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Get ready to experience the best local live music professionals all day long. Add on many food trucks all designed influence your pallet with great food. It’s going to be a really great day at the Orange Park Food Truck and Jazz Festival.
LINEUP
Rapper Samad Savage
Samad Savage is an artist who’s going to change the world, or at least change yours. At seventeen, he realized that his ultimate purpose was to have a positive effect on the world, one person at a time. Samad’s defining release was his debut project, ‘The Grey Area’ (June 28th, 2018). This game-changing project not only showcased Samad’s raw talent as an MC, while revealing the human, painful side of him. In 2019 he took “conceptual project” to another unreached level in hip hop. Dropping “Trust The Weird Kids”, he garnered the opinion of album of the year from multiple sources and did all catering to the outcasts of the world, whether it be in the classroom, workplace or everyday life. Now, after the success of his singles “Goodnight” & “Good N Evil”, the world couldn’t truly prepare for what’s to come next…..”DUO-LITTY”. Not many can say their first album reached #5 on an iTunes chart. Nor can they say they got a single from the album played on the legendary NYC FM station Hot 97. At the same time, a rap artist listed in two R&B playlists in pandora. All of this is done through prayer and drive. Let’s see where he’ll take it next.
MPack Music
Clarence Conover – Band Leader, Bass & Lead Vocals
Vocalist – Patricia Walton
Glenn Merritt – Keys
Kim Smith Drums
John Dubose – Sax
MPack is one of North Jersey’s extremely popular, dynamic and swinging R&B bands. MPack brings an explosive energy to an event that is guaranteed to rock you again during their return trip to the 34rd Annual Food Truck and Jazz Festival.
The talented musicians of MPACK will be sure to get you up on your feet and dancing the night away. With their energetic performances and catchy tunes, they know how to keep the party going. It’s going to be a performance you won’t want to miss!
ULTRA’s
John Morrison – guitar
B i l l y C a r r i o n – bass
Cam p b e l l C h a r s h e e – keys
Jarrett Walser – drums
A jazz fusion band that has been stirring up the NJ music scene with their unique and captivating sounds. With musicians well-versed in various musical styles, including jazz, fusion, video game
music, rock, etc. This eclectic group produces a vibrant concoction of sounds and tones to
delight any music lover.
ULTRA’s releasing its debut album, entitled “Universe Less Traveled Reveals Authentic Self” in the winter of 2024. The group is comprised of seasoned professionals, each with a truly unique voice
on their instrument. Equally at home performing on the street, the concert hall or the jazz club, The band’s signature style can be attributed to its ability to create a cohesive sound from each member’s distinct approach to playing and composition.
Blues People
Mike Griot – Bass
Kelton Cooper – Vocals / Guitar
Gene Lake – Drums
Ron Thompson – Keyboards
“The New Sound of NYC/North Jersey Blues”
“New York Blues” can be described like the global phenomenon that it is: edgy, honest and one-of-a-kind. From Lionel Hampton to Ruth Brown …from Michael Hill to King Solomon Hicks — New York can claim its own unique blues experience.
BLUES People is a NY/NJ blues band featuring…KELTON COOPER (vocals/guitar), MIKE GRIOT (bass), RON THOMPSON (keys) and GENE LAKE (drums). Early comparisons to the Meters, Luther Allison, Keb Mo’ and Buddy Guy are starting to roll in!
Having released two promotional singles in 2022 (“The Skin I’m In” and “Troubled Times”), the band has independently released its 2024 debut album “The Skin I’m In”.
These seasoned veterans have certainly paid their dues; as individual side men, they have supported a who’s-who of touring “A-listers”, including Sue Foley, Josh Smith, Kool & the Gang, Ruf’s Blues Caravan, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Bo Diddley, Jr. and Michael Hill’s Blues Mob… just to name a few.
BLUES People’s arrival on the global blues scene marks a dynamic shift in the present and future state of blues music… and the culmination of a story over 40 years in the making. Lead singer- guitarist Kelton Cooper and Bassist Mike Griot met as teenagers in rival bands in Orange, NJ… just a stone’s throw from NYC.
Cooper (who played drums, guitar and bass) and Griot (who was a classical cellist and electric bassist) shared early stages on local talent shows. Hungry to play the music of the time, these inspired teenagers took every opportunity to play their instruments for any who would listen. Whether it was a friend’s basement, garage or backyard — these two talents literally loaded their equipment in shopping carts (if necessary) to the next place they could play their music.
