Originally published in Jersey Jazz Magazine. Reprinted by permission of the New Jersey Jazz Society.
On March 3, 2024, jazz guitarist Sally Shupe of Maplewood, NJ, then a senior at Columbia High School, led a quintet as the Rising Stars opening act at the New Jersey Jazz Society's Jersey Jazz LIVE! concert in Madison. To celebrate Women's History Month, the quintet played three tunes associated with female composers: "Blues for Herb" written for guitarist Herb Ellis by guitarist Emily Remler; "Games" by jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby; and "Just Another Day at the Office" by pianist/educator Monika Herzig.
Shupe, now a Jazz Studies major at William Paterson University, is one of several college and high school jazz musicians who will be featured at the first-ever Ross Farm Jazz Festival on May 17 in Basking Ridge.
William Paterson guitarist Sally Shupe
The headliner at the festival, organized by David Becker, President of Ross Farm, is guitarist Dave Stryker, who will lead a quartet with saxophonist Troy Roberts, organist Jared Gold, and drummer Steve Johns. Stryker also teaches in three New Jersey jazz studies programs: William Paterson, Montclair State, and Rutgers, and he has coordinated the Ross appearances of the student ensembles he leads, including:
* The William Paterson Brecker Brothers Ensemble, "playing the funky fusion sounds of the Brecker Brothers with songs by (pianist) Dan Grolnick, (guitarist) Pat Metheny, and (trumpeter) Randy Brecker."
* The Rutgers Jazz Guitar Combo, "featuring four guitarists blending like a Supersax horn section with bass and drums." This group will play standards as well as originals by Stryker, (guitarist) John Scofield, and (pianist) Kenny Barron.
* The Montclair State Jazz Quintet, playing music by (tenor saxophonist) Michael Brecker, Stryker, (pianist) Carla Bley, and Metheny.
There will also be a local Basking Ridge flavor. The festivities will lead off with a performance by the Ridge High School Jazz Combo and Big Band. And, there will be a segment featuring three Ridge High School alumni: keyboardist/vocalist Frankie Midnight (Occhiogrosso), trumpeter Carl Gerhard, and drummer Josh Conklin.
Alto saxophonist Anish Alur and guitarist Desmond Diehl will be among the Ridge student musicians performing. Alur led a trio at NJJS' Jersey Jazz LIVE! concert in January. He was named an Outstanding Soloist at the Charles Mingus Festival and High School Competition held in February at The New School in New York and was also a member of last year's New Jersey All-State Jazz Ensemble and the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra led by Gerald Clayton at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Diehl will be a soloist with the Jazz House Kids Big Band as they compete this month at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington Competition.
From Ridge High School (LEFT) alto saxophonist Anish Alur, photo by Marguerite LaFountaine (RIGHT) guitarist Desmond Diehl, photo by Paige Purcel
According to Dan Zugale, Ridge High School Director of Bands, the 20-piece Ridge Big Band will play about five selections including Sammy Nestico's "Hey Burner" and Mike Tomaro's arrangement of Chick Corea's "Armando's Rhumba". The setlist for the Combo will probably include Arthur Schwartz's "You and the Night and the Music" and Larry Willis' "To Wisdom the Prize".
Midnight graduated from Ridge High School in 2019 and studied Jazz at Rutgers' Mason Gross School of the Arts. He regularly performs in jazz, classical, and pop settings and has played recently at Van Gogh's Ear in Union, the Brightside Tavern in Jersey City, and Seamore's Supper Club in Brooklyn. His quartet at Ross Farm will include Gerhard, Conklin, and bassist Telvin Palarche. "After performing all kinds of music around New Jersey and the Tri-State Area," he said, "I really look forward to finally performing in my hometown. It's a real full circle moment."
Frankie Midnight
Gerhard graduated from Ridge High School in 1981 and enlisted in the Navy. While playing and leading Navy bands around the world, he became a Navy "Mustang", a term for an enlisted sailor who becomes a commissioned officer. He retired, after 30 years of service, as a lieutenant commander.
"What a great thrill to be invited to play in this festival," he said. "And performing back in my hometown will be especially rewarding. When I was the Director of Navy Band Northeast in 2010, we were honored to perform to a full house at my alma mater, Ridge High School, in support of Bernards Township's 250th anniversary celebration. And, most recently, as a member of Roomful of Blues, we were privileged to headline multiple shows during Ross Farm's great summer concert series. So, coming back home and being a part of Ross Farm's inaugural jazz fest, and to play with and listen to some of New Jersey's best young jazz talent, will be an absolute blast!" Gerhard also played with Giant Country Horns, a band that toured and has been recorded with Phish..
Stryker was interviewed in the February 2025 issue of Jersey Jazz in connection with his very successful Strikezone Records album, Stryker With Strings Goes to the Movies. At presstime, it had spent 14 weeks on the JazzWeek charts, reaching as high as Number 2. At Ross Farm, he will play some quartet versions of songs from that album as well as tunes from many of his other recordings.
A West Orange resident, Stryker grew up in Nebraska. Early on in his career he played with jazz organist Brother Jack McDuff. "Jack had previously worked with guitarists like Grant Green, George Benson, and Pat Martino," he told Jersey Jazz's Jay Sweet, "so being in his band was a hot seat." Stryker also spent 10 years with legendary tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. "Playing night after night with someone like Stanley," he said, "was an incredible experience. Having to follow his solos really pushed me to rise to the occasion."
The four guitarists in the Rutgers Jazz Guitar Combo are: Christos Kokolis, Christian Orlowski, Noah Pagdanganan, and Siddartha Suppiah. They will be joined by drummer Brydon Bullock and bassist Oluwatayo Adelekan.
The Montclair State Jazz Quintet members are: trumpeter Will Schetelich, tenor saxophonist Ryan Huston, guitarist Levi Taple, bassist Emek Demir, and drummer Eric Dupont. Huston, from Toms River, and Schetelich, from Scotch Plains, performed as part of a Jersey Jazz LIVE! Rising Stars opening act in June 2023.
From Montclair State (LEFT) trumpeter Will Schetelich (RIGHT) tenor saxophonist Ryan Huston
In addition to Shupe, the William Paterson Brecker Brothers Ensemble will include trumpeter Josh Mercado, saxophonist Nathan Brenson, pianist Nick Schneider, bassist Avishal Seguel, and drummer Luke Richards. According to David Demsey, WPU Coordinator of Jazz Studies, the music that will be played by the Ensemble is from the Michael Brecker Archive on the William Paterson campus. It includes original ink and pencil copies from the Brecker Brothers and Steps Ahead and copies of pages that were on the music stands at the original recordings and on the road with the bands.
David Becker, the Festival's organizer, said, "It's been a goal for many years to host a jazz festival at Ross Farm. We hope this inaugural event will be the start of an ongoing tradition that brings together professionals and emerging artists."
The Ross Farm Music Series is made possible by the generous support of local business sponsors and the Band of Friends, a dedicated group of supporters. Ross Farm is located at 135 North Maple Ave. in Basking Ridge. Gates will open at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, and the live music will last from 2-8 p.m. For more information or to order tickets, click here. Rain date is Sunday, May 18.
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