NOW ON YOU TUBE: NJ DISCOVER LIVE RADIO/TV SHOW  with special guests comedian Mike Marino (running for President)  and Super Bowl Champion Tim Wright with hosts Tara-Jean Vitale & Calvin Schwartz  7-28-15

LINK TO YOU TUBE:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFgxms5LZNk&feature=share

Yes, it was a really great show with the lightning fast funny comments from NJ Bad Boy of Comedy Mike Marino who is running for President and the introspection and insights from Tim Wright, a 3^rd year NFL player who had his Super Bowl ring prominently displayed. Both guests have Jersey shore roots. Mike              (   mikemarino.net   ) also talks about his upcoming big concert in Asbury Park at the Paramount Theater on August 15^th and Tim Wright (    www. THEWRIGHTWAY ACADEMY.ORG   )  talks about his Wright Way Academy and Friday Night Lights camp for kids teaching them athletics, academics and life and of course NFL experiences.

There’s even a monologue about bio- magnetism and integrative medicine and the institution of moving and downsizing.  It’s a very special hour.

And now we’re also pleased to announce that the show also can be seen on Long Branch Community Television Channel 20 (LBCTV20) the entire month of August.

LINK TO YOU TUBE:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFgxms5LZNk&feature=share

SATURDAY JULY 25^TH SOULSATIONAL MUSIC AND WELLNESS FESTIVAL  bY Calvin Schwartz

For me any festival at the Jersey shore during the summer that  features music and wellness  is totally euphoric; ,the best of all worlds. Soulsational promises all that and the weather for tomorrow is totally perfect as well. My favorite expression: “get thee off the sedentary sofa”  and come down to Exit 77 of the Parkway. Festival runs from  11AM to 9 PM.     Calvin Schwartz

For more info:   https://www.facebook.com/SoulsationalMusicWellnessFestival

https://www.facebook.com/events/948110408556843/

GOINGS ON AND WORTHWHILE: NJ Emerging Artists Series; SHERRY RUBEL; CHANGING PERSPECTIVES/Photography now at The Monmouth Museum bY Calvin Schwartz    July 20, 2015

Let me cut to the essence. This art exhibit focuses on homelessness here in New Jersey. How I arrived here, living comfortably in suburban Monmouth County, far removed from homeless images except an occasional sighting of people sleeping on the floor in Penn Station, NYC or down 33^rd Street in the midst of winter, is a brief story of synchronicity and being in the right place.

Over three years ago, on Easter Sunday, I was asked to cover a musical concert rally for the homeless living in Tent City, Lakewood. From a distance, I saw a yellow school bus deposit residents of Tent City at the plaza during the concert. There were grilled hot dogs and tables of donated clothing waiting for them. I was too far away to interact.  Minister Stephen Brigham spoke about the needs of the homeless and the shortcomings of Ocean County.   At the end of the day, I packed up my camera, went home for a warm  dinner and forgot about that day only after writing an article on the great music heard which was organized by Rosemary Conte.

A few months after Sandy devastated, I was at a benefit concert at McCloone’s in Asbury Park.  Rosemary Conte performed again and just after, she introduced me to Sherry Rubel, who was involved in promoting the concert. A month later, Sherry and I had coffee in East Brunswick and subtlety I was being inculcated into the world of Tent City and homelessness. A few weeks later, Tara-Jean Vitale, co-host at NJ Discover TV, and I were walking around the snow covered dirt roads of Tent City. It was cold, stark and numbing to see how people survived in just tents without electricity, running water or heat. I’d never be quite the same again thanks to Sherry’s activism and soul. Before its ultimate date with bulldozers, I’d been to Tent City several times.

The photographic art exhibit of Sherry Rubel’s emotional journey into Tent City and homelessness is now at The Monmouth Museum until August 9^th.  Her photos (art) are stark, expressive and black and white; for me a magnetizing effect that deposits me right back to Tent City with feeling and raw emotion. I call her photos “earthy art.” They grab your sensibility and ultimately, for viewers, may possess the energy of involvement. Visiting the Monmouth Museum is one of those perfect night/day adventures. Red Bank, with its plethora of eateries a few minutes away, adds to allure of Sherry’s exhibit, the Museum’s offerings and a perfect family cultural outing.

For more info:  @RevivalVillage        https://www.facebook.com/tentcitybook

SPOTLIGHT: A Magical Night at Skye Blue FC, WOMEN’S Professional Soccer vs Portland; Day after Ticker Tape Parade.  July 17^th 2015     bY Calvin Schwartz

I’ve been a sports fan for a long time. Early recollections go back to the Brooklyn Dodgers winning the World Series in 1955 when I ran home from grammar school to watch the last few innings on black and white television. And yes, the Boston Celtics with Bill Russell and Bob Cousy kept me shooting a basketball in my backyard in the middle of winter, late at night, with the help of a 40 watt lamp I made in wood-shop.

When my son was ten, I took him to our first Rutgers University football game. The following few years, I got season tickets for Rutgers football, men’s and women’s basketball. My son’s high school girls’ basketball team was ranked 11^th in the country at one point. Suddenly, I had discovered the thrill of women’s sports and went to almost every one of their high school games over a three year period.

Along the way, I wrote a novel, ‘Vichy Water,’ and one of my main character’s role model/heroes was Althea Gibson, the great tennis player. Then I discovered Rutgers Women’s soccer. A full circle of commonality and synchronicity brought me to my first professional Women’s soccer match a few months ago as NJ Discover partnered with Skye Blue to produce its 2015 online game (match) broadcasts. I watched in awe as New Jersey’s team, Skye Blue FC took on Houston Dash with Carli Lloyd,Morgan Brian and Meghan Klingenberg from the USA World Cup Team.  Both teams were replete with USA World Cup Soccer Team members; of course it was exciting to see world class soccer, intense competition, thousands of Jersey fans cheering at Rutgers Yurcak field; the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Next up was the World Cup Women’s Soccer tournament. Like many millions of fans here in the United States, I was totally mesmerized and captivated through the entire tournament. And yes, after each US goal scored, I jumped up, flailed my hands, and yelled encouragement and support; I was alone in the den but wished I was there. The final match against Japan was the perfect scripted ending until last Saturday night when Skye Blue FC played Portland at Rutgers.

As I arrived at the soccer complex before 7 PM, a few cumulous clouds in the most perfect blue sky, after all it was a Skye Blue match; you could sense a special excitement in the air, the day after the ticker-tape parade for the World Cup Champions in New York City. The parking lots were filled; as were the stands.

While I watched intently, jumping up for almost goals, I thought about what a special night out it was. To be part of the excitement of professional women’s soccer, turning around to see exuberant faces, the euphoric soccer kids and being able to grab a beer and a snack at half-time; all part of the magic of the night. Often, I’ve urged readers to get off their sedentary sofa and get out into the world and partake. Skye Blue is a sublime sofa evacuator and New Brunswick, with a multitude of eateries, is three minutes away.