FAST FORWARD (2017): Having separately amassed years of pro touring credits, recording sessions and collaborations with a literal “Who’s Who” in entertainment, Cooper and Griot found themselves back together again — this time in Griot’s live music club in New Jersey. Cooper moonlighted as a sound engineer…as well as continuing his relentless freelance schedule. It was fellow sideman/drummer Gene Lake (David Sanborn/Boz Scaggs / Meshell Ndegeocello) who suggested Cooper should do an original project. Upon presenting this to Griot, Griot agreed, stating “if we become a cover band, lose my number”! This proved to be the catalyst for band’s birth.
THE PANDEMIC (2020): When COVID shut down the music industry, the three musical comrades did what many did: write and record. With access to multiple studios, they began crafting what has now become their “NYC/North Jersey Blues Sound” – while sharing stories of their life and struggles. Their important together work has resulted in their 2024 debut album: “The Skin I’m In”.
Blues People musically explores the effects of the blues on modern American culture on many universal levels… and is a modern chronicle of four “real-life blues brothers” living in THIS time in America… while surviving the NY/NJ-Metro urban landscape.
Yayoi Ikawa Trio
Kenneth Salters – drums
Lonnie Plaxico – bass
Yayoi Ikawa – piano
Born in Tokyo, Japan, but raised musically in New York, Yayoi is an experience in ingenuity and compassion. As a pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader, Yayoi has worked in many countries. Being exposed to diverse music scene in New York after moving from Japan, Yayoi quickly adopted herself in various styles of music such as Jazz, Gospel, R&B, Soul, Classical and World music. After completing her studies at New School where she received the Henry and Gill Block scholarship, Yayoi was a faculty member at the International Jazz and Dance Academy in Slovenia along with her mentor Reggie Workman in 2003 and 2004.
After recording a straight ahead jazz piano trio on Nippon Crown release “Angel Eyes” in 2004, she self produced “Color of Dreams” in 2005 displaying her original compositions. Yayoi has toured nationally as well as internationally with her groups, and appeared International Jazz festivals in Japan, Italy, Haiti, France, Slovenia, and Costa Rica. In 2008, Yayoi started “The Bridge Project” to create musical dialogue between New York and Tokyo musicians in an experimental environment. In 2009, the project toured in Costa Rica through a sponsorship of U.S. Embassy. In 2018, Yayoi was invited to participate in Piano Kon Sa Ka Ekri, a piano festival in Martinique. She started to collaborate with local musicians immediately, and the project performed at Première Rencontre Autour du Piano in Guadeloupe. In 2019, Yayoi’s bridge project featuring Hatian vocalist Emeline Michel was featured in Sakura Matsuri, a celebration of Japanese culture in Brooklyn Botanical Garden. While working towards her master degree at NYU, Yayoi’s orchestra work for film was premiered at Lincoln Center in 2007. As a composer and arranger, Yayoi received commissions from Modern Music Society of Tokyo, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and Montreal based sculpture David Baumflek.
Yayoi has worked with such legendary artists as Reggie Workman, Michael Carvin, Howard Johnson, Michal Urbaniak, Butch Morris, Craig Harris, Lenny Pickett, Frank Lacy, Lonnie Plaxico, Fostina Dixon, Salim Washington, Emeline Michel, James Germain, Daniel Bernard Roumain, The Meditations, Kaissa etc. Yayoi is a music director at First Baptist Church in Piscataway NJ, and a jazz piano instructor at City College of New York, Brooklyn College. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan.
Dermel Warren and Friends
Brandon McCune on Piano,
Anthony Anderson on Bass,
Habbert Cheeks on drums
Dermel Warren was born and raised in Memphis, TN, where she grew up singing in her mother’s church. At church, she received her vocal training from Kelley Muller-Smith, first lady of Miracle Temple Ministries, Inc. She has performed background and lead vocals for Donald Lawrence, Richard Smallwood, Karen Clark-Sheard, Lisa Page Brooks, Beverly Crawford, Kurt Karr, Yolanda Adams, Ernest Pugh, Josh Milan (House Music Artist), jazz drummer Winard Harper, the amazing Valerie Simpson of Ashford and Simpson, and many more. Dermel has toured with Blues artists, the late Sergio Davis and Mel Waiters opening up for artists such as The Manhattans, Shirley Brown, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Bobby Womack, and Lenny Williams. She also opened up for Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, & Mint Condition as a solo artist at the Budweiser Summer Fest Tour in 2011. She is currently based out of New Jersey, collaborating with producers on their projects, and working on her debut album, “My Life’s Journey.”
