The streets of Nyack, NY, and nearby Piermont will be filled with jazz from July 26-August 1.
On Monday, July 26, tenor saxophonist John Richmond will lead a quintet featuring fellow tenor saxophonist Ralph Lalama, pianist Alan Farnham, bassist Bill Moring, and drummer Eliot Zigmund at Piermont’s Turning Point Café. Before the pandemic, Richmond had been leading Monday night jazz sessions at the Turning Point for 12 years. Covering the June 19, 2019, session, AllAboutJazz’s David A. Orthmann pointed out that the sessions have been “a haven for musicians from the Hudson Valley, northern New Jersey, and New York City, who thrive in the informal atmosphere cultivated by Richmond’s deft and genial oversight.
Three nights later, veteran bassist Bill Crow will lead a quartet in a free concert from 7:30-9:30 p.m. outdoors at Nyack’s Edward Hopper House. Hiroshi Yamazaki will be on piano; Takeshi Ogura on guitar; and Nick Scheuble on drums. “We never know what we’re going to play until we start,” Crow said. “Maybe a tune of mine; maybe one of Oscar Pettiford’s tunes; and lots of standards.”
The next three concerts are at Maureen’s Jazz Cellar in Nyack. On Friday, July 30, it’s vibraphonist Joe Locke’s quartet with pianist Jim Ridl, bassist Jay Anderson, and drummer Samuel Sakisyan; on Saturday, July 31, it’s guitarist Mike Stern’s quartet with tenor saxophonist Bob Franceschini, bassist Edmond Gilmore, and drummer Richie Morales. And, on Sunday, August 1, it’s the solo piano of Fred Hersch (in photo above).
In April, Stereophile Review’s Fred Kaplan reported that, “At age 62, pianist Fred Hersch is playing as rousingly and rivetingly as ever. His latest disc, Live in Europe (on the Palmetto label) may be his best trio album to date.” Guitarist Stern has recorded 16 albums as a leader and has played with such legends as trumpeter Miles Davis, bassist Jaco Pastorius, and tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker. Earlier this year, we reported on the recovery of an historic recording made of Stern with bassist Harvie S, and drummer Alan Dawson at the 1369 Club in Cambridge, MA. Locke has performed with alto saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr., pianist Kenny Barron, and trumpeter Eddie Henderson, among others.
For more information, log onto www.rcjbs.org. For reservations at Maureen’s Jazz Cellar, call (845) 535-3143.