redbank jazz/blues festival report

[Garry Hodgson <garry@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

me and the family trucked on down to red bank for the 2004 jazz/blues festival
yesterday afternoon.  had a great time.  there were vendors, food, and two stages,
one mostly jazz, the other mostly blues.

we arrived mid afternoon (SAT's in the morning) to catch sonny kenn, doing 
a variety of great blues and rock and roll tunes.  then wandered over to the 
blues stage, where we saw jason ricci play an absolutely amazing set.
i explained to my kids that the stuff he was playing was plainly impossible
to do on harp, yet he managed somehow anyway.  there was a line at the
vendor's booth after the set to buy his cd.

it had been cold and dreary all day, with some off and on drizzle.  it got
more steady right about when the peter karp roadshow, with dennis gruenling
sitting in, began their set.  it was a good, though short, set.  dennis was
great when he played, but being a proper sideman, he didn't get to play
enough for my taste.

during the break that followed, the rain started in earnest.  we went for hot drinks
to try and warm up before reclaiming our front row folding chairs.  then ryan hartt
and the blue hearts came on, and played a great set for a small, cold, soaking wet, 
yet enthusiastic crowd of die hards in the rain.  the year before, the show got 
cancelled right when they were about to begin due to rain.  so they were happy 
to get to actually play this year, having driven down from connecticut, and very
appreciative of the crowd for sticking around.  very nice vibe all around.

they finished around 8:30, and we sprinted for the car to warm up. i had a great time.
it was especially nice to be able to share this with my family.  i think the kids really
got it, about what a special thing live music is, and how great music can be.

for anyone in the NY/NJ area, i'd highly recommend checking out this festival 
next year.  see jsjbf.org for updates.


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Garry Hodgson, Technical Consultant, AT&T Labs

Be happy for this moment.
This moment is your life.