Nat Adderley Jr.. Quartet
Mike Lee on tenor sax,
Paul Beaudry on bass
Earl Grice on drums
Nat Adderley Jr on keys
As Luther Vandross’ long-time musical director, Nat’s compositions include “Stop to Love”, “Wait for Love”, “Make Me a Believer”, “Other Side of The World”, and the Grammy-nominated “Give Me the Reason”. His many arrangements for Luther include “Superstar”, “Here and Now”, “So Amazing”, “If Only for One Night”, “If This World Were Mine”, “There’s Nothing Better Than Love”, “Anyone Who Had a Heart”, and “Never Too Much”. Also for Luther, Nat produced “My Favorite Things”, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, “Going Out of My Head” and “The Closer I Get To You” (the Grammy-winning duet with Beyonce). Nat also of course produced Luther’s very last project, “Live at Radio City Music Hall”.
Nat wrote “The Wave” for Kirk Whalum, arranged Natalie Cole’s 1987 recording of “When I Fall In Love”, produced “Just Another Lonely Night” for Johnny Gill, arranged Aretha Franklin’s album Jump To It, produced Gloria Lynne’s album No Detour Ahead, and produced “That’s How Heartaches are Made” for the Temptations. And In 2016 and 2017, Nat produced the CD “Invitation” for Nicolas Bearde, and appeared as pianist on Jay Hoggard’s beautiful CD “Harlem Heiroglyphs”.
After a decades-long absence from theater, Nat has recently done three important shows for the Tony-winning Crossroads Theater Company in New Brunswick, NJ. In September of ’17 he served as arranger and musical director for “Sarah Sings a Love Story” . In April of ’19 he did the same for “Sophisticated Ladies” directed by Tony winner Andre DeShields . And in September of ’19 Nat was MD and appeared as the character “Larry” (Paul Robeson’s accompanist) in “Robeson”.
In recent years, the Nat Adderley Jr Quartet (or Trio) performed in Beijing (the Blue Note), Singapore (the Kool Kats Club), in New York City (Minton’s , Grant’s Tomb, the Sugar Bar), New Jersey (Shanghai Jazz in Madison), and many other venues. In September ’19 the band headlined Sheila Anderson’s (WBGO) “Somerville (NJ) Jazz Festival”. And as a “sideman” in 2019 Nat played with Regina Carter (The Jazz Standard NYC on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day) and with Vincent Herring (Smoke Jazz Club NYC later in the year).
In 2020 and 2021 the Nat Adderley Jr Quartet performed for sold-out houses at Parker’s Jazz Club in Austin Tx, Breezy’s Jazz Club Jacksonville Fl, Takoma Station in Washington DC, and a few nights back at Minton’s in Harlem. Also in NYC there were a few “packed” performances for “Jazzmobile” at Marcus Garvey Park and at Grant’s Tomb. Nat also streamed various widely-viewed concerts from his living room for the Queens Public Library, the New Jersey Jazz Society. And from “Birdland” streamed the “Tribute to Phyllis Hyman” duo with Alyson Williams. Finally, in July ’21, Nat was featured (with Paulette McWilliams) in Austria at “ Porgy and Bess” in Vienna, and at the Inntone Jazz Festival in Diersbach.
Nat Adderley Jr received his BA from Yale University.
John Lee and Friends
John Lee – Bass
Karl Lathan – Drums
Tomoko Ohno – Piano
John Lee – Bass
John Lee is a Grammy Award winning record producer and audio engineer. He has produced over 100 recordings and is the co-founder of the record label JLP, Jazz Legacy Productions. From 1984 thru 1993, John Lee was Dizzy Gillespie’s bassist. Performing and recording in the trumpet master’s various bands including the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet, Dizzy Gillespie Big Band and Dizzy’s Grammy Award winning United Nation Orchestra. After Dizzy’s passing, his family asked John to create an ongoing tribute to the great man and his music—and the concept for the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars was born. John is the bassist and director of the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band and the Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience. He has also worked in the bands of Gary Bartz, Larry Coryell, Jon Faddis, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Gambarini, Roy Hargrove, Jimmy Heath, Gregory Hines, Claudio Roditi, Sonny Rollins and McCoy Tyner.