The best part of the night; after the match, the Skye Blue players signed autographs for the legions of fans for an hour at the railing. Christie Rampone, from the World Cup Championship team, kept reaching for fan’s cell phones for ‘selfies.’ Present and signing autographs also were Kelley O’Hara (Skye Blue) Alex Morgan, and Tobin Heath (Portland) all from the World Cup championship team; a most perfect quintessential fan friendly experience. Skye Blue won 1-0.

Next home game: Saturday July 25^th   7 PM

For more Skye Blue FC info: http://www.skybluefc.com/

MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS: THE JERSEY SHORE  July 9^th 2015   bY Calvin Schwartz

It’s the old proverbial; who better to write an article on memories of the Jersey shore. My ‘involvement’ begins before I was born, when my parents went to the Buena Vista, a Belmar hotel, for the weekend as WWII was slowly winding down in late 1944. They stayed in the attic; nine months later I arrived. When I was ten, my parents started renting a bungalow in Belmar for August. That first summer of ’55, I discovered the pinball arcade, navigating the dust underneath the machines for lost coins, the Shark River Jetty, its meditative properties and the olfactory sensations of the boardwalk, in part, which smelled like a telephone pole back in Newark.

The essence of the shore begins about six to ten blocks away from the sand and beach.  Somehow only in Jersey, with the flatness of the geography of shore towns, from a distance, you can see the end of New Jersey and America; the vast blueness of ocean and sky meeting. That view is priceless and exciting. It’s that first shore sighting; a giant window to memories and new daily beach badge experiences. Yes, the beach badge, with its convoluted pin affixed to bathing suit. If only a season badge someday.

As I interviewed a diverse group of Jerseyans, many mentioned unique shore smells. Author Karen Kenney Smith, remembering a summer week spent at Asbury Park’s Atlantic Hotel liked the “musty smell of the tired carpet.” Moist ocean air everywhere contributed. Rock on Radio personality Danny Coleman focused on the panoply of boardwalk smells. They were pure Jersey food on boardwalk smells but, “Pizza aroma was everywhere.”  Musician Carmen Cosentino still loves the smell of “peanuts on the boardwalk.” He explained somehow it mixes with the salt air of Jersey’s Atlantic Ocean and has this additive effect of making you want peanuts even more.

I’m not sure how I started talking about the hair-do of the Jersey shore but maybe we have our own home-grown style. Insurance industry analyst Susan Michelle’s grandmother’s friends always had their hair in a net sitting on the beach with cigarettes dangling from lips. A card game was always going on. Carmen’s thought on hair, “Jersey women had the strangest hair-do; it looked like a bee-hive.”   Kathy Sinnott’s grandmother left the beach every day at 3PM to prepare for happy hour.

“And what happened when you left the Jersey beach to go back to your houses?”   Kathy showered outside in the backyard in unique wooden showers with plank floors. It was to get rid of the sand fast. Susan used outside showers too or sometimes just a quick hose down on the back lawn covered with neatly manicured weeds and occasional crab grass.

I drifted into a serious line of questioning; parents and kids. Yes the Jersey shore fostered a special life-long bond and memory pool with relationships of kids to parents. Back then, people knew you as a kid and who you belonged to. Kathy remembered long talks with her Dad sitting on a porch or backyard before heading to the boardwalk. You always saw kids with parents hanging together. The shore was built for kids and parents. Retired Pharmacist Jack Cobin told about grandmothers sitting on benches and watching kids carefully and mother’s telling you not to go into the water for an hour after eating. “Kids in the neighborhood hanging out was like the Wonder Years; a naïve innocent time,” Kathy added. Writer and blogger Kevin Cieri thought, “Family time was playing Skeeball together.” Billie Jo McDonald, with more recent memories of the shore, would walk her children to the beach in November and wait for storms. For the homeschooling kids, they’d spend the first day of school on the beach.  “It got to be that the kids could read the riptide. The Jersey beach was a grounding spot.”

Food is Jersey definitive. Everyone remembers. It was the Good Humor ice cream truck. For me in the 50’s, it was a bakery truck driving up and down the beach streets with bread and cake stuff out of the rear.  I heard recollections about Syd’s, Vic’s, Zelbe’s, Max’s and The WindMill for hot dogs.  Despite the admonition of Thomas Wolfe that you can’t go home again, The WindMill is still purveying hot dogs today.  Also mentioned as a memory were soft-shelled crab sandwiches and salt water taffy right out of the local ocean; it tasted better indigenous. Kohr’s Custard in a cone; Karen once dropped her cone and to this day it’s always in a cup for her. Sandwiches were always taken to the beach, sometimes packed in shoe-boxes. French fries came in brown paper bags with small wooden forks and vinegar instead of ketchup.

Amusements on the beach boardwalk were endless; every town from Asbury Park to Point Pleasant had pastimes. For me, if I behaved during the week and watched my infant sister Hildy, the family would go to Asbury Park on Saturday. The merry-go-round was mostly magical. I never grabbed the brass ring.  Pinball in the arcades was prolific on boardwalks, Ocean Avenue or in memory. Today, the Pinball Museum in Asbury Park captures the particulates with vintage games like the Gottlieb and Williams machines. And back to the future with an original game, the baseball pinball where you can even adjust the pitch speed. Susan remembers the ‘Grabber Machine’ which she played all summer long trying for that elusive big prize; one year she won and still talks about it. Ironically, the other day, a local television news story focused on that machine. They reported the machine is programmed (fixed) to not yield a winner until all the prizes inside were paid for. Bingo had its fans in Bradley Beach. And of course Palace Amusements and Tillie and Seaside stirred memories.  Music wise, it’s easy for me to write about The Upstage Club in Asbury Park, open from 1968 to 1971 (I’ve been researching it) where the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Vini Lopez and Steven Van Zandt started out. And you played volleyball on the beach even under the light of the silvery moon.  Film maker Chris Eilenstine remembers, “There was always something to do.”

There is a life cycle to the Jersey shore. Many towns had pavilions where little kids hung out, sometimes with arts and crafts. Then teen dances sprung up in those VFW or religious halls after a day of listening to transistor radios on the beach. Jack reminded that Loch Arbor beach, adjacent to Asbury Park, became a college hang out.  Shore towns sometimes mirrored different ethnic enclaves. Humorously, Carmen told me that his father bought a house in Bradley Beach and when he dated a Bradley Beach girl, he was instructed by the date to hide his crucifix under his shirt; a scene right out of the movie ‘Goodfellas’ (celebrating a 25^th anniversary) Chris, to this day, says “I love the diversity, the great culture play, small town feel and originality of the Jersey shore and you can hop on a train and be in New York City in an hour.”

Pondering a good visual to portray the Jersey shore when I was listening to the Everly Brothers sing ‘Bye Bye Love’ in 1955, I just thought of the movie ‘The Summer of ’42.’ Jersey shore was small towns, simple beach structures, like on the island in the movie. Stores were basic and general. Painted paper sale signs hung on windows; beach chairs and umbrellas on the sidewalks creating impulses to buy. Movie theaters boasted they had air-conditioning, were mostly double feature and had that beach dank damp smell.  I want to say I saw ‘Now Voyager’ starring Bette Davis down the shore one summer.  Some towns were regal with their Victorian architecture; I’m thinking Ocean Grove and Spring Lake. Jersey shore is old and historic.

