"I find it wonderfully satisfying and enjoyable to make music with Caelan. The evening will go like the wind, and it is unfortunate we have only one set, but there will be more opportunities. Don't be late!"
Those were the comments of bassist Rufus Reid prior to a January 2023 concert performed by him and pianist Caelan Cardello at the Klavierhaus piano store in New York City. The concert was also recorded as an album: Rufus Reid Presents Caelan Cardello. If you missed that concert, you'll have another opportunity to hear Cardello and Reid play together on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at the New Jersey Jazz Society's Jersey Jazz LIVE! concert at the Madison (NJ) Community Arts Center. Showtime is 3:00pm.
The 25-year-old Cardello, who grew up in Teaneck, NJ, was a Jersey Jazz Magazine Rising Star in February 2022, and his debut album as a leader, Chapter One on Jazz Bird Records, was released in August 2025 to very positive reviews. The 82-year-old Reid, a current Teaneck resident, is a jazz legend. In November 2022, he was the honoree at the South Orange Performing Arts Center's Giants of Jazz concert, and in March 2024 he received Wharton Arts' Lifetime Achievement Award. A former member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Reid has played with a long list of jazz luminaries including trombonist J.J. Johnson, pianist Kenny Barron, and tenor saxophonist Stan Getz. As an educator, he helped build the Jazz Studies program at William Paterson University, directing it for 20 years -- from 1979 to 1999.
Caelan Cardello, left, and Rufus Reid
Reviewing the Klavierhaus concert, Audiophilia Magazine wrote: "From the opening notes of Thad Jones' 'Mean What You Say', you'll know you're in the hands of a master. Actually, two masters. Cardello's opening phrasing is so beautiful, accompanied by a perfectly-voiced left-hand chordal accompaniment. And when either Cardello or Reid solo, it's tasteful, song appropriate and always leaves you satisfied. Superb musicianship.
"Reid," the review continued, "demonstrates his gorgeous tone and controlled vibrato on Tadd Dameron's 'If You Could See Me Now', with more tasteful Cardello comping. . . For one so young, Caelan Cardello's playing will take your ears where they have no right to go."
Cardello received his Master of Music degree from Juilliard in 2025 after earning his Bachelors Degree in Piano Performance from William Paterson University, where he studied with pianists Dave Kikoski and Bill Charlap. "Out of all my students and the young pianists I've heard in the last few years," Kikoski told Jersey Jazz, "Caelan Cardello is the brightest star. He just keeps getting better and better at an amazing rate!"
Reviewing Chapter One for Jersey Jazz, Joe Lang wrote that "Cardello has the three things that set the primo players apart: great chops, a wide imagination, and exquisite taste. His playing grabs your attention and never lets it go."
In an interview with Jersey Jazz's Jay Sweet prior to the Giants of Jazz concert, Reid recalled his experiences with Stan Getz. "Playing with Getz," he said, "was special for me. Many Stan Getz nuts believe the records we made were some of the best, and I have to admit they are wonderful, and I feel blessed to be part of that."
The Jersey Jazz LIVE! concerts begin at 3:00pm. Admission is $15 for NJJS members and $20 for non-members. Student admission is $5 with valid ID. There will be light refreshments for purchase. Tickets are available for purchase online. The Madison Community Arts Center is located at 10 Kings Road in Madison, New Jersey.
Cardello and Reid will be preceded by a Rising Stars opening act featuring a sextet of student jazz musicians from the County College of Morris in Randolph, NJ. They are: Lenape Valley High School graduates guitarist Drew Kmec and drummer Andrew Boden; trombonist Gerald Creighton (Randolph High School); alto saxophonist Charlie Stokley and bassist Nathanielle Quiambao (Mount Olive High School); and vocalist Mak Shapiro (Belvidere High School).
(LEFT) Vocalist Mak Shapiro (RIGHT) ccm jazz ensemble: Drew Kmec, Andrew Boden, Gerald Creighton, Charlie Stokley, Nathanielle Quiambao.
Founded in 1972, the New Jersey Jazz Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the performance, promotion, and preservation of America’s original art form — jazz. The Society seeks to ensure continuity of the jazz art form through its commitment to nurture and champion young musicians, along with showcasing outstanding national and international artists.
