Author Archives: Judy Parisella

SJSF Dedicates 2017 Season to Jenny Reardon
Posted in News

SJSF 2017 Season Dedicated to Jenny Reardon

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Today we ‘Celebrated the Life’ of our dear friend Jenny Reardon.  She was our confidant, sister, mother, wife, ‘Keeper of Secrets’ and ‘Creator of Comfort and Joy’ for the thousands who passed through the doors of her public living room … affectionately referred to as ‘The Pig’.  Formerly referred to as ‘In A Pig’s Eye’, the corner restaurant and watering hole in Salem, of which she and her husband Jonathan owned for decades.

Harmony Grove Cemetery’s tiny chapel was packed with Jenny’s friends and family this morning, so much so that hundreds of people packed the pews and aisles, shoulder-to-shoulder, to honor her. More people stood outside in the cold as snow began to come down, the start of what would eventually turn into a New England blizzard. The service was full of stories, song — and a little worship — and Jenny’s son Eric bravely accompanied Helen Watson-Felt and Sarah Seminski for some of Jenny’s favorite songs. The morning was capped off with renditions of “Amazing Grace” and “When the Saints go Marching in,” with festival co-founder and saxophonist Henley Douglas Jr. leading everyone out of the chapel.

Jenny leaves a hole we can’t imagine could ever be filled, yet simultaneously leaves an indelible mark on all things music in Salem.  Heck the entire North Shore… but more precisely… well beyond.  In addition to her many charitable contributions and volunteer work throughout the years, Jenny and her husband were founding members of the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival, now approaching its 11th season.

And it is this mark on the local music scene left by our dear friend that we announce that the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival’s board of directors has voted to dedicate the 2017 season to the memory of Jennifer Reardon. Additionally, we have permanently renamed our title sponsor to the “Jennifer Reardon Title Sponsorship” and will have a New Orleans-style second line in her honor at the Willows this summer.

We love you Jenny… and we thank you!

Click here to read more about Jenny’s incredible journey.  And don’t forget to save the date for this year’s main festival August 19th and 20th.  Let’s continue celebrating Jenny’s life and all the great things still happening in her name.

Posted in News • North Shore Jazz Project ALl Stars • Press

North Shore Jazz Project All Stars Alumni Nominated for Best New Artist!

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Makutu with Bassist Ryder Hambley

A former member of the North Shore Jazz Project All Stars is in the running to win an award as one of New England’s Emerging Artists along with his band mates in Makutu.

August 28, 2016 – Salem, MA – Bassist Ryder Hambley of Rowley, 22, a member of the NSJP All Stars while a student at Ipswich High School, recently graduated from Berklee College of Music. His band, Makutu, is up for the award from “The Deli,” an online magazine focusing on the music scene in major cities known for music.

The contest is open until Aug. 31 and votes can be cast at http://newengland.thedelimagazine.com/snacks. Makutu bills itself as a band that plays “Ambient Gloom/Spooky Indie Rock.” Its Band Camp page is https://makutuband.bandcamp.com/releases.

Hambley, a 2012 graduate of Ipswich High, was also a member of the North Shore Youth Symphony Orchestra. He won the Ryder on Bass NSJP All StarsLouis Armstrong award while in high school and was named Most Valuable Player at the Northeast District Festival for the Massachusetts Association for Jazz Education.

Additionally, he has shared the stage with Danilo Perez at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, with the All Stars, and has played the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival multiple times under the tutelage of NSJP All Stars director Mike Tucker.

His parents employed the state’s School Choice Program to get him into Ipswich High so he could study under the direction of Gerald Dolan, now the director of fine arts for Ipswich Public Schools.

The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that produces free concerts for the public and raises money to support music education programs. Learn more at SalemJazzSoul.org

RickyExpress SJSF/Berklee Summer Series 8/13/16
Posted in Berklee • News • Press

RickExpress closes SJSF/Berklee Summer Series before Salem Jazz and Soul Festival

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RickExpress a Berklee College of Music student, will play the last SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concert of 2016 with his band in Derby Square, Salem, on Saturday, Aug. 13.

The free show will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. and will feature an educational interview about music and the Berklee experience. Rain location is Koto Japanese Grill. 90 Washington St., Salem.

In a Pig’s Eye restaurant will sponsor the performance, which marks the festival’s last show before the main festival, Aug. 20-21.

RickExpress (Ricky McKinney) is a singer, songwriter/composer and pianist. The youngest of his siblings and the only boy, RickExpress’ talent was discovered at an early age and harnessed thereafter. He began singing gospel music at church when he was just 2 and by 6, he had written his first song. With his unique style and eccentric flavor, he has gained the likes of music lovers across the board, ranging from his peers to older generations. They find his music soothing, healing and timeless. While he lends himself to the Neo-Soul genre, he describes his sound as “soulful, moving and ahead of the times”.  He incudes inspirations from funk and rhythm and blues. Ricky has stated that many of the messages in his songs come from his time in Sanford, a small town in North Carolina and also deal with modern themes such as social action.

