The future of jazz was on full display on a rainy Saturday, May 9, at Ross Farm in Basking Ridge, NJ.
David Becker, President of Ross Farm and guitarist/educator Dave Stryker, for the second consecutive year, presented groups of emerging jazz artists. This year it was: the Jazz House Kids Ambassadors Combo, directed by tenor saxophonist Mike Lee; the Montclair State Jazz Sextet, led by tenor saxophonist, Ryan Huston; the Rutgers Jazz Quartet, led by guitarist Christian Orlowski; and the William Paterson Jazz Septet, led by guitarist Sally Shupe (photo above: from left, Shupe, tenor saxophonist Bailey Giles, and trumpeter Josh Mercado). As a finale, Stryker and tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander led a quartet with organist Jared Gold and drummer Steve Johns.
The weather was uncooperative, so Becker moved the event into the Ross Farm barn, and a hardy and eclectic group of fans hung around all day to cheer on the young musicians.
The repertoire reflected the best that jazz has to offer, an impressive combination of traditional and modern jazz that included, among others: Lil Hardin Armstrong’s “Struttin’ with Some Barbeque”, Dizzy Gillespie’s “Night in Tunisia”, Neal Hefti and Count Basie’s “Splanky”, and Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints.”
And the best news of all? Afterwards, Ross Farm’s Becker said: “We do so many different things at Ross Farm throughout the year, but now I understand that jazz will unquestionably be part of our offerings moving forward. Saturday (May 9) proved, without a doubt, we are onto something.”
PHOTO BY MARGUERITE LAFOUNTAINE