In the swing of things

From left: Quincy Jones, William 'Count'' Basie and Frank Sinatra in the studio, 1964. / Gannett

Written by Bill Nutt - For the Asbury Park Press

ans of Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi like to say that “New Jersey rocks.”

But jazz aficionados have their own saying: “New Jersey swings.”

From Count Basie and Sarah Vaughan to Bucky Pizzarelli and Rio Clemente, the list of jazz performers who were born or raised in the Garden State is a long and distinguished one.

Keeping that tradition alive and in the public eye has been one of the goals of the New Jersey Jazz Society. Since its founding in 1972, the group has held concerts, sponsored scholarships and promoted education programs to raise awareness of jazz.

So on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, the society will celebrate — swinging and bopping.

The group had been scheduled to host an all-star jam at Drew University today (Sunday, Nov. 4), but it has been postponed due to Hurricane/Tropical Storm Sandy. More than two dozen artists, most of whom are from New Jersey, will perform at the event, which will be rescheduled. The event will include a wine-and-cheese reception and a silent auction.

The participants are looking forward to the concert, not only for the chance to play together, but to recognize the achievements of the society.

One of those players is trumpeter Warren Vache of Rahway, whose parents helped found the society.

“I grew up with the society,” he says. “It’s nice to have an organization that supports this music.”

“The fact that the New Jersey Jazz Society has survived for 40 years is something of a miracle,” says Chatham’s Joe Lang, who will emcee the jam. “Jazz is not the popular music that it once was.”

For that reason, Frank Mulvaney, the society’s current president, has carefully selected performers who represent a cross-section of jazz styles. The concert will be divided into four parts, each led by a different musician.

These leaders are Vache, trombonist Emily Asher of Brooklyn, vocalist Laura Hull of Morris Plains (a past president of the society), and tenor saxophonist Bob Ackerman of Irvington.

“It’s a wonderful line-up of people,” says Lang, a past president of the group.

Read more on: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20121105/NJENT01/311050002/In-swing-things?odyssey=nav%7chead&nclick_check=1