There’s a paradox to the crowds and long lines of summer; the solitude and introspection of the winter months at the Jersey shore. Some towns turn off traffic lights in winter. Back in college, I used to get the key to my friend’s beach house in Bradley Beach and go there to study. It was cold but eerily quiet and productive. David McMahon, from 40 Foot Hole Studios, would rent a shore house for the winter for its ultimate peace and solitude. “I love the winters down there. I’d just bundle up and sit by the ocean.” That’s the other side of the shore; the down winter time; something which provides a unique identity. You can be in a state with eight million neighbors but find this spiritually special desolate shore place in a world all by itself with few winter neighbors and even fewer year-around pizza establishments.

And finally what is that common denominator that makes the Jersey shore unique, memorable and passed down from generation to generation?  It’s the people of Jersey who’ve won their independence from New York and Philadelphia these past years. New Jersey is hot culturally and media wise. Just look at national pop culture; The Soprano’s, Boardwalk Empire, Jersey Shore, Jersey Housewives, Garden State, Jersey Boys; and of course Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi globally. What really is that bond that puts the whole state together then and now; that matrix of shared pride and experience; that place we all rushed to re-build after Sandy and showed our resilience to the world? It’s the Jersey shore. And I still remember it like it IS yesterday.

SPECIAL SPOTLIGHT: TIM WRIGHT, RUTGERS, NFL AND GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY; WRIGHT WAY ACADEMY, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS CAMP
bY Calvin Schwartz July 6th 2015

As they say in the journalism profession, there are assignments and ASSIGNMENTS. For me, being a loyal Rutgers alumnus and ardent Rutgers sports fan, when the information about Tim Wright, whom I personally watched make 50 catches during his Rutgers career, arrived at my email, I was thrilled to have the opportunity. Moments later, I called Tonya Payton, public relations specialist from S & S Associates and I was on my way to a memorable day with Tim Wright and other NFL players.  I was fascinated with the story of such a young NFL player, Tim Wright, giving back so much, so soon, to the community which helped mold him.

When Tim was seven, he started playing organized football in his hometown of Neptune and played for their high school for two years before transferring to Wall Township where he made the list of Top Ten New Jersey High School Football players. In September 2008, he attended Rutgers University on full scholarship. After a red-shirt year and an ACL injury, Tim’s passion, dedication and drive brought him a team captainship for his last two years at Rutgers as well as graduating with high honors and Big East academic awards. Despite the disappointment of not being picked in the NFL draft after graduating in 2013, and after prayer and many discussions with key people in his life, Tim tried out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he excelled as a tight end, finishing Number One among Rookie Tight Ends in catches, yards and touchdowns. He was traded to the New England Patriots in 2014 when they won the Super Bowl.

Along with the help of his wife Jodi-Ann, Tim has pledged and dedicated his life to uplifting his community and thusly the formation of the Wright Way Academy and their first endeavor, Friday Night Lights Football Camp on June 26^th 2015. The first part of the day began at Doolan’s Shore Club in Spring Lake, New Jersey at a Media and Sponsor’s Brunch.  Before the brunch and speeches, it was a bit of a wonderland for me, getting a chance to talk to NFL players and stars like Mohammed Sanu (Bengals), Ka’lial Glaud (Buccaneers) and Andrew Opoku (Baltimore Ravens). An impromptu infusion of humor ensued when Sanu, Glaud and I posed for a Rutgers alumni photo-op not before inviting rival UCONN star, Opoku to join us.

There was time for me to chat with some of the sponsors of the event; for me a particularly moving experience as I saw their commitment to Tim’s vision and how they assisted in his development as a special young man growing up in their community.  As Tim was making his opening remarks at the brunch, I was again moved by his sincerity, caring and eloquence in expressing his vision and strong desire to give back to the kids in the NJ Shore communities close to him. I thought he was a 20 year NFL veteran instead of beginning his third playing year.  After brunch, Tim suggested we sit and talk in a formal interview. I produced my recorder, flicked it on and he smiled.

I asked him to formally introduce himself. “My name is Tim Wright, originally from Neptune, where I went through the school system playing every sport all the way through my sophomore year then I transferred to Wall Township.” He talked about his Rutgers and NFL career and then segued to today. “This brings me to the platform where I was able to establish the Wright Way Academy Foundation-something which I launched in May. The premise behind that is to foster underprivileged children in bridging the gap between playing athletics, academics and quality of life for all kids.”

“What do you want to accomplish?” “What I want to do is give them the means, resources, and decent opportunities to become successful adults and that way they can serves as examples to kids that follow them which is what I am a product of as well. “How was it growing up,” I asked. Tim answered, “I was raised in my community with a lot of family members that supported me. A lot of people that came across my path- strength coaches, doctors, attorneys; different influences of people”  I told Tim, “It is easy for me to see you’re all about giving back especially to the community that helped you and I am such a great believer in taking care of youth. It’s youth who will lead us.” Then Tim smiled, “This is something which weighed heavily on my heart when I was younger. It just didn’t spring up when I got to the NFL. For me, my heart and passion is there. I am very fortunate to have support and blessings go to God.  And I am serving him and it allows me to carry out what I’m trying to do for my community.”

Next I told Tim that he is the perfect balance between athletics, academics, spirituality and quality of life and such an amazing example to the kids showing them how everything goes together. Tim thanked me for being there and said in closing, “We share a great relationship with our Alma Mater and when people are brought together, it’s all for a good reason.” I mentioned that it was a special synchronicity in the universe. “I’ll see you at the camp on the field. But I’m just a spectator with a camera” We laughed and shook hands.

An hour later, I was at the American Youth Football Complex in Wall. The kids were starting to arrive and register. There was a real air of anticipation and excitement. A few of the NFL players were tossing a football around. I saw one NFL wide receiver almost casually throw a pass some 70 yards down field. It was time for warm-ups and then an introduction to the camp by Tim Wright as the kids sat in the stands. One of the purposes for the camp, with ages ranging from 7 to 18, is to calculate their efforts and create individual benchmarks, so that each year, they will be able to strive for better results. This one day camp becomes a launching pad to measure growth each year. Later that afternoon, there were offensive and defensive development skills, an academic presentation, more warm-ups, combine testing, and one on one competition. A reception followed that night.

For me this day became a precious glittering example of a very special gifted athlete, Tim Wright, showing all the right stuff (athletics, academics, life) to the kids on the way up; an amazing role model. I absorbed his energy all day. And on the way home, although it was late June, being around football all day, I realized that NFL and college football kickoff is a couple of months away.  I couldn’t be happier with this assignment today.

