MORRISTOWN — The Fifth Annual Morristown Jazz and Blues Festival was held on Saturday, August 15 from 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m.
The line up included Swingadelic, Bria Skonberg, Bucky Pizzarelli Guitar Summit with Frank Yignola, Vinnie Raniolo and Ed Laub, Roomful of Blues and Charlie Musselwhite Band.
The Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival has become one of the most popular events in the region for so many reasons. Of course, Morristown has a wonderful town center with a beautiful Green, but is also offers plenty to do when the music stops. But the music is the main attraction and the talent has been top-notch.
Swingadelic is a ten-piece “little big band” that performs regularly up and down the East Coast. Popular at summer jazz festivals, the group was in residence at Maxwell’s in Hoboken for six years and has recorded six CDs. The band currently is in residence at Swing 46, located in the New York City Theatre District.
With guest guitarists Frank Vignola, Vinnie Raniola and Ed Laub, Guitar Summit has become a tradition for the festival and for good reason. Legendary jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli surrounds himself with extraordinarily talented players and do they swing! At almost ninety, Bucky is playing better than ever and who knows who will show up to jam with him.
Trumpeter/vocalist/composer Bria Skonberg is a star on the rise in the jazz world. Since moving from British Columbia to New York City in 2010, she has attracted attention from DownBeat Magazine, theWall Street Journal and the Jazz Journalists’ Association who nominated her “Up and Coming Jazz Artist of the Year” in 2013. Her current ensemble will be coming to Morristown from their appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival.
For more than 45 years, Roomful of Blues has celebrated jump blues and R&B with their horn-powered ensemble. Led by acclaimed blues guitarist Chris Vachon, the group has received five Grammy nominations, seven Blues Music Awards and was twice selected by the DownBeat Critics Pollas the Best Blues Band. Their infectious swing will have everyone partying.
Harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite is one of the most revered blues musicians in the world. This Blues Hall of Famer has collaborated with an extraordinary list of music legends over his 50 year career, including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Joe Williams and B. B. King to name a few. He has won countless awards, appeared on scores of albums and was the inspiration for Dan Akroyd’s character in the Blues Brothers!
Major sponsors of Morristown Jazz and Blues included Jeff Rawding AIA, Toll Brothers, Hot House, NJ Arts.net, Star Ledger, Riker Danzig Alaimo Group, Atlantic Health System, DeFrancescoBateman, Greenbaum Rowe Smith Davis, LLP, Hampshire, The Herrick Company, Iron Bar, Lindabury, Marchetto Higgins Stieve, McEnerney, Brady and Company, MPAC, Morristown Municipal Airport, Jersey Jazz Society, Porzio, Bijou Properties, Inglesino Webster Wyciskala Taylor, LLC, Jersey Central Power and Light, Normandy, PSE&G, Sherman Wells, Connect One Bank, Grasshopper off the Green and Investors Bank.
Additional sponsors included Headquarters Plaza, Lakeside Consulting, Morristown Inn Best Western, Morristown Parking Authority, Silverman, Sona Thirteen, Weiner Lesniak, David Brady, Esq., Cipollini Carting and Villa Enterprises.
