me as many of them touch upon topics like loss, grieving, and depression. My greatest hope is that people can see themselves in the record and feel a sense of comfort upon listening to the songs. I’ve found that one of the greatest qualities of music is its ability to transcend all kinds of circumstances and obstacles to unite people. Being able to share my story and hear stories from others is an indescribable gift. This record is my heart in five songs, so it’s a joy to share.

~

You can keep up with all things Rory here and listen to “Songs From An Empty Room” here!

Jazz Appreciation Month 2022 Around Town with Gregory Burrus Productions

By Gregory Burrus | Posted Tuesday, Marcy 29, 2022

JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH

This April, jazz up for a month to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) to honor one of America’s earliest and iconic art forms. Rich with extraordinary heritage and cultural history, jazz music originated in the blues era in the early 20th century and bestowed the world with bebop tunes to which we can dance all night. Founded in 2001, JAM is a 30-day long festival held to learn and recognize the cultural significance of this hip music genre and the jazz pop stars, and offers a chance to jam to some boogie-woogie day in and out. https://nationaltoday.com/jazz-appreciation-month/

Events – Jazz Appreciation Month

Come on out and enjoy some of the best Jazz, Jazzy Nights and some Smooth Jazz Events available during Jazz Appreciation Month. We are starting the celebration early. Here’s some of the fabulous jazz performances you can experience this month..

March 30: Jazz973 Presents Kakuyon Mataeh Quintet

Kakuyon Shakur Mataeh – Trumpeter, Bandleader, and Composer born in Newark, NJ. Jazz education through the Jazz House Kids youth program led by Melissa Walker and Christian McBride, performing in their Montclair Jazz Festival nearly every year since 2014. Kakuyon grew up playing at speakeasies and his father’s many art gallery exhibitions from a young age. Kakuyon is in his junior year at Princeton University where he studies Computer Science, African American studies, and continues his jazz education under the tutelage of trumpeter Ted Chubb, bandleader James Darcey Argue, and saxophonist Rudresh Manhatthappa. Mataeh has played at notable venues such as Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and more recently led his quintet at the 2022 Montclair Jazz Festival. He has also played with Christian McBride, Cyrus Chestnut, Don Braden, Trineice Martin, Mimi Jones, Vince Ector, and many other notable acts. He brings a swinging band:

Destiny Diggs – Bass
Miles Lennox — Keys
Peter Glynn — Drums
Joseph Miller — Sax

Check it out Wed., March 30, 7:00pm and 8:30 pm showtime. Clément’s Place, 15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07201

https://www.facebook.com/jazz973

April 1: Elmwood's Culture Club Summer Of Soul Screening

It's the Summer of Soul Film Screening hosted by Lynette Sheard for the Elmwood's Culture Club “Summer of Soul” is about the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969. If you haven’t heard of it, that may be because it was—tellingly, if not deliberately—erased from public consciousness. The festival took place outdoors, in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park), and it was filmed, under lighting generously provided by the sun. The tapes then sat in a basement, largely unseen, for half a century. At last, they have been unearthed and, in the hands of Thompson and his editor, Joshua L. Pearson, given new life and shape.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/07/05/questloves-summer-of-soul-pulses-with-long-silenced-beats

Following the screening, there will be a Zoom discussion led by Entertainment Personality Lynette Sheard and Ierviewer for Gregory Burrus Productions. Lynette Sheard is also Director and community education coordinator at the Mental Health Association in NJ, will host the event. Come join us to view the movie and discuss the event. Click here to register for this Zoom event or you can also email eupccultureclub@gmail.com.

April 1: Bradford Hayes Quintet at IJS Clements Place

Bradford Hayes Quintet at IJS Clements Place

• Saxophonist Bradford Hayes, a native of Dinwiddie County, Virginia has been a force on the jazz scene in the northeastern U.S. for many years now. He has performed at a number of clubs, colleges and concert halls that include Birdland (NYC), Tavern on the Green (NYC), and the Beacon Theater (NYC). Bradford has performed or recorded in different musical settings with Gerald Alston, Yusef Lateef, Ted Curson, Michael Cochrane, Joe Lee Wilson, Jimmy Heath, Al Grey, Cecil Payne, Rufus Reid, Ray Bryant, Ben Riley, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Cecil Brooks III, Jerry Butler, and The Dells. For this performance Braford Hayes brings in the following professional musicians.

• Michael Cochrane on Piano, A forward-leaning yet strongly swinging modern pianist, Cochrane studied with the noted Boston-based piano teacher Madame Margaret Chaloff (mother of Serge Chaloff) and the inimitable Jaki Byard. In a fruitful career, he has performed and/or recorded with saxophonists Michael Brecker, Sonny Fortune, Oliver Lake, David Schnitter and Chico Freeman and trumpeters Clark Terry, Valery Ponomarev, Jack Walrath and Ted Curson; also bassist Eddie Gomez, as well as many others. He has led a quintet that included Tom Harrell and saxophonist Bob Malach, and he has recorded several albums as a leader, including 1997’s “Cutting Edge.” He is also a prominent jazz educator and instrumental instructor in the New York and New Jersey area.

