Jazzfest facts, hot off the press. - New Jersey Jazz Society

JerseyReviewsJazzMidday Jazz Under Saint Peter’sBy Fradley Garner Jersey Jazz International EditorMANHATTAN: Next time you’re in New Yorkaround noontime on a Wednesday, and inthe mood for an hour of live and quiet jazz,head for the Living Room at LexingtonAvenue and 54th Street. The venue is underSaint Peter’s Church, a modern culturalreligiouscenter that cares for the needs ofthe city’s jazz community.“Midtown Jazz at Midday” they call it,though the performance runs from 1:00 to2:00 PM. Because this is non-profit, the entréis a modest $5.00 and duos or singlesdominate. Jersey giant Bucky Pizzarelli washere earlier this year with the teenage jazzviolinist, Aaron Weinstein. Bucky hasdelighted the underground fans many times.So has his fellow-guitarist Howard Alden,here with the Rahway-based cornetistWarren Vaché for an hour in February.The pianists John Bunch, Bill Charlapof Summit, and Junior Mance did thesub-church gig, too. The six-foot Steinwaywas donated by the late Billy Strayhorn,Duke Ellington’s “alter-ego.” Last monththe admired singer Sheila Jordan was atthe keyboard, backed by Cameron Brownon bass.You can bring your lunch with you andenjoy it at one of the tables. At 12:00 noon,seniors can buy lunch for $1.40. The concertvenue is fairly small and roped-off, with nostage. On the long wall toyour left, as you face themusic, paintings are onshow. To your right,beyond the ropecordoning off the spacenow filling up withseniors on foldingchairs, a trickle ofvisitors of all ages andhues from upstairspass by on their wayto the rest rooms.In front of us oneearlier Wednesday,Tomas Janzon, a45-year-old Swedishguitarist based inLos Angeles, and bassistKen Filiano, 53, from overthe bridge in Brooklyn, are setting up. Justthe two players and their amplifiers. Thereare not many empty chairs facing them. Alady stops by and says, very softly, “Hello,you’re new here, aren’t you?” Mrs. Joan UttalAnderson says I had bypassed her table,where the $5.00 music charge is collected.I dig for my wallet and she hands me amonthly events sheet.Jersey City Producer“You’re from Denmark?” her face lights up.“I have Danish ancestors!” Mrs. Anderson’shusband, Edmund Anderson, started thisnoontime program back in 1982. After hepassed on in June 2002, Mrs. Anderson tookover and now acts as production consultant.Ronny Whyte, a pianist-composer andsinger from Jersey City, is the producer andhost. He books the performers(www.ronnywhyte.com).Warming up with some blues, you don’thave to ask who Tomas Janzon’s idols are.Django Reinhardt and Wes Montgomeryradiate again on the second number, “All theThings You Are,” with those cycle-of-fifthschord changes and sudden doubling oftempo and a “Salt Peanuts”-close-quoteending. Janzon now offers his own work,“Six on Five.” It starts in irregular 5/4time (five beats to the bar) and switchesto 6/4 on the bridge. You can hear it atcdbaby.com/cd/janzon and at iTunes.com.The piece swings but the rhythm istricky. Bassist Filiano is kept busyand lays it down gooooood.Now and then I glance right, at thepassersby on their way to and fromthe rest rooms. Not one of themseems to hear the music! It was thesame a few years ago when I washere for an hour’s worth of thegreat clarinetist, Ken Peplowski,and the mighty pianist, KennyBaron. The audience isabsorbed and the passersbydon’t take notice. Hard toTomas Janzon.April 4Dena De RosePianist/Singer11 Renee RosnesPiano (uncertain)18 Judi Marie CanterinoSinger25 Tony DeSareSinger/Pianistwww.saintpeters.org/jazzbelieve. Nor does it speak for the pullingpower of quiet jazz.“Have You Met Miss Jones?” is a kind ofintuitive weaving session between guitarand bass, and “Body and Soul” has Filianodelicately reinforcing the lanky, mustachedSwede’s probing guitar inventions. Yes,Johnny Green’s 1930s standard still offersroom for exploration. “Who, Me?” windsout and back briskly.At 2:00, after eight or nine offerings, afinal warm hand from the floor sparksbows but no encore. Janzon holds up hislatest CD, Coast to Coast (Changes Music,2006) and several listeners line up to buyan autographed album. All 10 numbers, fortrio or quartet, were composed by Janzon.Back home in Denmark I’ve played themmany mornings while shaving, hearingmore each time. Sorry there are no linernotes — but visit www.tomasjanzon.comto learn more about this guitarist andcheck his upcoming bookings on bothcoasts and three continents.JJ36 April 2007 JerseyJazz