For MORE information on the Wright Way Academy visit: www.thewrightwayacademy.org

Kurt Alstede and his family founded Alstede Farms in 1982 in Chester, NJ as a family run operation producing a huge variety of local fruits, vegetables, and flowers grown using only sustainable and USDA certified organic production methods. They take soil and water conservation and the stewardship of their farm land very seriously, and have therefore permanently preserved all of the farm land they own. Indeed, they are proud to be able to say that nearly every acre of the 600 acres of farmland they till is permanently preserved. Alstede Farms offers: Pick Your Own fruits and vegetables, the best Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA) in New Jersey, and a fully stocked Farm Store that is filled with the fruits and vegetables grown on the farm, as well as their own local honey, homemade ice cream and fudge, home baked pies, jams, jellies, cider donuts and more! Alstede Farms local fruits and vegetables are also sold at Tailgate Markets across Northern New Jersey and beyond.
Alstede Farms opens at 9 am seven days a week. Visitors can shop the Alstede Farms Farm Store which features a wide variety of seasonal local fresh produce grown on the farm, over 250 homemade products including fudge, ice cream, syrups, honey and salsas and the Tomasello Winery retail wine store.
NJ Discover visited Alstede Farms on the final weekend of their annual Strawberry Festival. From taking a hayride to pick your own strawberries to enjoying homemade strawberry ice cream; strawberry lemonade slushies; strawberry sundaes; strawberry pie; strawberry rhubarb pie; and strawberry fudge at the Alstede festival tent; musical entertainment by local bands and more, Alstede Farms ws the place to experience the strawberry season. In addition to picking strawberries, Alstede Farms also offers 13 strawberry recipes accessible on the Alstede Farms website
Whether they are there for the Strawberry Festival or a visit during the week, families visiting Alstede Farms can also enjoy a full slate of family fun activities including pony rides, tractor train rides, a moon bounce, hay wagon rides, and much more. These free family-fun activities are open every day all year long.
• Visit and feed friendly farm animals
• Stop by the bunny run
• Be entertained by goats on the Goat Walk!
• Climb the giant hay pyramid
Alstede Farms has made a long-term commitment to agriculture in Chester as well as in New Jersey. For more information call 908-879-7189 or visit www.AlstedeFarms.com.

TOM COSENTINO

“3 Sails Jazz Festival” at Ocean County College on June 12 & June 13.

BERNIE WILLIAMS, FRANKIE CICALA, VANESSA RUBIN, AND OCC JAZZ BAND ADDED TO STELLAR LINE UP FOR THE 3 SAILS JAZZ FESTIVAL IN JUNE

TOMS RIVER, NJ – Bernie Williams, former-NY Yankee and jazz guitarist, will be featured with Latin jazz legend Paquito D’Rivera at the First Annual 3 Sails Jazz Festival held on the Ocean County College Main Campus, College Drive, Toms River, NJ.  The two-day music fest will be held on Friday, June 12, and Saturday, June 13 (Rain Date: Sun, Jun 14).  Fifteen featured artists will reflect different styles of jazz including classic, smooth, Latin, big band, funk, and contemporary.  Tickets are on sale now.

On Friday, June 12, Gates open at 1:00 p.m.  Note: Artist lineup subject to change.  Ellis & Delfeayo Marsalis (father and son duo known for traditional New Orleans Jazz), Bernard “Pretty” Purdie (legendary groove drummer) featuring Frankie Cicala (guitarist from Frankie & The Burn), United States Navy Band Commodores (premier jazz ensemble), DYAD (jazz duo honored as one of the top 50 jazz recording artists), and the OCC Jazz Band (students from Ocean County College).  

On Saturday, June 13, Gates open at 11:00 a.m.  Note: Artist lineup subject to change.  Paquito D’Rivera (Latin jazz legend) featuring Bernie Williams (former-NY Yankee and jazz guitarist) … T.S. Monk (jazz and R&B drummer/chairman of Thelonius Monk Institute), Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers (San Francisco-based sultry jazz diva), Don Braden (swinging, soulful saxophonist) featuring Vanessa Rubin (vocalist), Tuffus Zimbabwe (keyboardist for “Saturday Night Live” House Band), and Blue Plate Special (bluesy tunes and tight vocal harmonies).

Two-Day Pass: $90 (adult) / $35* (student) / $20 (ages 13-17)

One-Day Pass: $60 (adult) / $18* (student) / $12 (ages 13-17)

(*must present valid student ID at Grunin Center Box Office at time of purchase)

Children 12 & under: Free with paying adult

VIP Package: $250 (two-day Adult Pass, access to VIP Tent, food & refreshments, meet & greets, signed CD & photo, t-shirt & poster, name printed in program)

Ticket prices include admission and concerts only.  Food, refreshments, and merchandise are a separate purchase.  For tickets, visit www.3SailsJazzFest.com or call the Grunin Center Box Office at 732-255-0500.

This program is made possible in part by a grant administered by the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission from funds granted by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Friday, June 12, 2015

United State Navy Band Commodores: Jazz is America’s music and the U.S. Navy Band Commodores, the Navy’s premier jazz ensemble, has been performing the very best of big band jazz for the Navy and the nation for over 40 years.  Formed in 1969, this 18-member group continues the jazz big band legacy with some of the finest musicians in the world.  The Commodores’ mission includes public concerts, national tours, ceremonial support in honoring our veterans, jazz education classes and clinics, and protocol performances for high-level military and civilian government officials.

The Navy’s Commodores are held in high regard nationwide by concert patrons and critics alike.  The list of guest artists that have appeared with theCommodores reads like a “Who’s Who” of jazz and popular music: Ray Charles, Branford Marsalis, Clark Terry, Grover Washington, Jr., Chris Potter, Jerry Bergonzi, Eddie Daniels, James Moody, and many more.  The Commodores have appeared on TV shows, played nearly all major jazz festivals, and toured across the United States and abroad.  In conjunction with the Airmen of Note (Air Force) and the Army Blues (Army), the Commodores host the annual Joint Service Jazz Festival in Washington, D.C.

A versatile ensemble for the 21st century, the Commodores write and arrange much of their vast library of music.  Their concerts are an eclectic mix of traditional big band, exciting jazz vocal arrangements, as well as fresh new instrumental music written specifically for the Commodores. This vibrant, dynamic musical group is constantly striving for musical excellence and the pursuit of new and exciting ways to communicate with their audience.

Friday, June 12, 2015

DYAD: Saxophonist Lou Caimano and pianist Eric Olsen are the extraordinary pairing that makes up DYAD.  Together they reveal a sophisticated love affair between reed and keyboard.  Their music is a blend of contradictions: edgy and tender, childlike and sophisticated, intelligent and romantic.  With grace, style, virtuosity, and originality, DYAD plays original compositions, Latin rhythms, and formidable jazz standards, at times re-imagining beautiful classical compositions as contemporary jazz arrangements.

Caimano is a saxophonist, composer, and educator.  He is the composer/arranger of numerous jazz fusion, new age, and commercial compositions, including CD releases Manhattan Twilight and the first Dyad collaboration.  Performance credits include the Broadway orchestras of A Chorus Line, CATS, Dancin’, Evita, 42nd Street, La Cage aux Folles, Mame, and Shrek the Musical, among others.  Caimano has performed with well-known acts such as The Four Tops, The Temptations, Mellow Kings, Urbie Green, Jimmy Holmes, Arnie Lawrence, John Mahegan, Rita Moreno, Marvin Stamm, Enzo Stuarti, Clark Terry, Jerry Vale, and Nancy Wilson.  He has also appeared in the movies Muppets Take Manhattan and The Juror.