• Peter Lin on Trombone. Peter Lin is a Taiwanese-American trombonist, producer, and educator based in New Jersey/New York City. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and raised in northern New Jersey, Peter played violin and piano before picking up the trombone at 10 years old. His love for music continued, motivating him to pursue a jazz studies degree at the esteemed music programs of William Paterson University (undergraduate) and Rutgers University (graduate). Since then, he has become an integral part of the music scene, performing and sharing the stage with renowned artists including Slide Hampton, Winard Harper, Charli Persip, Valerie Ponomarev, JD Allen, and Radam Schwartz. He also spent a considerable amount of time studying with his influences, including trombone masters Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Conrad Herwig, Robin Eubanks, Steve Davis, and Frank Lacy. He continues to perform prolifically as both a leader and sideman at established venues such as Blue Note, Dizzy’s, Birdland, Smalls, Fat Cat, Zinc Bar, and Candlelight Lounge.

• Takashi Otsuka on Bass – A consummate bassist, Takashi also studied composition and arranging with Herb Pomeroy, Bob Freedman and Ken Pullig, and improvisation theory with Gary Burton at Berklee College of Music. Takashi has appeared with various artists including the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Seiji Ozawa, The Boys Choir of Harlem, Ben E. King, Swing Express under the direction of Bill Conway, the Latin Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Victor Rendon, Don Sebesky, Bob Mintzer, Charles McPherson, Marion Meadows, Lew Solof, Ted Curson, Claudio Roditi, Norman Simmons, Vic Juris, John Hart, Bob Devos, Ron Affif, Pete Levin, Virginia Mayhew, Jack Walrath, Billy Hart, Eliot Zigmund and many more.

• Noel Sagerman on Drums – Noel Sagerman began playing drums at St. Cloud elementary school in West Orange, NJ. He started playing professionally while attending the University of Vermont, often gigging with ArtisShare founder Brian Camelio and Jazz Mandolin Project founder Jamie Masefield. After graduating he spent a year playing in Japan, including gigs with Chicago native Hank Hirsch and noted Japanese pianist and educator Sadayasa Fujii. In 1992 Noel returned to NJ and furthered his studies with teachers Bobby Thomas, Billy Higgins, and Tim Horner. He also became a regular at The Peppermint Lounge and started working regularly in the NY/NJ area. Some artists he has worked with include Irene Reid, Pharoah Sanders, “Big” John Patton, David “Fathead” Newman, Oliver Lake, Bruce Williams, Dave Stryker, Pat Tandy, Freddie Hendrix, Brandon McCune, Pete Rodriguez, and many others. He currently resides in Newark, NJ, and plays for gospel singer/pianist Joshua Nelson both on tour and at Hopewell Baptist Church.

Check out this performance on Friday, April 1, 7pm at Clément’s Place, 15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07201 https://www.bradfordhayes.com/

April 6: Gene Ghee Quartet featuring Bertha Hope

Gene Ghee Quartet featuring Bertha Hope with Kim Clarke and Luciana Padmore

Gene Ghee — Sax – Gene Ghee (saxophone, flute, clarinet) is 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.

Bertha Hope — Piano — Jazz pianist Bertha Hope-Booker was born on November 8, 1936and was raised in western Los Angeles, California, As a youth, she performed in numerous Los Angeles clubs, studied piano at Los Angeles Community College and received her B.A. degree in early childhood education from Antioch College. In her youth, she played music with and learned from other young musicians in her neighborhood such as Richie Powell and Elmo Hope, the latter becoming her husband in 1957. She moved with Elmo Hope to the Bronx, New York, where she worked at a telephone company during the day while performing at night. After her husband’s passing in 1967, she continued to present his music and remained an active force in improvised music within the New York jazz scene.. Through the Jersey State Council on the Arts program, she performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Foster, Nat Adderley and Philly Joe Jones. Hope-Booker later married Walter Booker, Jr., and the two worked to keep the music of Elmo Hope alive through Hope-Booker’s tribute ensemble called ELMOllenium and The Elmo Hope Project. She also performs with a Jazz program at Washington Irving High School in New York City, which was sponsored by Bette Midler. The Seattle-based trio, New Stories, has recorded a CD of Hope-Booker's music entitled, Hope Is In the Air. https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/bertha-hope-41

Bertha received two lifetime achievement awards; one in 2002 from Cobi Narita's Jazz Coalition and the second from Dr. Billy Taylorin 2005 at the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival in Washington, D.C. In 2014, Bertha's three year oral history project was made available in the Library of Congress, and she was celebrated as a Bronx Living Legend by the Bronx Music Heritage Center. In September 2016, the Bronx tree lined block of Lyman Place where Elmo, Bertha and baby daughter lived was co-named “Elmo Hope Way–Jazz Pioneer.” Sidenote Gregory Burrus was born and lived on Lyman place also and knew the Hope family so I am very excited for this performance.

Kim Clarke — Bass – bassist, composer, bandleader, educator performs alternately on the Acoustic Bass, Electric Upright , four and five-stringed Electric Bass Guitar. Holds B.A.’s in Communications and Music from City College and Long Island University respectively, and is a 3- time recipient of the coveted N E A Jazz Study Fellowship; under the tutelage of Bass Masters Ron Carter, Buster Williams and Lisle Atkinson respectively. Ms Clarke is also a long-time student of the Jazzmobile and Barry Harris Workshops.

