The Reading Literacy Council has deemed “dynamic” to be the word of the month for March, and “serendipity” to be the word of the month for April. How appropriate, because the 22nd annual Boscov Berks Jazz Festival was both dynamic and serendipitous. The dictionary defines dynamic as pertaining to or characterized by energy or effective action, and serendipity as an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident; good fortune or luck.
The Boscov Berks Jazz Festival is more than just music. In addition to the stellar musical line-up they assemble each year, they also offer opportunities for music education within the community, as well as host master classes with some of the industry’s most talented musicians, including the ever popular Gerald Veasley Bass Boot Camp, now in its 11th year. (This year, Boot Camp was held the week prior to the start of the festival.)
Manhattan Transfer, who themselves are celebrating their 40th anniversary, opened the festival this year. MT is known for their dynamic harmonies and their scatting. This is what has brought their fans out for 40 years, and what continues to draw them in. Each member’s unique vocal contributions make this group so special and a fan favorite. (We noticed the group dynamic, and how the members would reposition themselves on the stage according to the harmonies and the song they were singing.)
Jazz in Pink was the next show. The draw is that this is an all female ensemble, spearheaded by keyboardist Gail Johnson, and featuring Cindy Bradley (trumpet,) Karen Briggs (violin,) Althea Rene (flute,) Paula Atherton (sax,) Lynne Fiddmont (percussion and vocals,) Mariea Antoinnette (harp,) “Pocket” Brown (drums,) Darlene Moreno (guitar,) Robin Bramlett (bass,) and Sundra Manning (keys.) The problem for me was that they were trying to feature too many performers in one show. If they were to scale it down a bit, it would have been a better show. Also, all of the performers were not on the same level of talent. We’ve seen many multi artist shows, and the performers are all on the same or similar playing levels, however, in the Jazz in Pink show, some were clearly playing at a higher level than others, which brought the performances down in places, and made for an uneven show.
The midnight jam sessions, ‘Round Midnight, hosted by Philly’s own Gerald Veasley, are among the most highly anticipated shows of the festival. This is where serendipity comes into play. Musicians come from all around just to play in them; they may not even be performing at the festival, but they want the opportunity to play with the world class musicians on the festival line-up. These jam sessions are not only an opportunity for us, the music lovers, to hear great music, it’s an opportunity for musicians who really don’t get the chance to play together to do so. For some, it’s networking, for others, an audition. Both Friday and Saturday’s jam sessions were phenomenal. Veasley rotated many musicians in and out during the course of the jams, including drummers Third Richardson and Richard Waller III, guitarist Drew Peterson, saxophonist Andrew Neu, keyboardist Bill Heller, Allentown PA’s native son (and Berks Jazz Fest regular) Rick Braun on trumpet and, marking his 8th year appearing at the festival, the awesome Brian Bromberg on bass. On Saturday night, saxophonist Chris Farr and trumpeter Maurice Brown joined the jam. It’s nice when you’re pleasantly surprised by someone you’ve never heard before, and Maurice Brown was great. There were other musicians rotated in and out, but unfortunately I did not get all of the names, so apologies please.
Our first show on Saturday afternoon was the Marc Antoine/Sax Pack show at 2pm. As some of you know, Marc Antoine had some serious medical issues and had to take some time off from performing to tend to his health. Well, he’s back performing live after a year and a half. He looks and sounds great. It seems that he just picked up where he left off a year and a half ago and kept on playing. He improvised the ending of one song because he did not realize that he and drummer Third Richardson would be jamming on the end. It’s been several years since I’ve seen Marc Antoine perform live, and I couldn’t wait until he played “Sunland,” which he closed his show with.
The Sax Pack (Jeff Kashiwa, Steve Cole, and Kim Waters) is always an entertaining show, not just for the music, but for the jokes too. Not only can these three guys play saxophone, but they can do comedy as well. They tried to be on their best behavior because Kim’s wife and parents were in the audience, but that did not last long. Their best behavior quickly deteriorated into a joke fest, and it was hilarious. They have such good chemistry together, they’re having so much fun, and they make it look so easy, that you sometimes forget just how good these three saxophonists really are. I wish I could see more of them, separately or together. I tip my hat to the Sax Pack.
The show of the night was the highly anticipated, sold out George Benson show at the Sovereign Center. Let me just say that George Benson is 69 years old. He looks and sounds fabulous. There is no slowing down for this Guitar Man. This was definitely a Benson crowd, and they showed their enthusiasm with applause, hoots, claps, and several standing ovations. People sang along to their favorite Benson tunes, “This Masquerade,” “Give Me the Night,” “Turn Your Love Around,” and the finale, “On Broadway.” It’s been a few years since I’ve seen Benson perform live, and it was great to sing and dance along with these songs again. What I liked most about this show was that yes, he did all of his popular hits, but he also did his guitar thing. He catered to the pop fans and the jazz fans as well. I was reminded of just how great a musician he is, and why the other guitarists revere him.
The late show was the WFMZ All Stars, broadcasting live from the Crown Plaza Hotel ballroom. The WFMZ All Stars consisted of: Peter White, Brian Simpson, Gerald Veasley, Nick Colionne, Walter Beasley, and rising sax star Elan Trotman. It was nice to see local personality Michael Tozzi back on the Berks stage and introducing this (and other) festival acts. Each musician played some of their current and former hits; all fan favorites, which the crowd responded warmly to. Gerald Veasley, a perennial Berks Jazz Fest favorite, wowed the crowd playing song after song. He would begin on one song, and it would morph into another and another. He reached back into many old school favorites, which the crowd loved hearing. We got to hear Peter White play music from his new CD, Here We Go, which was fantastic. He also joined Nick Colionne during one of his songs, “Hardline.” They weren’t just playing music; they were having a musical conversation. It was fun to see to guitar favorites jamming together.