RickExpress has worked with many artist including Valerie Simpson, Sam Smith, Ledisi, Talib Kweli, Sinbad, Sheila E., Lady Gaga, Robert Glasper, Snarky Puppy and more.  Ricky continues to study music and perfect his genius as a newly minted graduate from the Berklee College of Music.

The 10th-annual Salem Jazz and Soul Festival will follow during the weekend of Aug. 20-21, featuring 10 bands, a MusicKidz tent, music-education tent, artisan fair and 21-plus beer pavilion. The two-day concert is free.

The festival is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that produces free concerts and raises money for music education causes on the North Shore. Check salemjazzsoul.org for more information. Photos provided upon request.

Watch RickExpress perform his original “Ex Man” live at the Berklee Performance Center.

Published on Jul 13, 2016 | Source: Berklee College of Music

 

Posted in News • Shows

10th annual Salem Jazz and Soul Festival takes place at Salem Willows, Aug. 20-21

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Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco HellraisersThe nonprofit Salem Jazz and Soul Festival will cap its 10th season with a two-day music festival at the Salem Willows, Aug. 20-21.

August 2, 2016 – Salem, MA – The free festival will feature 10 bands, a MusicKidz tent, Salem Five Community Foundation Music-Education Tent, artisan fair and 21-plus Notch Brewing beer pavilion.

“We’re extremely excited to have made it this far as a volunteer-run nonprofit,” said Larry Claflin Jr., the festival’s co-founder and executive director. “Without the city’s help and that of our generous sponsors and growing number of patrons, this would not have been possible. This is truly a community effort.”
The festival will offer all styles of music over two days: Big band jazz, Latin, funk, soul, blues, zydeco and more. Bands hail from the North Shore, Boston, New York and Louisiana.

Organizers rarely repeat groups but made two exceptions this year: Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, who were such a hit at the 2015 festival; and Jen Kearney, who performed at the first Salem Jazz and Soul Festival, in 2007.

Saturday’s line-up consists of Salem High School Jazz Band; What Time is it, Mr. Fox; Austin Torpedoes; Brian Thomas / Alex Lee Clark Big Band; and The Nth Power, a powerful soul band from New York, led by drummer Nikki Glaspie, who has toured with Maceo Parker and Beyoncé.

Sunday will feature the North Shore Jazz Project All Stars; Edmar Colón; Jen Kearney; Tim Gearan and Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers.
Parking is limited at the Salem Willows and attendance is expected to be at an all-time high this year, so festival organizers and the city ask that attendees walk or bike to the festival, or park free at Shetland Park and take an inexpensive trolley to the festival.

The festival is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that produces free concerts and raises money for music education causes on the North Shore. Check salemjazzsoul.org for more information. Photos provided upon request.

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Posted in Berklee • Press • Shows

Selah Poitier Performing at SJSF/Berklee Summer Series, July 9 Derby Square

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Selah Poitier will perform at SJSF/Berklee Summer Series on July 9 in Derby Square

Selah Portier bassist

Selah Poitier, a recent Berklee College of Music graduate, will play the third SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concert of 2016 with her band in Derby Square, Salem, on Saturday, July 9.

The free show will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. and will feature an educational interview about music and the Berklee experience.

The Lobster Shanty will sponsor the performance, which marks the festival’s third outdoor show of its 10th season Multi-talented Bahamian bassist and singer Selah Poitier is a new artist with an eclectic musical style influenced by fresh sounds from modern jazz/hip-hop fusion, blues, neo-soul and R&B to funk, gospel, Afropop and reggae, as well as traditional Bahamian music. Poitier is also a songwriter, poet, composer, actress, activist and recent graduate of Berklee College of Music. To her, music acts as a powerful tool for emotional healing, social change, spiritual transformation and to explore the profound aspects of the human experience. Selah describes herself as a storyteller and uses her music to not only relate to listeners from all over the globe but also to reflect the times. One more SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concert will take place this year: RickExpress on Aug. 13. The 10th-annual Salem Jazz and Soul Festival will follow during the weekend of Aug. 20-21, featuring 10 bands, a MusicKidz tent, music-education tent, artisan fair and 21-plus beer pavilion. The two-day concert is free. The festival is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that produces free concerts and raises money for music education causes on the North Shore. Check salemjazzsoul.org for more information. Photos provided upon request.

Posted in Berklee • Press • Shows

Maddie Jay & the pH Collective Perform at SJSF/Berklee Summer Series June 11

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Maddie Jay & the pH Collective will perform at SJSF/Berklee Summer Series on June 11 in Derby Square

Maddie Jay & the pH Collective press release web header
Maddie Jay & the pH Collective, a band consisting of students from the Berklee College of Music, will play the second SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concert of 2016 in Derby Square, Salem, on Saturday, June 11.

