New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


?>

 

2019 Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival


By John Posada

originally published: 09/24/2019

Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival took place on Saturday, August 17 from noon until 10:00pm. This year’s concert paid tribute to the 40th anniversary of the world’s greatest jazz radio station WBGO and to the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival.  Photographer John Posada was on hand to cover the event.  We’ve got a pair of videos from festival performances and a photo slideshow from throughout the day. 

The festival began with The Antoinette Montague Experience at noon.  The band features the award-winning vocalist and Newark native Antoinette along with pianist Danny Mixon, guitarist King Solomon Hicks, saxophonist Benny Rubin Jr., bassist Melissa Slocum, multiple Grammy nominated drummer Bobby Sanabria, and the exciting tap dancer A.C. Lincoln.

The Frank Vignola Trio followed at two o’clock. Now recovered from a serious accident which threatened his career, Frank has returned to his genre-spanning jazz, joined by his guitar partner and 2018 Top Musician of the Year Vinny Raniolo and longtime bassist Gary Mazzaroppi. 

Rob Paparozzi’s Juke Joint performed at four o’clock with a salute to Woodstock.  Although he was too young to go to Woodstock himself, Rob later toured as the lead singer for “Blood Sweat & Tears” and most recently travelled the world with the “Original Blues Brothers Band.”  His band includes John Korba on piano, George Naha on guitar, Sue Williams on bass, Warren Odze on drums, Tom Timko on sax, Max Morden on trumpet, on special guest Tom “Bones” Malone on trombone. 

At six o’clock, the festival moves into the blues with The Bernard Allison Group. Born in Chicago in 1965, Bernard Allison was first introduced to the blues by his father, the legendary guitarist Luther Allison. Bernard developed his chops with the Koko Taylor Blues Machine as well as the great Willie Dixon.




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage



Closing things out was the amazing blues guitarist Davy Knowles who has toured with Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, The Who, Warren Haynes, George Thorogood, Joe Bonamassa, and Peter Frampton and is popular at festivals such as Lollapalozza, Bonnaroo, and Austin City Limits. He has been praised by guitar greats such as Joe Satriani who proclaimed Knowles his “favorite modern bluesman” and Peter Frampton who called him “the gunslinger guitarist of the 21st century.”

Here are a few photos from the day.  For the complete photo slideshow, click here.

Click here for the magazine's photo slideshow with more pictures.

John Posada is a New Jersey based photographer specializing in photographing live theatre and music performances. For more than 15 years, John has photographed live events where he mastered the techniques of timing and capturing fast moving action under challenging lighting conditions. Currently, John has spent the last 3 years concentrating on photographing almost 200 theatre productions for over 70 different theatres. Click here for John's website.




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage


FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Curtis

Curtis Salgado

Wednesday, July 02, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 

John

John Lee & Friends

Thursday, July 03, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Morris Museum Back Deck
6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 

Blues

Blues People with Special Guest: Jeff Levine

Saturday, July 05, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 

Straight

Straight No Chaser - Summer: The 90’s Part 2

Tuesday, July 08, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music


 

Frisson

Frisson Winds

Thursday, July 10, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Morris Museum Back Deck
6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 



Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info





 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Two

Two NJ Jazz Musicians Will Play with The Jazz Ambassadors in Morristown

Pianist Anthony Pocetti grew up in Hamilton, NJ, studying piano, "doing sort of traditional piano lessons. I have an uncle who was always encouraging me to get into the jazz thing. He gave me the (Miles Davis) Kind of Blue CD, and he knew that the jazz pianist Jim Ridl was living in Hamilton."



Asbury

Asbury Lanes presents There, There - A Tribute to Radiohead

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Asbury Lanes presents There, There on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 8:00pm. They are the premier Radiohead tribute act, playing songs from throughout the band's iconic multi-decade catalogue.



bergenPAC

bergenPAC presents Straight No Chaser - Summer: The 90's Part 2

(ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- After a totally fly 2024 summer tour packed full of 90s boy band, pop, and R&B hits, RIAA-certified Gold a cappella group Straight No Chaser is back by popular demand with "Straight No Chaser Summer: 90s Part 2." The tour comes to Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) on Thursday, July 8, 2025 at 7:00pm.



Blue

Blue Curtain presents 2025 Summer Concert Series in Princeton

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Blue Curtain returns to Pettoranello Gardens Amphitheater this July with a free three-concert series. The 2025 season opens on Saturday, July 12 at 8:00pm with a performance by internationally acclaimed trombonist, composer, and bandleader Jimmy Bosch, also known as El Trombon Criollo.



NJPAC

NJPAC presents KEM with special guest Melania Fiona

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents a special evening with KEM, known as Soul's Greatness, on Friday, July 18, 2025 at 8:00pm. Special guest Melanie Fiona will open the night.