Karl Latham – Drums – Karl Latham was born into a musical family in Trenton, New Jersey. He attended Rutgers University and the Berklee College of Music. He has performed with Claudio Roditi, Slide Hampton, Clark Terry, John Lee, Don Braden, Vic Juris, Edgar Winter, Johnny Winter, The Shirelles, and Mark Egan among others. As a sideman, Karl has appeared on countless recordings. To date, he has released three CD’s as a leader: Dancing Spirits (1999) , Resonance (2007), and his latest release Living Standards. As a co-leader Don Braden/Karl Latham Big Fun(K) Live (2012) and Karl Latham/Ryan Carniaux/Mark Egan Constellations (2014).
Tomoko Ohno – Piano – Tomoko Ohno, born in Tokyo, began piano studies at the age of 4. As a teenager, she began playing professionally in the Tokyo area jazz scene. After graduating from Rikkyo University in Law and Politics, Miss Ohno moved to the United States and entered the Jazz Studies Program at William Paterson University in New Jersey, where she studied with Harold Mabern and Rufus Reid. During this time she had the opportunity to perform with such artists as Jerome Richardson, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson and Joe Henderson. A recipient of the Student Award of Outstanding Performance and a member of Dean’s List, Miss Ohno graduated with a B.A. in Jazz Studies. She has performed at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital, Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, Birdland , in addition to appearing on live radio broadcasts by WBGO and WNYC, and ABC TV’s Good Morning America. She has performed and/or recorded with Slide Hampton, Claudio Roditi, James Spaulding, Houston Person, James Spaulding, Rufus Reid, Scott Robinson, The John Lee Quartet, The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Big Band and Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra, Diva Five Play, Jay Leonhart trio, Jay 7.
Winard Harper and Jeli Posse
- Winard Harper I drums
- Ted Chubb I trumpet
- Jalin Shiver I saxophone
- Charlie Sigler I guitar
- Anthony Perez I bass
- Nick Masters I piano
- Gabriel Roxbury I percussion
- AC Lincoln I tap
Winard Harper was born in Baltimore in 1962, a child prodigy. Although his parents were not musicians they were full of encouragement as they noticed him beating on cans when he was three or four years old. At five years old Winard would sometimes sit in and play his drums in older brother Danny’s rock n roll band after the family moved to Washington D.C. When Winards younger brother Philip took to playing the trumpet, the two of them would busk in the streets of George Town, jam with a few bands, and help out with Danny’s various bands. Listening to Clifford Brown and Max Roach playing “Jordu” had fascinated Winard so greatly it showed him his direction ~ jazz. Subsequently, his father took him to all the local jazz scenes to listen and meet the best in the world of jazz. This is how Winard met up with pianist Reuben Brown, who brought into play a great deal of influence on Winard, since the two worked together for more than a year in a trio with Steve Novel. Also by 1981 Winard had put together the forerunner of of his future band (The Harper Brothers Band) ~ this band was the ‘D.C. Jazz Quintet.’ Reuben Brown played piano, the bass player was Pepe Gonzalez and James King on bass, his younger brother Philip on trumpet and Winard on drums. In 1983, Winard received a scholarship for the University of Hartford, Soon though New York was calling.
Harper’s first major gig was with Dexter Gordon in 1982, and shortly thereafter with Johnny Griffin. It wasn’t long before his drumming skills captured the attention of Betty Carter. He spent four years as drummer with Ms. Carter’s band, also working as a sideman to such jazz legends as Ray Bryant, Abdullah Ibrahim, Pharoah Sanders and Clifford Jordan, yet still keeping his own band working on his days off . This was the early days of The Harper Brothers. “With Betty I learned consistency and persistence” Harper recalls. “Working with her prepared me to become a bandleader; I learned a lot about the business from her”. By 1988 Winard’s hard work and dedication to jazz paid dividends with a Harper Brother record deal from PolyGram.
At 27 Winard was already playing like a veteran, a virtuoso on the cymbals as well as the drums. “The Harper Brothers” was one of the hottest groups of the post-bop era of the late ’80s, early ’90s. If you were lucky enough to see The Harper Brothers live, you might have thought you’d been transported back in time, when bebop wizards were the toast of the town.