Sunday afternoon, and our first show was Chieli Minucci and Special EFX with Bernie Williams and opening act Karen Briggs. I saw Karen for the first time last year at this festival playing with Chieli and Special EFX. I thought she was great, so I was excited about seeing her in her own show. I liked her song “Scheherazade” when I heard it last year, and I liked it more when I heard it again this time around. Karen is a very talented lady. She had a special guest with her this year, harmonica player Frederic Yonnet. (Yes, I said harmonica.) I’d heard of Fred through a drummer I previously interviewed, but I missed him when he played at one of my local venues. Fred on harmonica was amazing, even dynamic. I would go see him in his own show.
Chieli Minucci and Special EFX have played this festival many times over its 22 year history. It’s always a pleasure hearing Chieli and the band play. This year, he was joined by guitarist and former MLB player Bernie Williams. Williams’s music reflects his Puerto Rican heritage, as well as his love of all Latin music, and jazz. Williams brought his saxophonist and Musical Director, Richie Cannata who accompanied him on several of his tunes. It was a lively, enthusiastic show, and I’d love to see it again.
After a four day, much needed respite, we returned to Reading, PA for the second weekend of the 22nd Annual Berks Jazz Festival. We would have loved to have remained for the entire week, but, alas, the pesky 9-5 jobs always get in the way of our love of music.
The first night of our return presented a bit of dilemma. While the organizers of Berks do a fantastic job of scheduling performances in such a way that you can almost always attend every show, that night was one of the few where a choice had to be made. Was it going to be Boney James or Piano2Piano, featuring David Benoit and Brian Culbertson? While our love of Boney has never wavered, we opted for the Piano2Piano show because it was a new tour and never been seen before. It did not disappoint. Held at the beautiful, yet intimate, Miller Center for the Arts, the sold out venue showcased the raw talents of these two pianists. There was no backup band; just two Steinway grand pianos, which allowed each performer to really exhibit the prowess that have brought them so much success. You sometimes forget just how talented these artists are when they are surrounded by their bands, horn sections, etc., but this way with just the piano, you were able to really listen and appreciate the music and talent. They opened with a medley of their hits, each taking the lead on each others’ songs. The exchange was flawless and seamless. They each took solo time, introduced music from their individual upcoming CDs, and rejoined for more duets that left the crowd speechless. It was a truly memorable experience.
Later that evening, we experienced Mindi Abair, with special guests Jeff Golub and David Pack. They each played familiar hits and then came together for several tunes. Mindi exhibited her usual, upbeat style and had the crowd singing along. Jeff Golub has shown grace under adversity, and continues to amaze audiences with his talent. One notable item about Jeff is watching his fingers do all the work on his guitar. There is very little movement of his instrument. David Pack provided us with several memory-laden songs from his days as lead singer of Ambrosia. One highlight of the show was David Benoit sitting in with Mindi and David Pack for a couple of tunes. This is one of the things we love so much about this Festival. Artists are often found watching other artists from the wings and will just join in unexpectedly.
As if Friday night weren’t enough with the two tremendous shows and another Round Midnight Jam session, we began the day at 2pm with Spryo Grya and Nick Colionne. An odd pairing? At first we thought so, but soon came to realize that the diversity in these two performances is what we, and apparently everyone else, love about Berks. A completely sold out house for both performances confirmed that. If you had ever been to a Nick Colionne concert, you knew what a treat you were in for. If you hadn’t, then this would be a life altering experience. Nick takes command of every venue he performs in. He rarely remains confined to a stage, and regularly wanders into the crowd, serenading or dancing with everyone! This was a totally revamped show for Nick and his band, delivering new music from his latest CD, Feel The Heat. The audience loved hearing “The Connection,” his chart-busting new single named for his very active fan club.
After a brief intermission, Spyro Gyra took the stage. It has been thirty-five years since this band released their first album, and nothing has slowed them down. Listening to Jay Beckenstein’s sax, he sounds as smooth and funky as he did in the early days. The band played their mega-hit, “Morning Dance” and wowed the crowd with Julio Fernandez and Tom Schuman solos. The longevity of this band is directly related to staying true to their sound, but yet remaining fresh and current in their song writing.
Next on our schedule was Chuck Loeb Plain & Simple, featuring drummer Lionel Cordew, sax man, Andy Snitzer, Pat Bianchi on the B3, vocalist Lizzy Loeb and special guest, Rick Braun. Chuck Loeb is another one of the regulars at Berks, and it was really terrific to experience this show in the intimate setting of the Jazz Base. Chuck is a master on the guitar and really took command, showcasing the talent that he has. I was especially excited to hear Andy Snitzer on the tenor sax. I have been a fan of Andy’s for many years and this was my first opportunity to hear him live. Chuck introduced his daughter, Lizzy, who sang two of her songs from her CD. Rick Braun joined forces with the band and also gave us a moving vocal.
There was no napping to be had on Sunday afternoon when R&R, featuring Rick Braun and Richard Elliot took the stage. It had been probably a year since last seeing this dynamic (see, using our Literacy Council words again!) duo, and it was worth the wait. They kicked it off with “Q It Up,” followed by “Down and Dirty.” Each of them took turns playing some their hits, such as “Notorius” and “Boomtown.” Richard Elliot got a little crazy on the EWI and had the crowd laughing and grooving.
As much as we hated to leave, the time had come for us to depart Reading, PA, and say farewell to all of the musicians who wowed us for 10 days, to the staff who put together this amazing festival year after year, and to the 300+ volunteers who give up their time to make this successful. The team effort that goes into this does not go unnoticed. To the friends that we see annually that make this like old home week for us, we say, “Until next year….”