Lucianna Padmore — Drums – New York based drummer Lucianna Padmore has been praised by Modern Drummer magazine for “Deep grooves and serious fusion chops.” Lucianna’s versatile drumming is featured with artists in the Jazz, Hip-Hop, Funk, Rock, Pop and Fusion genres. An alumnus of LaGuardia High School for Music and the Performing Arts and the New School University, she has received awards from Jazz at Lincoln Center and BMI for her jazz improvisation.

https://www.facebook.com/jazz973

Check it out on Wednesday, April 6th, 7:00pm showtime. Clément’s Place, 15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07201
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/gregory-burrus-17227441816

April 7: George Gray Group Jazzical at IJS Clements Place

RUTGER’S INSTITUTE OF JAZZ STUDIES AT CLEMENT’S PLACE PRESENTS
GEORGE GRAY FEATURING THE GROUP JAZZICAL

By popular demand George Gray returns with the versatile jazz group Jazzical featuring Jeff Sheloff on sax, Mark Adams on piano, Derrick Barker on vibes, Donald Nicks on acoustic bass and George Gray on drums! We are here to play authentic jazz at its best so why not join us.

Check it out Thursday, April 7th, 7:00pm showtime. Clément’s Place, 15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07201 – Register: [link TBD]

April 8: Steve Slagle at IJS Clements Place

Steve Slagle – Alto Sax, Flute, Composer, Band Leader, Educator

Saxophonist, flutist and composer Steve Slagle makes his home in New York City. He has released 20 CD’s as a leader, and performed on countless others. His many original compositions are published by Slagle Music, BMI worldwide. Steve was musical director of the Mingus Big Band for many years, and wrote many of the bands arrangements as well with Joe Lovano’s Nonet, of which he is a member. He has received two Grammy Awards for recordings with each of those groups and continues his association with them. Steve attended Berklee College of Music in Boston on a Downbeat scholarship at age 18 and subsequently received his Masters in Music at MSM in NYC.

He has played with Stevie Wonder, Machito’s Afro-Cuban Orchestra, Steve Kuhn, Lionel Hampton, Jack McDuff, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Brazil’s Milton Nascimento and band, Carla Bley Orchestra, Ray Barretto, Beastie Boys, and many others.

Check it out on Friday, April 8th, 7:30pm showtime. Clément’s Place 15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07201

April 9: MPack Music at South Valley BBQ and Lounge

Jazzy Nights Presents MPack Music Live at South Valley BBQ and Lounge. Thankfully we can go back inside and this year as Jazzy Nights is happy to present MPack Music Live at South Valley BBQ & Lounge. This jazzy night will have our favorites performing:  

Groove Master Clarence Conover  – Bandleader, bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer and vocalist . Clarence Conover ‘Groove Master’ Conover is the founder, and CEO of M-Pack Music productions whose motto is “Life Changing Sounds”. Clarence has performed and recorded with Patti Labelle, Teddy Pendergrass, Grover Washington Jr., The Delfonics, Bo Diddley, and more. Clarence has performed at numerous venues across the Tri-State area and more.

Vocalist Patricia Walton – ,Lead Vocal stylist – Jazz, Blues and R&B. Lead vocalist for MPack Band. Performs Solo gigs and has worked with many of New Jersey’s finest jazz musicians.  

Keyboardist – Larry Greenberg – Multi-keyboardist and synthesist, composer/arranger, bandleader, and studio musician performs in multiple genres of Funk, Jazz, Jazz Fusion, R&B and Latin Rock. A ‪Skyy band member “Call Me” topped Billboard’s R&B chart and was No. 26 on the pop side.

Drummer – Kevin Moore – This Master Drum from East Orange High Scholl has performed in numerous venues across the industry, was part of the popular Band Aurra – Interviewed by Don Cornelius and performed on the cutting edge of music, dance and culture Nationwide TV Show Soul Train.

Guitarist – Kenny Robinson – Newark Arts High School Alum is an in demand guitarist, a former long time band member of The Black Widow Blues Band along with Ricki Lewis and has played at numerous venues , churches and special events around the Tri State area.

MPack brings an explosive energy to the stage, guaranteed to rock the house all night long! Dinning, drinking, dancing, singing, talking, connecting, seat dancing, listening and more will be happening in the Blue Room.

Join Us -Jazzy Nights at South Valley BBQ and Lounge Jazzy Nights Presents MPack Music Live at South Valley BBQ and Lounge

April 15: Peter Lin – The Slide Sessions at IJS Clements Place

Peter Lin – The Slide Sessions Music and Legacy of Slide Hamptons

Slide Hampton was a trombonist, arranger, and composer with skills very few could match. He could take a small band and make it sound like an orchestra — not just in vastness, but in excitement, impression and intricate layers of sound. His arrangements found the visceral core of bebop classics and revealed their stunning beauty and spine-tingling glory. When he raised his horn to solo, the results were always impressive: a deep mix of profound blues and complex technique. He was a true original. As a jazz educator, Hampton was active at Harvard University, DePaul and several other institutions

This event will be a musical tribute to the legendary Slide Hampton. Bandleader Peter Lin will present an evening of Slide Hampton’s compositions and arrangements in a quintet setting, along with personal anecdotes and reflections on Slide’s legacy. According to Peter Lin, who first contacted Hampton for an interview for his graduate thesis, and later became his assistant: “Without Slide Hampton, I would not be playing trombone today, and I think many other musicians would feel the same sentiment.”