Olsen has crafted a distinguished career in both classical and jazz music, as a pianist, organist, composer, and conductor.  He has performed at jazz festivals, Carnie Hall, Birdland, and the Knitting Factory, as well as overseas in France, Germany, India, New Zealand, Fiji, and Taiwan.  Olsen has worked, recorded, and collaborated with many jazz musicians including Pharoan Aklaff, Don Braden, Ratzo Harris, Billy Hart, Tim Horner, John Isley, B.D. Lenz, Bucky Pizzarelli, Dominic Spera, and Eliot Zigmund.  In addition, he has worked with top classical musicians and opera singers such as Betty Allen, Klara Barlow, Walter Cassel, Margaret Harshaw, Kevin Maynor, Girogio Tozzi, and Virginia Zeani.  His discography includes classical, jazz, and meditation.

Friday, June 12, 2015

Bernard “Pretty” Purdie & Friends featuring Frankie Cicala: Who provided the back-beat for Steely Dan’s “Aja”?  For whom have Isaac Hayes, Donny Hathaway, B.B. King, “Sweet” Lou Donaldson, Joe Cocker, and Hank Crawford reserved a stool behind the drum kit?  None other than Bernard Lee “Pretty” Purdie.  It seems that no other drummer has seen the interior of a recording studio as often as Purdie, who has laid down the beat on over 3,000 albums.

Born in 1939, Purdie is an American session drummer, considered an influential and innovative exponent of funk.  Purdie began banging out rhythms on improvised equipment at just six years old, and at 14, he purchased his first real drum set and became the most important provider for the family – earning his pay with country and carnival bands.  In 1960, Purdie moved to New York City and played with Lonnie Youngblood before landing his first hit with King Curtis.  This led to his engagement with Aretha Franklin in 1970 – beginning an unparalleled career.

Known as a groove drummer, Purdie created many well-known drum patterns including the “Purdie Shuffle.”  Variations on his shuffle can be heard on Led Zeppelin’s “Fool in the Rain” and Toto’s “Rosanna,” among others.  Purdie has been a regular guest in the studios of the stars of jazz, soul, and rock, working with James Brown, Paul Butterfield, Miles Davis, Tom Jones, Hall & Oates, Herbie Mann, Rolling Stones, Todd Rundgren, and Cat Stevens, among many others, as well as producing his own solo albums.

Purdie’s rhythms have appeared as samples on nearly every “Acid Jazz” record released in the past few years – the new genre that has so successfully hosted the renaissance of Soul Jazz.  Bernard Purdie has now gathered together a flock of like-minded souls and created the new album, Soul to Jazz.  These 13 songs prove that the pioneer of the hybrid blend of jazz, soul, and funky tunes is still light years ahead of his imitators.

Frankie Cicala: Frankie Cicala has been dazzling Jersey Shore audiences with his eclectic sensuous soulful guitar playing for over 30 years.  Cicala is the guitarist for legendary drummer Bernard Purdie, traveling all over the United States and abroad.  An in demand session player and guitar teacher, Cicala is always giving his talents back to the community in which he resides (Toms River, NJ).

In his former years, Cicala slowly developed his craft, fortunate that he had some of the best players in the world of jazz and guitars to help him further his skills.  Vinnie Corrao, Harry Leahey, Joe Cinderella, and the late Tal Farlow all took Cicala under their wings and instilled in him the passion and talents that are so evident in his playing.  Cicala stays in touch with his teachers, and on occasion can be found jamming with them.

While in his heart, Cicala is a jazzman, he is also quite adept at playing other styles of music.  His live club dates are filled with the sounds of funk, R&B, blues, and rock & roll; he plays them all with his own distinctive style and signature.  Cicala has performed at the New Jersey Jazz Festival and Count Basie Theatre, among many others venues.

Over the years, Cicala has performed and/or recorded with the likes of Cecil DuValle, members of the Teddy Pendergrass Band, Billie Daniels, Patti LaBelle, Bernard Purdie, Charles Earland, Leslie Gore, Lloyd Price, Tico Torres, LaMar Mitchell, Bernie Worrell, and Stanley Roots … not to mention Scott Chinery, Steve Howe, Tar Farlow, Johnny Winter, and Scotty Moore.

Cicala has been a frequent session guitarist for Grammy Award-winning producer Tony Camillo, shared guitar duties with Paul Jackson, Jr. on the CD Ashley Garrington, and was music director for Capital Records recording artist, Pru.

In 1992, Cicala formed the band Frankie & The Burn, playing to enthusiastic crowds in bars and clubs throughout the Jersey Shore and surrounding areas for the past 23 years.  The band’s first CD, Frankie & The Burn, was release in 1993, with Frankie & The Burn II released in 1995, and Frankie & The Burn Christmas in 1996, with Cicala taking producing, recording, and performing on all three CDs.

The long awaited jazz CD, Frankie Plays!, was released in 2007.  With six original songs along with renditions of “Wishing On A Star” and “Classical Gas,” Cicala performed with notable musicians such as Bernard Purdie, Steve Jankowski, Tommy LaBella, LaMar Mitchell, and Chico Huff.

Friday, June 12, 2015

Ellis & Delfeayo Marsalis: One of the top trombonists, composers, and producers in jazz today, Delfeayo Marsalis is known for his “technical excellence, inventive mind, and frequent touches of humor” (Leonard Feather, Los Angeles Times).  He is “one of the best, most imaginative, and musical of the trombonists of his generation” (Philip Elwood, San Francisco Examiner).

From the age of 17, Delfeayo has produced over 100 recordings for major artists including Harry Connick, Jr., Marcus Roberts, Spike Lee, Terence Blanchard, Marcus Roberts, Adam Makowicz, Nicholas Payton, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and the projects of Ellis, Branford, and Wynton Marsalis.

As an exceptional trombonist, Delfeayo toured internationally with renowned bandleaders Art Blakey, Abdullah Ibrahim, Slide Hampton, Max Roach, and Elvin Jones.  During a tour with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, he was filmed as part of the Ken Burns documentary, Jazz, and was an integral part of the DVD, featured on PBS, Marsalis Family: A Jazz Celebration, that assembled all the musical Marsalis family for the first time.  In January 2011, the Marsalis family (Delfeayo, father Ellis, and brothers Branford, Wynton, and Jason) earned the nation’s highest jazz honor – a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award.

As a bandleader, Delfeayo has earned wide acclaim for his albums: Pontius Pilate’s Decision, Musashi, Minions Dominion, and Sweet Thunder.  His latest album,Last Southern Gentleman, is a landmark recording for pairing the trombonist with father Ellis Marsalis, Jr., on a collaborative album for the first time.

