Chicken Bone Beach was the name given to a stretch of Atlantic City beach around Missouri Avenue that was the only beach open to African-Americans during the many years of segregation in the city.
The Chicken Bone Beach Foundation, named to pay tribute to those long and unfortunate years, was formed in 1997 as a vehicle to celebrate jazz, the African-American artists who created it and the continuing contributions of musicians of every race and nationality.
The foundation has just announced the lineup for its 25th annual Jazz on the Beach Concert Series, which runs from July 3 through Sept. 4 at Kennedy Plaza, between Mississippi and Georgia avenues on the Boardwalk.
This year’s schedule is a singular mix of superb regional artists, cutting-edge headliners and a couple of veteran “names” known to one and all. Series organizers could have taken the easy route by booking the artists that usually tour the summer festival circuits across the country. Instead they have come up with a list of eclectic performers that audiences will not likely hear anywhere else.
Opening the series on July 3 is New Orleans’ Chief Adjuah, aka Christian Scott, a trumpeter/composer/multi-instrumentalist who has been nominated for six Grammy Awards. Like many of the younger jazz players working today, Adjuah is difficult to pigeonhole stylistically, though he effectively blends music from his native New Orleans with World Music and other genres. And, like anyone who has played jazz trumpet for 50 years, Adjuah has absorbed some of the tonal qualities of Miles Davis. Opening for Adjuah is drummer Tony Day and his group, a fine percussionist who also defies categorization.
Among the bigger names set to appear this year are Arturo O’Farrill and Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble, scheduled for July 17, and Vijay Iyer’s Trio plus Adam O’Farrill on July 31.
Pianist/composer/bandleader Arturo O’Farrill is no stranger to this area, but his singular, fiery and swinging brand of Afro-Cuban jazz – a style that his father, Chico, helped invent and foster – is always welcomed. Opening for O’Farrill is one of the Jersey Shore’s longtime favorites, the vastly underrated guitarist/composer/vocalist Gina Roche.
Pianist/composer Vijay Iyer is a progressive, instantly identifiable stylist who was nominated for a Grammy Award, won the coveted DownBeat Magazine International Critics Poll four times, was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award. His playing is intelligent, atmospheric and at times, genre bending. It’s difficult to name influences with Iyer. He’s an original and he’s his own man artistically.
Soundever is opening for Iyer. Though somewhat more accessible than Iyer, this is another genre-bending ensemble which recently wowed audiences at a Jazz Bridge show in Philadelphia.
Another Grammy nominee, trumpeter/vocalist Keyon Harrold, studied with one of the great jazz improvisers, trumpeter Charles Tolliver, and played on Tolliver’s big band album of 2006. In fact, Keyon played trumpet on the soundtrack to the Miles Davis biopic, “Miles Ahead,” ghosted by actor Don Cheadle. Though his roots are in straight-ahead jazz, in recent years he’s reached wider audiences via several projects with a smooth jazz focus. Harrold appears on July 24. Opening for Harrold is Rek’D Jazz led by another trumpeter/vocalist, Atlantic City’s Eddie Morgan.
At times, the group of saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Isaiah Collier, appearing on Aug. 7, channels the sound of the classic John Coltrane Quartet. Occasionally, he’ll combine elements of gospel and rhythm and blues to fashion a style that combines influences. Area jazz organist Keith Hollis and his group open the show.
Marel Hidalgo is an incredible 16-year-old guitarist who hails from Bradley Beach, Monmouth County. Like pianist Joey Alexander, Hidalgo was a child prodigy who led his first band at the age of 6. Hidalgo has superb technique and is an inventive improviser. But what makes him so special, especially for a player of his age, is that he’s a straight-ahead swinger out of the Joe Pass/Tal Farlow/Pat Martino school. Keep your eyes and your ears open for this talented youngster. He’s going places. Hidalgo and his organ trio will perform on Aug. 14. Opener is the wonderful IDEA Youth Music Collective.
Closing the series on Sept. 4 is the big band of Helen Sung. Sung is a jazz pianist, composer and 2021 Guggenheim Fellow who has worked with any number of legends, including Clark Terry, Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter and Ron Carter. She was originally a classical player, but switched to jazz.
Her technique is indicative of her classical training and her playing is reflective at times, and explosive at other times. Though she’ll be appearing with a big band, listeners shouldn’t expect an ensemble that sounds like Glenn Miller’s. Sung has made guest appearances with several, rather innovative large ensembles, including the Mingus Big Band. Expect a big band sound that’s cutting edge and refreshing. The Bert Harris Afro-Jazz Collective, led by Philadelphia-based bassist Harris, opens for Sung.
Others in the Chicken Bone Beach series, all well worth hearing, are Special EFX and saxophonist Dahi Divine on July 10, vocalists Gabrielle Cavassa and Kevin Valentine on Aug. 21, and The Papo Vazquez Band (veteran trombonist Vazquez is a natural-born swinger) with opener, saxophonist Dwain Davis and Friends on Aug. 28.
All Chicken Bone Beach concerts are free and open to the public and run from 7 to 10 p.m. In the event of rain, the concerts move to the Claridge Hotel Stage on the fourth floor.
For more information on the series visit www.chickenbonebeach.org.
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 performs both as a drummer and vocalist.