Joining him are veteran musicians of multiple generations. Mike Karn – Bass, Tadataka Unno – Keys, Jerome Jennings – Drums and Nicole Glover – Sax.

Check out this very special performance on Friday, April 15th, at 7:30pm. Clément’s Place, 15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07201 https://www.peterlinmusic.com

April 23: Smooth Vocals, R&B and All That Jazz at the Woodland Mansion

Spring fever is at its peak at the historic Woodland Mansion in Maplewood NJ.

This show is the brainchild of Rich Engel, a local resident, producer and promoter - who for decades produced numerous NYC Smooth Jazz cruises along with many other marquee live music concerts. Engel says he is determined to make contemporary jazz a staple in the SOMA (South Orange Maplewood) area and beyond and he is demonstrating that he is very committed. This show is a group of serious hardcore Smooth jazz and R&B veterans, all have performed with many legends in the industry and now they have also established themselves as stars of this music.

Smooth Vocals R&B with:

• Maysa Leak (Singer) Deep Waters – Grammy-nominated, Soul Train Award Winning Soul/Jazz

• Alexander Zonjic Jazz flutist (multiple winner Detroit Music Awards)

• James Lloyd (Keyboardist) from Pieces of a Dream, Grover Washington Jr., Walter Beasley , Eric Darius, Everett Harp, Gail Jhonson, Hiroshima, Wayman Tisdale, Najee, and more.

• Kris Kurzawa (Guitar), Most In Demand Detroit Guitarist – 5X’s Detroit Music Awardee

• Jeff Candy (Drums),

• Mike Harrington (Bass). Tours with Brian Culbertso, The Spinners, KEM, Jeff Lorber, Kirk Whalum, Kim Burrell, Angela Bofill, Marion Medows and more

Check it out on Saturday, April 23rd, 8:00pm showtime. The Woodlands – 60 Woodland Road. Maplewood, NJ 07040.

Buy tickets here: Smooth Vocals. R&B and All that Jazz at The Woodland Sat Apr 23, 2022 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM

April 29: Carla Cook at IJS Clements Place

Carla Cook
There’s a reason for that: Cook has been influenced by the jazz vocal masters, but equally influenced by phenomenal instrumentalists, like Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery and The Crusaders. The Detroit native also finds inspiration in R&B, Motown, pop, gospel and country. In fact, she has put her unique phrasing on everything from Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues” to Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe” to Neil Young’s  “Heart of Gold”.

As a result, Cook has an improvisational style that’s steeped in the swing tradition yet eclectic, and brimming with fresh interpretations. “Although I’ve been influenced by all the masters, I’ve been maturing into my own sound, “says Cook. “Today, I sound exactly like me.”
That sound is a warm contralto with a remarkably wide range of colors; known for her interpretive gifts, Cook can sing in a hefty, bluesy timbre, reach crystal clear high notes, then scat with sure-footed richness; and she does it all with an acute sense of rhythm and timing. As a result, says jazz critic John Murph of The Washington Post. “She has sass that enlivens her impeccable diction, and tremendous soul that lets her swagger with gutbucket finesse, but it’s all buttressed with sparkling optimism and innocence.”

Check it out on Friday, April 29th, 7:30pm showtime. Clément’s Place 15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07201

April 30: Special Event at South Valley BBQ and Lounge

International Jazz Day | April 30, 2022

Stay Tuned for a Special Event

Come join me around town. Hope to see you.

About the Author — Gregory Burrus

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.

https://www.jerseyindie.com/ji-blogger-gregory-burrus
https://patch.com/users/gregburrus

Women's History Month 2022 with Gregory Burrus Productions (RECAP)

By Gregory Burrus | Posted Tuesday, March 29, 2022

As you know, Women’s History Month is an annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society (source: Wikipedia). Here, Gregory Burrus Productions has big fun discovering, acknowledging and celebrating the accomplishments of local women during Women’s History Month. While we celebrate women all year long, we take a special time to focus on some that we know that are doing significant and amazing work every day. Therefore, we either create events to celebrate those women who are performers and acknowledge others in our area who are just moving through life and making a huge difference in our lives every day.   

Let's get started as we recap our events for Women’s History Month 2022.

• March 2 Kim Clarke, Lucianna Padmore and Yayoi Ikawa

• March 4 WHM2022 Just Us Just Music

• March 4 Sleep Out Montclair Community Edition

• March 13 Equinox – Art and Music Exhibition

• March 23 Dara Starr Tucker

March 2 Kim Clarke, Lucianna Padmore and Yayoi Ikawa

Event Overview 

Jazz973 Presents Kim Clarke Trio at Clements Place Jazz

Very happy that Bassist Kim Clarke Founder of Lady Got Chop Festival is joining us for Women’s History Month as Part of  The Lady Got Chop Festival. In its 20th year this festival presents some of the most notable women professionals playing Jazz in the industry.

Interview with Kim Clarke

We were very happy to have our Gregory Burrus Productions Interviewer, Lynette Sheard talk with Bassist Kim Clarke before our Jazz973 st Clements Place Jazz  honoring Women’s History Month.

