Jazz is bursting out all over the Caldwell area during the upcoming weeks.
The All District Jazz Spectacular has been scheduled for April 25 at 7:30 pm at the James Caldwell High School Cafeteria. The JCHS Jazz Band, under the guidance of Mr. Lienhard, will perform along with all the other Caldwell/West Caldwell Public School jazz ensembles. The coffeehouse atmosphere and lighting will also include food.
Caldwell University will feature its Jazz Ensemble at Rock ‘n’ Joe’s Espresso Café, at 339 Bloomfield Avenue next Thursday, April 11 beginning at 8:00 pm. Rob Middleton, the band’s director, selects music that highlights the talent in the group. The band offers improvisation and jazz classics.
For professional jazz, Newark has a few options. Reggie Workman will be performing this Saturday, April 6 at the Bethany Baptist Church at 275 W Market St. Workman, bassist and composer, is part of the Bethany Jazz Vespers series. His music ranges from avant-garde to hard bop, and he has won the Eubie Blake Award. The performance will be free.
On April 12, at 8:00 pm, Prudential Hall, located at 1 Center Street, Newark, will present an evening with the Chick Corea Trilogy. Chick Corea on keyboard, Christian McBride on bass and Brian Blade on drums will be playing jazz-rock fusion, bebop, and avant-garde. Members of the group have surely had a lot of poster printing done over the last five decades. Joey Alexander, a Grammy nominated pianist and composer who is just 15 years old, will open.