Ellis Marsalis, Jr. is an American jazz pianist.  Active since the late 1940s, Ellis came to greater attention in the 1980s and 1990s as the patriarch of a musical family, featuring sons Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo, and Jason.

From his first professional performance with “The Groovy Boys” over 50 years ago, Ellis has been a major influence in jazz.  He played with fellow modernists including Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, and Al Hirt, becoming one of the most respected jazz pianists.  Although he recorded more than a dozen of his own albums, and was featured on albums by many jazz greats, Ellis shunned the spotlight to focus on teaching.

As a leading educator at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the University of New Orleans, and Xavier University of Louisiana, Ellis has influenced the careers of countless musicians, including Harry Connick Jr., Nicholas Payton, and his sons.  In 2007, Ellis received an honorary doctorate from Tulane University for his contributions to jazz and musical education.  In 2008, he was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.  The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music at Musicians’ Village in New Orleans is named in honor of the patriarch.

Friday, June 12, 2015

OCC Jazz Band: Students from Ocean County College

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Blue Plate Special: This New Jersey based band serves up a blend of American roots playing a variety of bluegrass, swing, original, and traditional tunes.  Featuring strong three-part vocal harmonies, Blue Plate Special mixes the acoustic sounds of accordion, banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and upright bass.  Crowds of all ages enjoy their bluesy tunes and tight vocal harmonies.

Blue Plate Special has toured internationally and shared the stage with Les Paul, Tom Chapin, C.J. Chenier, and Little Feat, to name just a few.  When not traveling and playing around the tri-state area, the group can be found jamming on a front porch, getting reading for the next show.

The band’s latest CD, Nowhere Fast, features 12 new original songs showcasing Blue Plate Special’s wide range of influences including bluegrass, swing, country, Cajun, polka, and gospel.  Two of the cuts have been featured in nationally-aired documentaries.

Blue Plate Special features five creative musicians.  Dave Gross, mandolin/vocals, has a unique mandolin style influenced by a wide range of players from western swing great Tiny Moore to Dawg music innovator David Grisman.  Jay Friedman, fiddle/guitar, has a vocal style that helps define the bands strong sound.  Friedman’s clever songwriting tells stories with a twist, drawing from all styles of music.  James Hemp, guitar/vocals, is a flatpick guitarist.  This Oklahoma native produces generous yields of that freshly-picked bluegrass sound.  Tom Wise, bass/harmonica, has twangy laid back vocals that reveal his mid-western heritage.  His strong songwriting incorporates some wide-ranging musical influences.  Dan Whitener, banjo/guitar/vocals, is part of the group Gangstagrass, which combines authentic bluegrass and rap.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Tuffus Zimbabwe & Friends: A versatile composer, pianist, and educator Tuffus Zimbabwe plays keyboards in NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) House Band.  On SNL, he has played keyboards behind names such as Bruno Mars, Christina Applegate, Justin Timberlake, and Mick Jagger.  In addition, he has composed and arranged music for the SNL band.

Classically trained, his parents made it a point to provide Zimbabwe with substantial musical exposure.  He began by studying classical piano at the early age of five.  At 12, he explored gospel music.  In his early teens, he began his formal training in jazz.

Zimbabwe’s composition skills landed him a spot on Liz Walker’s CBS-TV morning show where he performed his original “African Breeze” with the Tuffus Zimbabwe Group.  One of his original compositions was already being used weekly as the theme for this show.  Elsewhere, he has performed in several festivals and venues across the United States and works with a number of groups such as Ron Reid’s Sunsteel band and Jovol Bell’s Reality.

Currently, Zimbabwe teaches through the Piano Outreach of New York (PONY) and has maintained an active role as a music educator, teaching jazz at New York University, as well as in numerous youth programs.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Don Braden featuring Vanessa Rubin: A jazz musician of the highest caliber, Don Braden has toured the world, for over 30 years, leading his own ensembles on saxophone and flute, as a special guest, and as a sideman with jazz greats such as Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, among others.

Braden has composed music for ensembles ranging from duo to full symphonic orchestra, in many styles, for recordings (including 19 CDs as a leader and over 80 as a sideman), film, and television networks Nickelodeon and CBS.  He is a leading arranger of contemporary standards, and has built a solid collection of newer American songs into his jazz repertoire.

He is also a world renowned educator, having spent nearly two decades giving master classes at countless schools and universities, and running first class educational programs such as NJPAC’s Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens, the Litchfield Jazz Camp, and most recently, the Harvard University Monday Jazz Band.

An imaginative, technically excellent, soulful saxophonist, Braden’s harmonic and rhythmic sophistication give him a unique approach to improvising as well as composing and arranging.  Most important of all, Braden has a beautiful sound, and he swings!  All this combines with his joyous yet disciplined personality to make him one of the most important musicians working today.

Vanessa Rubin: Endowed with the kind of liquid phrasing and sheer wisdom that comes from depth of experience on the jazz performance campaign trail, Vanessa Rubin is an ever-evolving classic singer in the making.  The development of a true jazz singer is a long-range prospect, laden with learning experiences that forge the voice into a true instrument, rich with passion, deeply invested in living through life’s joys and perils; such is the journey of Rubin, jazz singer extraordinaire.  Capable of employing the gamut of emotions, Rubin can range from whisper to shout in the blink of an eye; from honey-laden ballads purring like a kitten, to up tempo swinging and scatting like a fluent saxophone, she delivers the goods.

One of the surest tests of a jazz singer is her acceptance by skilled players; the relationship between instrumentalist and vocalist is so often fraught with distrust.  Rubin has never experienced such travails.  From the time she joined the New York jazz community in the early 1980s, under the guidance of such grandmasters as Barry Harris and Frank Foster, Rubin’s acceptance has been universal.  Instrumentalists have always been impressed by her way around a song, her willingness to flow with their muse, and her innate ability to swing that music.

The list of great musicians who have graced her recordings and bandstands is quite impressive: Lionel Hampton, Herbie Hancock, Woody Herman Orchestra, Jazz Crusaders, Etta Jones, Don Braden, Monty Alexander, Cecil Bridgewater, Kenny Burrell, Frank Foster, Billy Higgins, Lewis Nash, Houston Person, Patience Higgins, Toots Thielemans, Steve Turre, Cedar Walton, Grover Washington, Jr., and James Williams, among others.

The range of material within Rubin’s broad comfort zone is impressive.  It takes conviction and expertise to address the work of composers ranging from Ellington, Gershwin, and Weil to Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae, Wayne Shorter, and Sting.  But all’s well when Rubin immerses her pearly tones in such a capacious range of material, not to mention her own considerable pallet of originals.

Clearly Vanessa Rubin’s musical skills do not end on the bandstand.  She’s not only vocalist, lyricist, and composer, she’s producer, arranger, educator (cited for “Outstanding Service to Jazz Education” by the International Association of Jazz Educators), music business consultant/facilitator, and music student adjudicator engaged by such auspicious institutions as the Thelonious Monk Institute, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center.  Labeled one of the “Diva Nouvelles” by Essence Magazine, Rubin continues on a sure and true sojourn towards mastering her craft.