Performance Short — Jazz973 Presents Kim Clarke Trio at Clements Place Jazz

For this Jazz973 event Kim Clarke is bringing with her some jazz industry heavyweights – Lucianna Padmore on Drums and Yayoi Ikawa on Keys to perform at Newark Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies – Clements Place Jazz Club.

Full Performance

You can catch the full performance right here on my Youtube Channel.

March 4 WHM2022  Just Us Just Music 

Event Overview 

WHM2022 Womens History Month Celebration at the Cricket Club

Celebrating Ife Basim’s 9th Annual Women’s History Month Celebration, “Just Us. Just Music.” Always, a night you don’t want to miss, and a night you won’t forget. Just Us. Just Music.

Interview with Ife Basim

In its 9th year our Gregory Burrus Productions Interviewer, Lynette Sheard talk with the Founder Joy Topping Mann right before this very successful sold out event.

Performance Short

Over 125 folks showed up to have a great time on Friday March 4th at the Cricket Club,. The musicians featured were Kate Cosco on Keys, Caylen Bryant on Bass, Iyonna Herbert on Drums and Lee Odom on Saxophone.

Our vocalist included Jackie Harmon Johnson, Patricia Walton, Omisanya Karade, Phyllis Blanford, Zakiyyah Zai’meh and the founder Joy Topping Mann. The night was hosted by Norman Mann.

Full Capture of the nights events:

Click Ife Basim WHM2022 at the Cricket Club Entertainment Complex by Gregory Burrus Productions.

March 4 Sleep Out Montclair Community Edition 

Event Overview

2022 Sleep Out: Virtual Discussion Aging Out Foster Care and Homelessness

Every year we lose kids to gangs, jail, human trafficking, substance abuse, and even death. Covenant House, New Jersey mission is to provide comprehensive residential care and related services to help New Jersey’s youth who have suffered from abuse, neglect, abandonment, human trafficking and homelessness. The Junior League of Montclair – Newark, Inc (JLMN) is committed to helping resolve this situation by conducting this years’ 2022 Sleep Out: Montclair Community Edition,

Interview with Heather LeClair

Discussion on Homelessness, Aging Out of Foster Care and Mental Health

The Junior League Montclair – Newark  President Heather LeClair and our interviewer, the  Director of Mental Health in New Jersey, Lynette Sheard  conducted an important conversation to discuss this situation and help us understand the implications of aging out of Foster Care, Homelessness and the impacts upon one’s Mental Health.

Learn More

2022 Sleep Out: Montclair Community Edition Junior League Montclair – Newark  

March 13 Equinox – Art and Music 

Event Overview 

WHM2022 Art Exhibition featuring the Latin Jazzy Sounds of Marilyn Castillo

Equinox, the Exhibit

Through an exciting collaboration between photographer/artist Christine Keeley and collage/mixed media artist Maria Estrela, the idea of Equinox: The Birth and Rebirth of a Woman, a celebration of Women’s International History Month, was born.  The exhibition will be on view at The Jewish Museum of New Jersey in Newark, New Jersey from March 6th to April 3rd.

Interview with Artist Maria Estrela – Christine Feeley

We caught up with Maria Estrella and Christine Keeley to understand the exhibition and more importantly the connection between the artist and their work. Take a listen. 

Performance Short

Exhibition till April 4th.

Click here to read all about the event:
Equinox Art Exhibition Featuring Maria Estrela and Christine Keeley with Live Music by Marilyn Castillo and Nedelka Sotelo (Sunday, March 13, 2022)

Full Performance

Click here to see the  live music performance:
Castillo – Nedelka Sotelo – Antonios Cotez – at Equinox Exhibit by Gregory Burrus Productions

March 23 Dara Starr Tucker   

Overview Event Link

Jazz973 Presents Dara Tucker and her Band at Clements Place Jazz

Dara Starr Tucker is making her mark in the world of music and activism as a singer, satirist and social commentator. Her latest album, Dreams of Waking: Music For A Better World (2021), was featured on Grammy.com and in American Songwriter Magazine. On the album, Tucker embraces the urgent, topical works of songwriters of the protest era, along with her own compositions, as vessels for justice awareness, instruction and healing. Her album reached #7 on the Jazzweek National Radio Charts and reached #6 on the ITUNES jazz chart.

Interview with Dara Starr Tucker

Dara Starr Tucker Interviewed by Lynette Sheard for Gregory Burrus Productions

Today on Interviews by Gregory Burrus Productions, we encountered a truly fabulous, soulful multidimensional singer. As you may know, a live music career is a business that requires the performer to stay relevant in the audience’s mind. The performer in order to be successful must be committed to ensure long-term relevance. Dara Tucker has found many ways to stay in the minds of fans using multiple platforms and, as her bio proclaims, singer/songwriter Dara Tucker is no stranger to producing “composition as commentary.” Take a listen.

Performance Short

Jazz973 Presents Dara Tucker and her Band at Clements Place Jazz

This very special Womens History Month Celebration produced by Jazz973 featured the fabulous Dara Starr Tucker and her awesome band. Dara Starr Tucker – vocals, Mike King – piano, Greg Bryant – bass and Curtis Nowosad- drums.

