NJ DISCOVER SPOTLIGHT: Gary Cavico’s Blues Jam. Tuesday Nights. Runway 34.  By Calvin Schwartz  June 14, 2013

Host of Blues Jam, Gary Cavico

the jets and setting sun at airport. love ambiance and blues music.

A few months ago my friend Dru-Anne McLane-Palaima provided me with one of those amazingly  timely and fortuitous head’s up; a weekly Tuesday night  pure Blues Jam here in Monmouth County with almost celestial ambiance (at the Allaire Airport); all put together  by musician and local icon Gary Cavico. I’d been to Runway 34, a restaurant (with surprisingly good food and a real chef) and bar located literally a few hundred feet from the real airport runway. There is something intrinsically alluring to eating; drinking, listening to live music and having secret corporate jets taking off and landing close by. Throw in a few helicopters and let your imagination take over; who else is going to be at Gary Cavico’s Blues Jam that night?

Over the past year I’d been to Runway 34 for several varied musical adventures. I planned taking in a Blues Jam and being at Gary’s birthday party and finding some quiet time to interview him; all in one special night.  This night began different. I couldn’t find a parking space; a bit unusual as this is Farmingdale, New Jersey; seemingly as rural as Dothan, Alabama. When I walked in (after meandering close to the jets sitting quietly under a setting sun; a perfect photo-op) I was caught off guard. Standing room only; the bar scene and restaurant was wall to wall people. All of a sudden, I was in Memphis, no it was Nashville; no it was New Orleans. I couldn’t be in Jersey or even Kansas. The place was electric and countrified, not like my typical Garden State; there were boots and hats and folks dancing and blues blasting. I thought I saw Michael J. Fox and I was back to the future. It was a fun exciting happening new world. I kept fighting off notions of really being in New Jersey. I loved the atmosphere and being transported to another place and time. This was pure fun and great blues music; real blues and real people; like a cable reality show except I was there. I kept thinking to myself; I’ve got to get this message out there; to lure folks to this magic blues jam and extricate them from their sedentary sofa.

with Gary and owners of Runway 34. i always wonder why some folks stand on chairs when taking pixs with me.

the scene.

Well into the night, Gary and I slipped outside to a bench under a canopy; the quiet airport just behind us, bathed in surreal lights. I took out my reporter’s microphone and had to find out how the Blues Jam success came about.

“It started at Brewster’s in Bradley Beach bowling alley four years ago around Christmas,” Gary proudly said. It originally started because he needed a ‘free’ place to rehearse with his band. There was a barter arrangement; he kept his equipment there. They played an hour set, “then it exploded.” “We thought it would just be a couple of guys but many people showed up to jam. We needed a list and some structure. The place was packed. Then I had to sort out all these musicians and egos.”

“People come in now and I’ve got five columns; guitar, bass, drummer, other and singer. But it must be strictly blues, a universal language.” After Brewster’s, Gary moved the jam to Chico’s House of Jazz in Asbury Park; a place that could really. I’ve been there enough times to know; it’s got New Orleans written all over it.  “Then Dru-Anne told me about Runway 34. Everyone has a blast here. I still leave my equipment and rehearse for an hour.”

I asked about the composition of musicians who play here. “It’s a crap shoot who you play with. Beginners play with pros and learn from it. It’s up to the pros to make it sound good. The purpose of the jam is to play with people you never played with.  Four to five people are up there. Everybody can follow everybody else.”

It was an interview interrupted.  Every few minutes someone was coming over to Gary and thanking him for the night and the music and wishing him happy birthday. Gary called out to each one, “see you next week.” My microphone kept running. Finally I had to ask Gary, “If I went into your car, who would you be listening to on cassette or cd?” He answered right away, “Albert King.”  It made sense to me. Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.

Yes I loved my time there. I thanked Gary and Dru-Anne and then tried to be a little dramatic when I said like Arnold did, “I’ll be back.” If you’re reading this, you should get here too.

Calvin Schwartz   June 14, 2013

with Sondra singing.

thanks to Sarah Pritchard Photo Marketing

The following excerpt is from Facebook and a description of Gary’s Blue Jam:

Strictly Blues Jam at runway 34 Tuesday Nites …..Rules

“List goes out at 6:30 pm while Stone Blue (house band) plays a rehearsal set..Then the jam starts at 7:30pm …goes till 11pm

You must sign up as an individual jammer..No special requests for lineup preferences will be honored…Absolutely no full bands,no solo acts,no duos ..The purpose for this is so people who come have to play with people they might not normally play with..People are grouped together by me,primarily by the order of the list to keep it fair to all…You must play Electric blues….By that I mean that you must pick straight ahead blues songs staying close to the 1-4-5 twelve bar blues format.The purpose for this is so the relatively new blues enthusiasts can play with the top players and still make good music…3 song sets or less if you take long to set up (pedals,drum adjustments etc),or you waste time teaching the group some complicated song..Again these rules are posted in an effort to be fair to everyone..Remember this jam is NOT YOUR PERSONAL SHOWCASE..It is here for people who are interested in playing and listening to blues can come out and make friends,do some networking ,and work on your blues chops with other Blues enthusiasts..If you are a newcomer,and you are courteous in your behavior,and playing ,you will be welcomed with open arms by the regulars…If you are pushy,or rude to me or other players you will be shut down quickly ..Share vocals and solos equally among other players..Again the purpose of these rules is to be fair to everyone that is truly interested in playing blues…If you are a good player ,it will get noticed.You don’t have to play loud….Also if you are a good player and get grouped with people that don’t make YOU sound as good as you may want,The rest of the people in the room understand why…Next time you may get grouped with the ideal players for your style. Backline is provided …drums,bass amp ,2guitar amps,2 microphones,pa system.”