As a 2011 Kevin Klein Award Nominee for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical,” Vanessa continues to demonstrate her chameleon like ability extending her gift of storytelling in the one woman theatrical portrayal of the great Billie Holiday in Yesterdays, An Evening with Billie Holiday, while also interpreting many of Holiday’s most remembered songs.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

T.S. Monk: Drummer, bandleader, composer, and vocalist, T.S. Monk was drawn to the drums before the age of ten.  His destiny was sealed when Max Roach, with whom he studied, gave him his first drum set.  After earning a reputation in school as a rabble-rouser, the young Monk joined his father’s trio and toured with his dad until the elder Monk’s retirement in 1975.

Monk eventually launched into the music that had captivated him and his generation – R&B.  He first toured with a group called Natural Essence, and later, along with his sister, Barbara, formed his own band.  He then proceeded to have hits on two recordings, House of Music and More of the Good Life.

In 1992, Monk formed his jazz sextet and received rave reviews, “this band soars and sizzles!”  One of the most unique groups on the circuit, the T.S. Monk Sextet’s cohesive and driving style has been heard at the JVC Jazz at the Bowl Festival, Sun Valley Center, Lied Center for the Performing Arts, and many legendary jazz clubs.

Monk received the New York Jazz Awards First Annual “Recording of the Year” and Downbeat’s prestigious 63rd Album of the Year Reader’s Choice Award for Monk on Monk.  An 80th Anniversary Birthday Tribute to Thelonious Sphere Monk, Monk on Monk featured 20 guest artists including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Arturo Sandoval, Dianne Reeves, Nnenna Freelon, and Howard Johnson, among others.  Critics and the public lauded Monk as his father’s true musical heir, as bandleader and performer.  Rave reviews in the Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and LA Times, echoed the public sentiment of the sold out concert hall shows across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.

With Crosstalk, Monk’s most recent release, he seamlessly bridges musical worlds, adding vocals for the first time in more than 15 years.  His upcoming release,Higher Ground, expands on his venture into the “smooth” realm of jazz.  Although there are very straight up jazz tunes throughout the CD, including a scat song “Mosaic,” Monk also goes straight into a smooth mode with “Ladera Heights.”  If funky is what you want, he’s got some “Funky Jazz” going on too!

T.S. Monk continues to display his leadership and artistry through his recordings and live performances worldwide on television and in concert.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers: Sultry chanteuse Lavay Smith evokes a sensuous era of glamorous jazz divas and sexy pinups adding a modern, feminist twist as she combines world-class singing and musicianship with contemporary and provocative lyrics.  Vocalist and bandleader of the Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Smith’s singing style has been influenced by Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Bessie Smith, and Little Esther Phillips.  Her enticing stage style is a cross between Marilyn Monroe and Bettie Page.  Whether singing her own compositions or drawing on a large repertoire of classics, Smith and her all-star 8-piece band bake up an instant recipe for good times.

The Red Hot Skillet Lickers features some of the finest musicians anywhere, consisting of four horns, piano, bass, and drums.  These all-stars have performed and recorded with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat “King” Cole, Frank Sinatra, Tito Puente, Lionel Hampton, Jay McShann, Johnny Otis, Wynton Marsalis, Big Joe Turner, Ray Charles, Big Mama Thornton, Taj Mahal, and Little Esther Phillips, to name a few.  The band first performed in 1989 and immediately began attracting crowds thanks to Smith’s big bluesy voice, exciting stage personality, and glamorous approach.

Smith owns record label, Fat Note Records, and produces her own CDs with musical director Chris Siebert.  Her debut CD, One Hour Mama, was an independent smash hit, outselling most major label jazz and blues releases, a true testament to her musical and business savvy.  Her second CD, Everybody’s Talkin’ ‘Bout Miss Thing, repeated this success, staying on the Billboard Jazz charts for 20 consecutive weeks, and rising to #10.

Important publications have sung the praises of Smith and her band, including Jazz Times, Blues Revue, Jazziz, The New York Press, Living Blues, and theAlternative Press.  Television and radio appearances include “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer,” Fox TV’s “Fox Files,” and NPR’s “To the Best of Our Knowledge.”

Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers maintain a busy schedule of over 250 performances per year, including extensive touring throughout the United States and Canada.  They have performed at many prestigious venues including Lincoln Center, The Montreal Jazz Festival, The Chicago Jazz Festival, The Ottawa Jazz Festival, The Monterey Jazz Festival, The Kansas City Jazz & Blues Festival, The San Francisco Blues Festival, The Toronto Jazz Festival, and The Playboy Jazz Festival.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Paquito D’Rivera featuring Bernie Williams: He defies categorization!  The winner of 14 Grammy Awards, Paquito D’Rivera is celebrated both for his artistry in Latin jazz and his achievements as a classical composer.  His highly-acclaimed groups, the Chamber Jazz Ensemble, the Paquito D’Rivera Big Band, and the Paquito D’Rivera Quintet, are in great demand worldwide.  His work often reveals widespread and eclectic musical interests, ranging from Afro-Cuban rhythms to jazz and back to his classical origins.

Born in Havana, Cuba, D’Rivera performed at age 10 with the National Theater Orchestra, and, at 17, became a featured soloist with the Cuban National Symphony playing alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, and clarinet.  D’Rivera was a founding member and co-director of the innovative musical ensemble Irakere, which featured an explosive mixture of jazz, rock, classical, and traditional Cuban music.  Irakere won D’Rivera his first Grammy Award in 1979 for Best Latin Recording.  He received his 14 Grammy Award in 2014, for Best Latin Jazz Album, Song for Maura.  He was a founding member of the United Nations Orchestra, a 15-piece ensemble organized by Dizzy Gillespie to showcase the fusion of Latin and Caribbean influences with jazz.  D’Rivera continues to appear as guest conductor.  D’Rivera received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Carnegie Hall for his contributions to Latin music.

While D’Rivera’s discography includes more than 30 solo albums, reflecting a dedication and enthusiasm for jazz, bebop, and Latin music, his contributions to classical music are also impressive.  His classical solo performances include the London Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, and Brooklyn Philharmonic, among others.  In his passion to bring Latin repertoire to greater prominence, D’Rivera has successfully created and promoted all types of classical compositions, including his three chamber compositions recorded live in concert with cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

In addition to his extraordinary performing career, D’Rivera has gained a reputation as an accomplished composer.  He received the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition, and was appointed as Composer-In-Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts.  His numerous commissions include compositions for Jazz at Lincoln Center, Library of Congress, and Syracuse University, among others.

D’Rivera is the recipient of the NEA Jazz Masters Award, National Medal of the Arts, the Kennedy Center’s Living Jazz Legend Award, Jazz Journalist Association’s Clarinetist of the Year Award, African-American Classical Music Award from Spelman College, and was named a Nelson A. Rockefeller Honoree.

The National Endowment for the Arts website affirms that D’Rivera “has become the consummate multinational ambassador, creating and promoting a cross-culture of music that moves effortlessly among jazz, Latin, and Mozart.”

