By Mabel Pais

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) has an exciting artist line-up of the highly anticipated 11th annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival, November 2022. This year’s program offers events combining jazz luminaries in collaboration with artists known for R&B, poetry, hip hop, and much more.

 Here are some highlights:

DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER AND SAVION GLOVER: NTERPRETATIONS

DEE BRIDGEWATER, over the course of a multifaceted career spanning four decades, Grammy and Tony Award-winning Jazz giant Dee Dee Bridgewater has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists, putting her unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics. Ever the fearless voyager, explorer, pioneer and keeper of tradition, the three-time Grammy-winner most recently won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album for Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee. Bridgewater’s career has always bridged musical genres. She earned her first professional experience as a member of the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band, and throughout the 70’s she performed with such jazz notables as Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Dizzy Gillespie. After a foray into the pop world during the 1980s, she relocated to Paris and began to turn her attention back to Jazz.

As a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Bridgewater continues to appeal for international solidarity to finance global grassroots projects in the fight against world hunger. In April 2017 was the recipient of an NEA Jazz Masters Fellows Award with honors bestowed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In December 2017, Bridgewater was presented with the ASCAP Foundation Champions award acknowledging her charitable contributions. In 2018, Bridgewater received the prestigious Doris Duke Artist Award. 2019 brought her induction in the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in recognition of her contributions to music and in celebration of her latest CD, “Memphis, Yes…I’m Ready.” That same year, Bridgewater launched The Woodshed Network, a non-profit partnership with 651 Arts created to mentor, connect, support, and educate women in Jazz. Bridgewater serves as Artistic Director, along with Associate Artistic Director and Program Curator Tulani Bridgewater-Kowalski with lead support by The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

The Dee Dee Bridgewater Big Band is a swinging all-women Big Band in the spirit of the ‘International Sweethearts of Rhythm’ and drawing on Dee Dee’s time with the ‘Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra.’ Incorporating alumnae of The Woodshed Network, Bridgewater’s non-profit program for self-identifying women in jazz, audiences should prepare to hold on to their seats. Bridgewater is “bringing it” with all the energy, dynamism and joy fans have come to expect from the legendary polymath.

Connect with Dee Online:

www.DeeDeeBridgewater.com

Facebook & Instagram @deedeebridgewater

Twitter @ddbprods

SAVION GLOVER is a Tony Award-winning choreographer and legendary hoofer, whose career has spanned nearly four decades. He began his Broadway stage career as The Tap Dance Kid, and continued with Black and Blue, Jelly’s Last Jam and his award-winning Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk, which garnered him a Tony Award for Best Choreography. He has performed worldwide with jazz legends including McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes and Jack DeJohnette.

Film credits include Tap, starring Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis, Jr.; Spike Lee’s Bamboozled and George Miller’s Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two. Serving as dance advisor for NJPAC and as a member of its board of directors, he is dedicated to furthering arts education programming with Summer Intensives, established to help youth explore artistic expression.

This event takes place on November 12.

 NJMEA ALL-STATE JAZZ BAND AND CHOIR TEAM UP WITH SPECIAL GUEST

Catch the next generation of great jazz artists from New Jersey. This annual concert event, co-presented by NJPAC’s Arts Education Department and the New Jersey Music Educators Association, brings together some of the very best young musicians and vocalists from across the state for a dynamic group performance. The NJMEA All-State Jazz Band and NJMEA All-State Jazz Choir will be joined by special guest Christian McBride—NJPAC Jazz Advisor and acclaimed jazz bassist, bandleader and composer.

This event happens on November 18.

REPRESENT: A NIGHT OF JAZZ,

HIP HOP & SPOKEN WORD

Christian McBride: Musical Director

Performer: Major Ras Baraka

For one not-to-miss night, NJPAC unites the leading voices in jazz, hip hop and poetry.

The legendary lineup includes hip hop stars Black Thought (The Roots), Rakim (Paid in Full), Speech (Arrested Development), Chuck D (Public Enemy), Dupre ‘Doitall’ Kelly (Lords of the Underground) award-winning poets and spoken word performers Nikki Giovanni, jessica Care moore, Mayor Ras Baraka, and The Last Poets (Abiodun Oyewole, Umar Bin Hassan, and Babadon Babatunde), Sean Battle and Treasure Borde (EvoluCulture); Saxophonists Javon Jackson and Ravi Coltrane, Musical Director (and NJPAC Jazz Advisor) Christian McBride and A Christian McBride Situation; Blaring horns and baring souls, these masterful artists exclaim their vision of justice, change, and joy. This performance is a presentation of City Verses: ‘Amplifying New Voices through Jazz and Poetry,’ a unique joint-initiative of NJPAC and Rutgers-Newark’s which celebrates the rich historical connection between jazz and poetry, creates opportunities for public engagement, strengthens community ties through the arts, amplifies the authentic voices of the people of Greater Newark, and engages a new generation of poets, jazz musicians and teaching artists.

Who’s up next!

Right after the show, join the artists for music and poetry! Witness history in the making when you experience UP NEXT, a showcase of the next generation of poets, followed by DJ Storm Norm the General on the ones and twos, hosted by Ms Jones from 94.7 The Block.

 This event happens on November 19.

SARAH VAUGHAN INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL JAZZ VOCAL COMPETITION

The divine Sarah Vaughan—Newark’s greatest musical gift to the world—got her start as the winner of a talent contest. NJPAC honors her legacy every year with The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Now entering its second decade, “The SASSY Awards” is the only international jazz vocal competition of its kind, open to all genders. At this public performance, you’ll witness the next generation of powerhouse jazz vocalists ready to take their rightful place in the global spotlight.

The event is hosted by WBGO ‘Morning Jazz’ host Gary Walker. NJPAC’s panel of all-star judges includes Regina Carter, Christian McBride, T.S. Monk, Pat Prescott and Maria Schneider. Contestants are evaluated on vocal quality, musicality, technique, performance, individuality, artistic interpretation and ability to swing. The winner receives a $5,000 cash prize and a one-of-a-kind platform for embarking on a career in the music business.

With Black Thought, Rakim, Speech, Chuck D, Dupre ‘Doitall’ Kelly, Nikki Giovanni, jessica Care moore, Javon Jackson, Ravi Coltrane, Mayor Ras Baraka, The Last Poets, Sean Battle, Treasure Borde, and A Christian McBride Situation.

This event takes place on November 20.

TICKETS

For more information on each event and tickets, visit njpac.org/tickets-events

(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Health & Wellness, Cuisine and Spirituality)