Full Performance

You can catch the full performance right  here on my Youtube Channel.

Thank you for joining us - Hope you enjoyed our Women's History Month 2022 Recap.

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://www.jerseyindie.com/ji-blogger-gregory-burrus  
https://patch.com/users/gregburrus 

Interview with the Dynamic, Multifaceted, Multidimensional Dara Starr Tucker

By Gregory Burrus | Posted Friday, March 11, 2022

Today on Interviews by Gregory Burrus Productions, we encountered a truly fabulous, soulful multidimensional singer. As you may know, a  live music career is a business that requires the performer to stay relevant in the audience’s mind. The performer in order to be successful must be committed to ensure long-term relevance. Dara Tucker has found many ways to stay in the minds of fans using multiple platforms and, as her bio proclaims, singer/songwriter Dara Tucker is no stranger to producing “composition as commentary.”  

“Dreams of Waking (album) refers to the hope that our society will develop an awareness of the inequities that still exist,” Tucker said. “It’s the dream that we will become fully conscious and attuned to the hopes, dreams and needs of every human being.”

Happily for us, we were able to book Dara Tucker for a Jazz973 event at Clements Place Jazz. Having done some preliminary research, we wanted to catch up with Dara and understand more about her upcoming event and get to know a little more about this multidimensional person. Take a listen.

Dara Tucker - Interview by Lynette Sheard 

Dara Starr Tucker Interviewed by Lynette Sheard for Gregory Burrus Productions.

Dara Tucker - Singer / Songwriter

Dara Tucker has an extensive singing career with many successful awards and accomplishments.  She began songwriting while living in Switzerland in 2003 and moved to Nashville in 2004 to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter. She recorded the first of her albums, "All Right Now" in 2009. It featured mostly Great American Songbook standards. Her second album, Soul Said Yes (2011), was a blend of R&B, jazz and Gospel and it made Amazon.com's top 10 R&B chart within a few weeks of its release. Tucker's third release, The Sun Season (2014), was recorded in Astoria, Queens, New York. It reached number 62 on the JazzWeek charts on September 22, 2014. 

In 2015, Dara was interviewed by Tavis Smiley for his PBS television show, where she performed an original song she wrote with her sister, Diamond Tucker, entitled, "Giants" from The Sun Season. In 2016, she opened for Gregory Porter in Nashville at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. That year, Dara Tucker was a finalist in the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival's vocal competition. In 2017, she won the silver medal at the "American Traditions" vocal competition in Savannah, which requires singers to perform in 9 separate genres.

Dara Tucker — Entrepreneur, Documentary Filmmaker and Writer 

Dara has produced a docu-series on Nashville musicians called, "Music City Select" through her production company, GoldenTime Films. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post where she writes essays on her personal experiences as a minority and a woman in the entertainment business. Her article, "Here's to the Ladies Who Cuss" was featured on The Huffington Post Voices homepage. In my research, I found this comment:

“In the coming year, I will be more loving, and I will be kinder. I will also stake a claim in my own life. I am compelled to make room for myself. I will not always be pleasing or appropriate, but I will blossom. If something is deemed inappropriate for my life, let it be me who does the deeming. I will scream when I need to scream. I will shout and be heard. And I will cuss when I feel like cussing.”  

This definitely leads us to the other Dara, who produces “composition as commentary.”

Dara Tucker — Social Commentator 

The great part about these interviews is the advanced research we do, and on this one our interviewer Lynette Sherd was way ahead of me. While I saw music, Lynette alerted me to the massively active and successful TikTok-er, Dara Starr Tucker.  

Now, for those that think TikTok is just dance and jokes, you should know that the Economic Times reported that: “The rankings show that TikTok knocked Google off the top spot in February, March and June this year, and has held the number one position since August. San Francisco: Popular short video-sharing platform TikTok has surpassed tech giant Google as the most popular website of the year, says a report. Dec 25, 2021.” Well, being in the top ten is huge; knocking off number one is phenomenal.

Dara, as a social commentary person, definitely delivers on the statement that I love, which is producing “composition as commentary.” This is evident when you jump on the other Dara Starr Tucker channels. With 17K followers on Instagram, her individual videos have received in some cases over 12K comments. Meanwhile, her social commentary on TikTok has 687 thousand followers, with individual videos garnering 1.6K comments. The engagement she has is truly amazing. 

Dara Tucker — Performs at James Moody Scholars Performance

More recently, we had the pleasure of listening to Dara Tucker when she was a guest performer at the James Moody Scholars event. The event was special for us as Linda Moody wanted to honor the James Moody Scholarship Scholars with a live music concert during her time here as the first lady of the TD Moody Jazz Festival.  There has been a recipient each year of the scholarship and now there were enough of them to have a band with a rhythm section. You can read more here as the James Moody Jazz Scholars Honored His Legacy In South Orange NJ. 

This is where we first heard her wonderful voice and we encourage all of you to come on out and listen to her sing. It's a treat you don’t want to miss.  