In the early 1990’s Winard changed direction. Further inspired by the musician- and leadership of Dr. Billy Taylor and Billy Higgins, he went on to record a number of albums featuring collaborations with an ever surprising range of jazz greats, while building a strong sextet. Of Billy Higgins he says: Higgins played with such joy, the joy and the passion and his love of playing really made an impact on me. I could see similarities between myself and him, and then we became such great friends. He saw jazz as spiritual and social work and walked the talk. A lot of the concept of my band was inspired by Billy. A lot of the African influences and different instruments I use in the band, Billy was always exploring as well.
Constantly in reverence of his predecessors while remaining innovative in his own right, Harper has been among the celebrated drummers in jazz for many years. He is a virtuoso on the drum set and the balafon, the West African equivalent of the marimba, he is a sought after collaborator at home and abroad, a band leader of his quartet, his quintet and his exciting band the Jeli Posse, a regular with the legendary New York clubs, an educator of future jazz professionals, an educator through his kids programs, an events organizer – successfully running the weekly Fish Fry Jazz Jam and the Sunday “Meet the Artist” Series at Moore’s Lounge in Jersey City. Bringing Jazz to the community from which it originated, relating the story of The Great American Art Form, the only music that is 100% “made in America”, spreading the joy that Jazz brings is the quest to which Winard Harper is dedicating himself.
Charisa the Violin Diva
Charisa – violin/ vocals
Gerard Barnes – keys
Josh Tyson – bass
Lucianna Padmore – drums
Jules Drucker – guitarist
Some Extraordinary stories in Music can begin in the most ordinary of places.
Charisa the Violin Diva began her musical journey in a small public school program at the tender age of four, and so began a lifelong love-affair with music. Born and raised in Maryland, all of her earliest musical influences – from traditional gospel to Washington DC’s gogo; and from swinging jazz to the music of a classical symphony, intermix in her music today to create an innovative, jazz-infused take on contemporary soul.
A progressive jazz artist and in-demand innovator, Charisa Rouse has collaborated with some dynamic artists across the musical borders, including Wynton Marsalis, Savion Glover, Quincy Jones, Kim Burrell, Common, Diana Krall, Musiq Soulchild and William McDowell, to name a few. As an opening act, she has set the stage ahead of Melissa Morgan and Freddie Jackson. And in the summer of 2011, Charisa won grand prizes in both the McDonald’s Gospelfest Competition in Newark and the West Oak Lane Jazz Festival Competition in Philadelphia, as well as winning a semi-finalist place in the Apollo Competition in front of an audience of 10,000. Her other festival performances include the Baltimore African American Heritage Festival (Baltimore), the Lincoln Park Music Festival (Newark, NJ), JVC Jazz Festival, (NYC, NY), Soul of Brooklyn (Brooklyn, NY), and the Fall for Dance Festival in collaboration with the Ailey Dance Company (NYC, NY), and many more cultural organizations around the world. She and her music director/drummer husband James “Biscuit” Rouse [of the Ms. Lauryn Hill band, and Kindred and the Family Soul], are both regular fixtures at New York City clubs and festivals.
Stepping beyond the performance stage also as a teaching artist, Charisa regularly nurtures and celebrates the next generation of young urban string players. After receiving her Master’s Degree cum laude in 2007, she began teaching two regular violin classes in the Bronx and Harlem which she maintains today, showing 200 NYC children of color the bridge between a classical violin foundation and hip hop/jazz. This lead to the development of her new Urban Strings Curriculum, from which she regularly teaches workshops and seminars, and for which a series of method books are currently in development.
After much anticipation, Charisa’s first solo project the Prelude EP (a sign of greater things to come) was released in November 2012, to a packed NYC audience and including guest appearances by soul star Chris Rob, and a heartfelt intro by Grammy Award-winning Songwriter Valerie Simpson of the legendary duo Ashford and Simpson. Leading with the smooth neo-soul single “Soul Journey”, and pulsing covers of the classic Stylistics anthem “People Make the World go Round” and the Coltrane standard “Afro Blue”, Charisa cements her place in the world of contemporary jazz. 2013 will see the release of a gospel project in the spring, and a Christmas project co-released with her husband in winter 2013 – all with the soul stirring vocals, sweeping strings, and grooving hiphop soul that has become the defining sound of the Violin Diva. In a career that only continues to propel forward, the Prelude EP seminal benchmark in her journey to the next chapter in soul . . . Welcome to the Evolution.
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