Bernie Williams: A four-time World Series Champion and a five-time All Star, Bernie Williams made his major league debut with the NY Yankees in May 1991 and played Centerfield for 16 years.  Throughout his baseball career, Williams’ passion for music never waned and the sound of his guitar would often be heard emanating from the clubhouse or during team flights.  It was no surprise when Williams’ demonstrated how serious his musical pursuit was with the release of his first album, Journey Within (2003).  The album featured fusions of jazz, rock, and the tropical rhythms of Williams’ Latin heritage and was met with strong critical praise and instant chart success, reaching #3 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart.

Williams raised his musical game even further with the release of his second album, Moving Forward (2009).  Featuring guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Secuda, and Dave Koz, Moving Forward debuted as Billboard’s #2 Contemporary Jazz album and held that chart position for five straight weeks, issuing two consecutive Billboard #1 singles, “Go for It” and “Ritmo de Otono.”  The album was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for “Best Instrumental Album” in 2009.

In addition to concert performances, Williams has authored his first book, Rhythms of the Game: The Link between Music and Athletic Performance (Hal Leonard Books, July 2011).  The book examines the symbiotic relationship between musical artistry and athletic performance through the eyes of a man who has mastered both.

For tickets, visit www.3SailsJazzFest.com or call the Grunin Center Box Office at 732-255-0500.

“Hold On To A Moment: A Journey to Jersey Centenarians: A Series. Meet Malcolm Murray (only 93) at ‘We Care Adult Care’ in Middletown. WWII Veteran with General Patton.   bY Calvin Schwartz  June 4^th 2015.

As a newbie journalist, I go through certain exercises prior to writing an article. Reflection on how the story came about leads me to what I call the ‘excavation;’ all that I need to do to dig the article out of my intestinal lining. Some in the field might just call it the ‘digging deep’ phase. Looking back on the subject matter, I marvel at the different abounding forces that got me involved in writing and interviewing centenarians or those approaching it.

My mother always told me that one day she wouldn’t be here. I never paid attention because the concept was remote and not real. She was always there. Suddenly one day she wasn’t.  I realized there was so much I needed to ask her; so much to learn about our roots in Russia, my grandparent’s arrival in America, what she did in the war (WWII) and familial things. So now I’ll never know.  I never sat down with my father-in-law and talked about WWII.  When I thought about talking, I kept putting it off. Thing is, I never talked to any aging relative about roots and history so now I’m devoid and lost and sorry. There is a lesson here. Take advantage and make the time. There’s a wonderful invention called palm-size recorder. It holds maybe a thousand hours and promises.

A few years ago through synchronicity and the universe, I became a journalist and just after that, a dirt road, a parking spot and a newspaper publisher who told me about Emily Cook’s 101^st Birthday Party at Regal Pointe which I attended. Emily and I became friends for the next two years. She invited me back to her room; her life was fascinating. I was on a mission to be aware and to learn as much as I could about aging and aged.

Early this year, Emily’s (who passed last year) residence home called me about Hattie, turning 100. I went to that party and talked with her. A few months later, unrelated, I got a message from an executive of the State Theater in New Brunswick. His father, William, was turning 100. William is most amazing just like his stories were. Here is the link to my “William” article. (http://www.njdiscover.com/wp1/2015/03/hold-on-to-a-moment-a-journey-to-jersey-centenarians-a-series-meet-william-theodore-zimmerman-world-war-ii-veteran-march-14-2015-calvin-schwartz/ )  We talked for an hour. Thusly my journalistic series evolved; “Hold On To A Moment: A Journey to Jersey Centenarians.” I now have my chance to do what I should’ve been doing for decades.

A few weeks ago my friend  Darci Voigt Kennedy called me about ‘We Care Adult Care, Inc.’ in Middletown. For me adult day care would be a new learning experience. They have several nonagenarians and a centenarian for me to absorb. Just as I arrived and was taken into the main day room, they were singing the Star Spangled Banner; some stood at attention, hands over heart.  As this is day care, everyone is bused from home. The facility focuses on Alzheimer’s and dementia but many are vital, sharp and charming. Next, I was given a tour and immediately felt an unusual esprit de corps amongst personnel and the senior adults; it was a spirited, caring, active environment aptly named ‘We Care.’  Since this was part of Older Persons Month, the Mayor of Middletown, Stephanie Murray, walked around the room, individually greeting the fifty seniors and engaging each. One of the seniors told the mayor she was in the movie ‘Godfather.’ I can’t believe I forgot her name and role. I’m such a huge Don Corleone groupie.

My reason for being there was in the back lunch room a distance away from the singing and music.  Malcolm Murray, 93, meticulously dressed, smiling broadly, waited. Affability consumed his face. He jumped up to shake hands and a photo-op. Malcolm was born in North Carolina. “I didn’t have a father so my mother raised me and my three brothers, Otto, David and Willie. My mother had a laundromat. I helped put them through school.” He spoke proudly about that. It was easy to hear it in his voice. I forgot his age. “You have to respect family.” That resonated with me. It still does. He mentioned a brother in the Navy, a para-trooper and the last brother was an engineer.

He joined the Army in 1942 and was trained at Camp Robinson in Arkansas. In Mid-October, 1942, Malcolm was deployed to England. “In 1944, I went to France as part of D-Day. I didn’t know whether to be scared or not. I was in a tank battalion under General George Patton. We got to within three miles of Berlin. I loved General Patton. I met him. He called me ‘son.’ I loved being in a tank.” Then Malcolm said something profound.  “I think everyone should be in the Army to protect the country and learn discipline.”

After the war he came back to North Carolina and worked on a fishing boat. Again Malcolm moved me. “I wanted my kids, Maxine and Malcolm, to have an education so I worked hard. This is what my wife and I talked about.” Eventually Malcolm moved to New Jersey and joined a local labor union out of Matawan. When I asked him what the greatest change he observed in his life, he said, “labor unions.” His favorite President was Franklin Roosevelt.

I told him he was in such good shape and so sharp to talk to. “How come?” I asked. “I worked hard all the time.”  Malcolm likes sports but mostly football and baseball and is a Dodgers and Mets fan. I like to probe techniques to longevity. He rarely ever smoked. As far as his favorite food, “Whatever I can get.” We both laughed. He likes Army movies because “I lived it.” “And music?” “I like everything. I like the Blues and Louis Armstrong.”

In the distance from the day room, I heard the disc jockey playing ‘Pennsylvania Polka’ which reminded me of the movie ‘Groundhog Day’ with Bill Murray (coincidentally). I love that movie. I’d love to do a bit of reliving myself so I asked Malcolm if I could come back to talk some more. “I’d like that,” he said with authority. And then our handshake which lingered; it meant we liked each other and looked forward.  And I do.

Calvin Schwartz

  For more information:  ‘We Care Adult Care’ call 732-741-7363 or http://wecareadultcare.com/

In case you missed it!
Spring Lake NJ Irish Festival Saturday May 16th. Live music, cultural food, beer garden, contests, kids activities, Atlantic Ocean, Jersey Shore ambiance, sports personalities and more.