Jazz973 Presents Dara Starr Tucker and her Band at Clements Place Jazz

Dara Starr Tucker is making her mark in the world of music and activism as a singer, satirist and social commentator. Her latest album, Dreams of Waking: Music For A Better World (2021), was featured on Grammy.com and in American Songwriter Magazine. On the album, Tucker embraces the urgent, topical works of songwriters of the protest era, along with her own compositions, as vessels for justice awareness, instruction and healing. Last summer, the album reached #7 on the Jazzweek National Radio Charts and reached #6 on the ITUNES jazz chart.

Additionally, Dara Starr Tucker is the co-writer of "Oklahoma," the title song on Keb Mo's 2020 Grammy-winning "Best Americana Album." Tucker's justice and musical commentary on social media has been featured with HBO and Yahoo News. She has toured as a member of master guitarist Charlie Hunter's trio, appeared on NPR's Jazz Night in America and made her national television debut on PBS. Most recently, Dara has performed at Central Jersey Jazz Festival, Newark Museum of Art Jazz Series, Birdland (VocalMania), Smoke Jazz Club and Minton's.

Join Us: March 23, 7 - 10PM, Clements Place Jazz. 15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ.

Click to learn more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jazz973-presents-dara-tucker-and-her-band-at-clements-place-jazz-tickets-295322667047

 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://www.jerseyindie.com/ji-blogger-gregory-burrus   
https://patch.com/users/gregburrus 

Kim Clarke Trio at Jazz973 Clements Place Jazz for 2022 Women's History Month and Lady Got Chops Festival

By Gregory Burrus | Posted Tuesday, March 1, 2022

In its 20th year, the Lady Got Chops Festival Women’s History Month Music & Arts Festival presents some of the most notable women professionals playing Jazz in the industry. Since I love the concept of this festival, take a listen to our conversation between our fabulous interviewer Lynette Sheard with Bassist and Lady Got Chops Festival Founder Kim Clarke. Then, we write about Kim Clarke and her fabulous trio joining us at Clements Place Jazz for Women's History Month as part of the Lady Got Chops Festival. 

Lady Got Chops Festival 2022

Goddess on the tiger. Lady Got Chops 2022 calendar.

The Lady Got Chops festival, is an annual March Women’s History Month celebration which was conceived in 2003 by The Jazz Spot club owners Lillith Meyers, Tiecha Merritt and female bassist Kim Clarke. It was created to give women performers and bandleaders a chance to be recognized for their valuable contributions to the arts, and to globally elevate Women's History Month through the promotion of women's outstanding contributions (aka Chops), artistic and otherwise, during the month of March.

For seven years the festival was hosted at the legendary Jazz Spot in Brooklyn, New York until it closed its doors in 2009. The festival included a dance troupe in 2010 and had been renamed the Lady Got Chops Women’s History Month Music and Arts Festival. The festival has continued every March under the leadership of Kim Clarke. 

The Lady Got Chops Women's History Month Music & Arts Festival Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation. Check out the history and this year’s lineup at http://ladygotchops.com and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ladygotchopsfestival.

Jazz973 Presents Kim Clarke Trio at Clements Place Jazz

For WHM2022, Kim Clarke is bringing with her some jazz industry heavyweights to perform at Rutgers-Newark Institute of Jazz Studies - Clements Place Jazz Club:

• Kim Clarke- Bass

• Iyayo Ikawa - Piano

• Luciana Padmore - Drums

Kim Clarke — Bass

Kim is a founding member of the Lady Got Chops Festival. According to her website:

“New York native Kim A. Clarke is a parent, bassist, composer, bandleader, website developer, educator and earring designer. She performs alternately on the Acoustic Bass, Electric Upright, four and five-stringed Electric Bass Guitar, as the situation demands.

As an acoustic bassist, Kim traveled most notably with the late Joe Henderson Quartet (1986-7) throughout Europe. Internationally, she is noted as “at home in the Ron Carter School of HardBop”, “a dynamic Woman in Jazz who supported the intense rhythm of the Henderson group with unsuspected vitality and melodic solo passages,” as noted in the bio of the famed bassist Larry Graham, a great early influence on her playing concept. As an electric bassist, she has toured most extensively with Joseph Bowie's Defunkt Downtown in the 80s & Millennium Lineups.

She has performed with: Art Blakey, Marylou Williams, Bertha Hope, Harold Ousley, Jimmy Heath, Leon Thomas, Sun Ra, Sam Rivers, George Braith and Space Island, Rashied Ali, Junior Cooke, Ed Pazant, Clifford Jordan, Richard Williams, Tommy Turrentine, Steve Coleman and Five Elements, Andy Bey, Lionel Hampton, Arturo O'Farrill, Dr. Billy Taylor, Olu Dara, Cindy Blackman, Marilyn Mazur, Gracian Moncur, Philly Joe Jones, Geri Allen, Johnny O’Neal, and vocalists: Evelyn Blakey, Dakota Staton, Sarah Vaughn, Sheila Jordan, Antoinette Montague, Nikita White, Vanessa Rubin, Cassandra Wilson, Adela Dalto: George Gee Big Band, Jean-Paul Bourelly, the Ghetto Fighters (background vocalists with Jimi Hendrix), Victor Jones and Black Velvet. She toured China, performing with Mark Zhu, Chuangye Liu, Ronnie Burrage and Wayne Esscofery at the Dalian University of the Arts and the new Beijing Blue Note.

