Jersey Jazz - New Jersey Jazz Society

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The party was already in progress when
we got there, and just about every seat
was taken with well-wishers. Bob Ackerman,
celebrating his 70th year, was on-stage
surrounded by kindred spirits: guitarist
Bob DeVos, Mike Karn on bass, Steve Johns
on the drums. Ackerman looked his usual
radiant self in a red cap, very comfortable in
this, his frequent haunt. His lovely wife
singer Pam Purvis was mistress of
ceremonies, making sure everyone was
comfortable and well taken care of. Various
carrot cakes and chocolate extravagances
were being passed about, and that’s before
the birthday cake.
Bob was telling us that years ago he wrote a
song for tenor sax in honor of his idols
Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster based
on “Body and Soul,” a sultry number called
“The Beauty in the Beast.” He recalled that
Hawkins was the first musician he ever met,
A Jazz Birthday
Bob Ackerman does it right,
playing his way to the big 7-0
March 19 at Cecil’s Jazz Club in West Orange
By Linda Lobdell Co-Editor Jersey Jazz | Photo by Tony Mottola Editor Jersey Jazz
when he (Bob) was just 10 years old.
That would be six decades ago.
Pam speechifies a bit, announcing Bob’s
been playing for 61 years, and admiring that
kind of passion in his life. “Every morning
he wakes up and sticks a sax in his face.
Every NIGHT he sticks a sax in his face!”
And she happily croons “Our Love is Here
to Stay” to her soulmate.
She next sings “The Man With the Horn” —
laughing that she’d just sprung this one on
the band, making them read it on the fly.
And she spoofs Bob with “Fine and
Mellow:” “My man don’t love me, he
treats me awful mean.”
Friends continue to pile in, civilians
and a roster of musicians: Lauren Hooker,
Dave Stryker…
“Shiny Stockings” is a real treat, with Pam
on vocals.
She declares “I’m not an
experienced party planner!”
— and she introduces an
exclusive birthday carrot cake
custom made at Carlos
Bakery in Hoboken (seems
carrot must be Bob’s favorite).
Everyone sings “Happy
Birthday” and Pam says
“Here’s to 70 more years of
music and a beautiful wife!”
And the sitting-in begins,
with Ted Klum coming in on
tenor sax, Mike Richman
taking a turn on bass.
Bob wishes to continue
“having my fun” with his
program of originals — after
all, he is the birthday boy. Ted
Klum sits in on sax with an
Ackerman composition,
“Blues at Cecil’s.” In the
background, glamorous NJJS
Board member Marcia
Steinberg is slicing cake onto
paper plates for distribution.
Bob takes up the flute for a
pleasantly mellow upbeat
tune whose title escapes me.
While he and the ensemble
play “Double Time Blues,”
Pam sits in an upholstered
red chair peering at notebooks and piles
of sheet music through her reading glasses.
We try an order of blackened catfish and it
is a knockout, served with collard greeens
and yams.
Jazz author Barbara Kukla is in the crowd,
and singer Jane Stuart has also dropped in.
For “Besame Mucho,” NJJS Board member
Stew Schiffer is invited up to play the conga.
And he stays on board for a Brazilian
groove, “Gentle Rain,” and for Dizzy’s
“A Night in Tunisia.”
We must reluctantly take our leave after
“Alone Together” and “Embraceable You.”
Saxman Guy and chanteuse Gia Notte are
just coming in as we reach the door. With all
these special guests, I wouldn’t be surprised
if the night went on much longer. Great
party, and here’s to seventy more! JJ
May 2010
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