By Bruce Klauber
“The Atlantic City Jazz Fest 2024 Winter Edition,” coming to the Superstar Theater at Resorts Casino/Hotel on Saturday evening, Jan. 13, promises to be a memorable evening of soulful music.
Some jazz purists may take issue with the true jazz leanings of the headliner – North Philadelphia’s hippest trombonist, Jeff Bradshaw; and “The Queens of Soul Jazz,” Jeanette Harris and Althea Rene, but the music history books show that this crossover, genre-bending type of musical thinking is nothing new to jazz.
The late Philadelphia pianist/composer Bobby Timmons beautifully combined elements of soul, gospel, and jazz, as did Ramsey Lewis later on. And artists like Philadelphia saxophone legend Grover Washington, saxophonists David “Fathead” Newman and Hank Crawford, guitarist/singer George Benson, and a host of others perfected it. And if we want to talk about real “crossover” pioneers, we must include the shore’s very own Michael Pedican, Jr. on the list.
Trombonist Jeff Bradshaw is an interesting case. Bradshaw, who is fond of saying that he “wanted to make the trombone hip,” had his early training in a North Philadelphia church that used a brass section as a part of its traditional worship services. He first started on baritone horn and sousaphone, but ended up playing what he viewed as a “neglected instrument,” the trombone. By all accounts, Bradshaw didn’t evolve via the traditional route of straight-ahead jam sessions in nightclubs.
Around 1994, Bradshaw was often in the company of Philadelphia music genre benders like DJs Jazzy Jeff and King Britt, and the ubiquitous percussionist/producer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.
Those associations led to recording dates with the likes of Eryka Badu, Jill Scott, The Roots, Earth, Wind and Fire, and even Michael Jackson. By 2002, he was recording as a leader and had become quite the draw on the concert and festival circuit. The bottom line is, the man can play.
Like the New Orleans-based showman, Trombone Shorty, who also combines elements of soul, funk, hip-hop, and rhythm and blues, with traditional New Orleans jazz, Bradshaw has helped bring deserved attention to an instrument too often thought of as only a part of a marching band.
Jeanette Harris and Althea Rene, aka “The Queens of Soul Jazz,” also took the non-traditional route to becoming headliners on the smooth/soul jazz circuit, though both were originally trained traditionally.
Saxophonist and sometimes-pianist Harris is a Berklee College graduate who toured with the late Teena Marie on Marie’s final tour. Flutist Rene, daughter of saxophonist Dezie McCullers – one of Motown’s original Funk Brothers – studied at Howard University.
After spending 10 years as a Wayne County deputy sheriff in Detroit, she left law enforcement to become a musician full time. And in 2013, she hit the jackpot with her single, “In the Flow,” which is said to be the first No. 1 Billboard Magazine hit to feature a flutist (jazz statisticians take note: flutists Bobby Humphrey and Hubert Laws came close).
Patty Jackson, of Philadelphia radio’s WDAS-FM, is hosting this event. As of this writing, one gets the sense that more artists will be added to this show before the performance date of Jan. 13. But tickets are now on sale, and can be purchased directly at the Resorts Promo Booth via Ticketmaster, or by calling 856-418-9128.
The idea of an Atlantic City Jazz Festival is nothing new. This is the fourth year of the festival in its current incarnation as a soul/smooth jazz confab.
Artists featured through the years have included Pieces of a Dream, Bob James, Gerald Albright, and Marion Meadows. Though these newer shows are billed as “jazz festivals,” presumably because there is more than one artist on the bill, the real jazz festivals were usually multi-day affairs, often held outdoors. These were outgrowths of the first Newport Jazz Festival, presented by George Wein in Newport, R.I., in July of 1954. As the concept evolved, festival sponsorships – beer companies, radio stations, banks, cigarette companies, electronics manufacturers, etc. – became the norm.
It may be difficult to imagine now, but in 1960, from July 1 through July 3, almost 20 legends of jazz were presented, without corporate sponsorship, on the stage of The Warner Theatre, 2015 Boardwalk. The brainchild of promoter Sid Bernstein, who produced several rock and jazz festivals in Atlantic City through the years, the headliners included Count Basie, Ray Charles, Dinah Washington, Dave Brubeck, Sarah Vaughan, Gerry Mulligan, Cannonball Adderley, Oscar Peterson, Art Blakey and more. Can you imagine?
Local Jersey Shore promoters Estelle and Elzie Street produced a festival at Gardner’s Basin in 1979 (billed as “the biggest jazz festival in the history of New Jersey”), and came back a year later at Boardwalk Hall with sponsorship by Schmidt’s Beer, and once again in 1981. Artists included Maynard Ferguson, Nancy Wilson, Herbie Mann, Buddy Rich, Mongo Santamaria, Billy Eckstine, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Melba Moore, Grover Washington, and Bobby “Blue” Bland. We will not see – or hear – their likes again.
Blue Note: Pianist John Colianni, who recently and tragically passed away at the age of 61, was a technically astonishing player who was fluent in virtually every style of jazz piano, from ragtime and stride, to be-bop and free jazz.
Though best known via his international tours with Mel Torme’ and Lionel Hampton, Colianni’s professional career actually started in Atlantic City. Colianni spent his senior year at Atlantic City High School when his family relocated to the shore circa 1974. His playing first caught the attention of former Billie Holiday pianist Carl Drinkard, then living at the shore. Not too long after, Colianni visited vibraphonist/bandleader Lionel Hampton backstage after a Hampton Atlantic City appearance, and that led to an audition, then to three years and three albums with the swing legend.
John was a player who loved a challenge and reveled in challenging others to keep up with him technically. I’d like to think I was successful at that during the times I played with him. He was a special man and a special player, and he’ll be missed.
Bruce Klauber is the author of four books, an award-winning music journalist, concert and record producer and publicist, producer of the Warner Brothers and Hudson Music “Jazz Legends” film series, and a working jazz drummer and vocalist since childhood. He served as Technical Adviser on the Oscar-winning film, “Whiplash,” and on the 2018 Mickey Rourke film, “Tiger.” He has been honored by Combs College of Music and Drexel University for his “contributions to music journalism and jazz performance.”