She participated in the Black Girls Rock Orchestra of 2016. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kim hosted the Jazz Foundation Jam session at Local 802 for seven years. Post-pandemic, the Jazz Foundation and Steve Jordan hosted a tribute to Charlie Parker called "BIRD CALLS." Highlights of 2019 musical collaborations include performing with Bertha Hope's Elmo Hope Project for the 28th Annual Jazz Foundation of America Loft Party.

Her touring experiences include work with the Yusef Lateef Quartet, National Black Theatre, The Are and Be Ensemble, Teri Thornton Trio, Bertha Hope Trio, Robert Palmer, Kit McClure Big Band, Rachel Z Trio, Bigfood, Wallace Roney and Cindy Blackman Quartet, Rhonda Ross-Kendrick, Oliver Lake and Jump Up, James Blood Ulmer Experience, Jack Mc Duff Quartet, Rodney Kendricks Quartet, and Jazzberry Jam.

She is also a recipient of Louis Armstrong Performing Arts Award — ElmCor Ivan Bartowski mention on Jazz Family Tree.”

Yayoi Ikawa — Piano

“Yayoi is a wonder that comes along very rarely in each generation. A big intellect, with a big emotional spectrum, and a totally unique sound... She can do anything she thinks or feels” — Gil Goldstein (arranger/pianist)

According to her website:

“Born in Tokyo, Japan, but raised musically in New York, Yayoi is an experience in ingenuity and compassion. As an internationally acclaimed pianist, composer, arranger, and educator, Yayoi has worked in many countries. Being exposed to the diverse music scene in New York after moving from Japan, Yayoi quickly adopted herself in various styles of music such as Jazz, Gospel, R&B, Soul, Classical and World music. After completing her studies at New School where she received the Henry and Gill Block scholarship, Yayoi was a faculty member at the International Jazz and Dance Academy in Slovenia along with her mentor Reggie Workman in 2003 and 2004.

After recording a straight ahead jazz piano trio on the Nippon Crown release “Angel Eyes” in 2004, she self-produced “Color of Dreams” in 2005, displaying her original compositions. Yayoi has toured nationally as well as internationally with her groups and appeared at International Jazz festivals in Japan, Italy, Haiti, France, Slovenia, and Costa Rica. In 2008, Yayoi started “The Bridge Project” to create musical dialogue between New York and Tokyo musicians in an experimental environment. In 2009, the project toured in Costa Rica through a sponsorship of the U.S. Embassy. While working towards her master's degree at NYU, Yayoi’s orchestra work premiered at Lincoln Center in 2007. As a composer and arranger, Yayoi received commissions from the Modern Music Society of Tokyo, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and Montreal-based sculptor David Baumflek.

Yayoi has worked with such legendary artists as Reggie Workman, Michael Carvin, Howard Johnson, Michal Urbaniak, Butch Morris, Craig Harris, Lenny Pickett, Frank Lacy, Lonnie Plaxico, Fostina Dixon, Salim Washington, Emeline Michel, James Germain, Daniel Bernard Roumain, The Meditations, Kaissa, Blitz the Ambassador, and more. Yayoi is a Music Director at First Baptist Church in Piscataway, NJ, and a jazz piano instructor at City College of New York, Brooklyn College. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan.”

Her musical activities can also be seen on her website, www.yayoiikawa.net.

Lucianna Padmore — Drums

According to her website:

“Bronx native and New York-based drummer Lucianna Padmore has been praised by Modern Drummer magazine for “Deep grooves and serious fusion chops.” Lucianna's versatile drumming is featured with artists in the Jazz, Hip-Hop, Funk, Rock, Pop and Fusion genres. An alumnus of LaGuardia High School for Music and the Performing Arts and the New School University, she has received awards from Jazz at Lincoln Center and BMI for her jazz improvisation.

As an educator, she is active in drum instruction and jazz outreach in the NY Tri-State area and abroad. Lucianna's current live performance projects include residencies in and around the Tri-State area with the John Smith Trio, as a member of HotJazz Jumpers, drummer for singer-songwriter Alyson Murray, Bertha Hope's Nu Trio and Quintet, as well as leading her own Quartet.

Lucianna Is working on various compositions of her own, in which she has just independently released a single entitled “Life Long Love Affair” featuring the incredible saxophonist Mr. Gerald Albright on alto saxophone. “Life Long Love Affair” is now available for purchase on all major digital platforms.

Lucianna is featured in the book Sticks and Skins, endorses Soul-Tone Cymbals, and plays her signature Scorpion 3A drumsticks.”

You can learn more about this fabulous drummer here: https://www.luciannapadmore.com 

Closing Thoughts

In closing, know that Jazz973 Presents Kim Clarke Trio at Clements Place Jazz will take place at 15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102 on Wednesday, March 2nd, 7-9:30pm as part of the Lady Got Chops Festival. Prepare for a fabulous night of jazz.  

Also know that the Lady Got Chops Festival runs for the entire month of March, so go support and prepare to hear some fabulous jazz all over the Tri-State area. There is a full calendar of events with some fabulous music every day. Check it out right here: The 20th Anniversary LADY GOT CHOPS Women's History Month Music & Arts Festival Calendar of Events. 

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. 

https://www.jerseyindie.com/ji-blogger-gregory-burrus  
https://patch.com/users/gregburrus