The free show will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. and will feature an educational interview about music and the Berklee experience.

Creative Salem will sponsor the performance, which marks the festival’s second outdoor show of its 10th season

Maddie Jay & The pH Collective brings to the table a unique blend of acid jazz, old school beats and psychedelic girl rap. Since their inception in January 2015, they have garnered attention from online music magazines and fellow musicians with their two music videos “Throw Away Your Hate” and self-produced “No Going Back.” They serve up steaming plates of groovy original music, sautéed with spicy synth lines, creamy vocal harmonies and meaty bass fills. All music is composed by front woman Maddie Jay – rapper, writer and bassist, and is guaranteed to dish out something you have not heard before.

Two more SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concerts will take place this year: Selah Poitier on July 9; and RickExpress on Aug. 13.

The 10th-annual Salem Jazz and Soul Festival will follow during the weekend of Aug. 20-21, featuring 10 bands, a MusicKidz tent, music-education tent, artisan fair and 21-plus beer pavilion. The two-day concert is free.

The festival is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that produces free concerts and raises money for music education causes on the North Shore.

Check salemjazzsoul.org for more information. Photos provided upon request.

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Posted in Berklee • Press • Shows

First SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concert of 2016 in Derby Square, Salem, 5/14/16

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MIXLA featuring Zahili Gonzalez Zamora will perform at SJSF/Berklee Summer Series on May 14 in Derby Square

MIXLA featuring Zahili Gonzalez Zamora, a trio consisting of students from the Berklee College of Music, will play the first SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concert of 2016 in Derby Square, Salem, on Saturday, May 14.

February 5, 2016 (Salem, MA) – The free SJSF/Berklee Summer Series show will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. and will feature an educational interview about music and the Berklee experience. MIXLA featuring Zahili Gonzalez Zamora,

Howling Wolf Taqueria will sponsor the performance, which marks the festival’s first outdoor show of its 10th season

Pulling from three dynamic spirits of The Zahili Gonzalez Zamora Project, a new mixture of sonic masterpieces is born. MIXCLA is a play on words between mezcla and mix. It is also a merging of cultures hailed from the mountains of Chile, to the traditions of Japan, which driven by the fires of Cuba achieve a truly unique Latin jazz experience. MIXCLA is led by composer/pianist and singer Zahili Gonzalez Zamora, with Gerson Esteban Lazo Quiroga on bass and backing vocals, and Takafumi Nikaido on percussion. This mixture of cultural spices makes the perfect recipe for one of a kind musical experience.

Three more SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concerts will take place this year: Maddie Jay & the pH Collective on June 11; Selah Poitier on July 9; and RickExpress on Aug. 13.

The 10th-annual Salem Jazz and Soul Festival will follow during the weekend of Aug. 20-21, featuring 10 bands, a kids’ tent, music-education tent, artisan fair and 21-plus beer pavilion. The two-day concert is free.

The festival is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that produces free concerts and raises money for music education causes on the North Shore.

Check salemjazzsoul.org for more information. Photos provided upon request.

Media Contact: Judy Parisella
Email: jparisella@salemjazzsoul.com

Posted in Education • Press

SJSF’s MusicKidz relocates to Salem’s Point neighborhood

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The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival’s popular MusicKidz program has relocated to Salem’s Point neighborhood.

2016 MusicKids 135 Lafayette v3
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2016 – The MusicKidz program is a workshop for children in grades K-5 and takes place the second Saturday of every month, beginning Feb. 13, in the Community Room of 135 Lafayette Apartments. It runs from 10 to 11 a.m. and parental supervision is required.

Classes cover such subjects as creative movement, rhythm and world music. The class is taught by Justine Pasquale, a Salem State University graduate and teacher in Malden public schools.

“135 Lafayette and Peabody Properties, Inc. are very excited to be offering the MusicKidz Program, in conjunction with the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival, for our young residents as well as the youth in the community,” said Marcy Grady, residential services coordinator at 135 Lafayette Apartments. “We look forward to a memorable experience of fun and sharing the joy of music with our residents and the neighborhood youth.”

Saturday will begin the fourth year for the MusicKidz workshop, which has been run out of Salem Library and Salem YMCA in the past. According to the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival’s educators, the new location is a perfect fit.

“We’re thrilled about our partnership with Peabody Properties to bring MusicKidz to 135 Lafayette,” said Nick Giarratani, the festival’s education director. “We’re hoping this new location will attract children from the Point neighborhood and inspire them. We’re happy we can provide such a service to a most deserving neighborhood.”

MusicKidz is sponsored by the Howling Wolf Taqueria and made possible through a grant from Cell Signaling Technologies.

The nonprofit Salem Jazz and Soul Festival’s mission is to produce free concerts and support music-education causes on the North Shore of Massachusetts. It is celebrating its 10th season in 2016.

For more information, email jparisella@salemjazzsoul.org.

Learn more at SalemJazzSoul.org.

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