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Jesus and Jazz Presents Hammond B3 Organist and Jazz Pianist Radam Schwartz and Friends
July 27, 2025 @ 11:30 am – 1:30 pm EDT
🌟 Pastor Eyesha Marable & Mt. Zion AME Church Present 🎶 Jesus and Jazz — A Service of Praise, Power & Jazz
Join us Sunday, July 27 for a spirit-filled musical celebration as we welcome legendary Hammond B3 organist Radam Schwartz and gifted tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Romero to our sanctuary!
From gospel love messages, mental health inspirations to soulful jazz music, this service will be anointed with rhythm and reverence. Come expecting joy, inspiration, and the kind of music that ministers to your soul.
📍 Mt. Zion AME Church — 56 Church St, Millburn, NJ 🕊️ Free Admission • All Are Welcome ⏰ 11:30 AM 🔗 RSVP
Let the Spirit move and the music uplift — Jesus and Jazz is calling! 💫
Lineup
Rodrigo Romero-Tenor Sax
Motoki Mihara-bass
Khallil Kwame Bell-drums
Radam Schwartz,piano
Radam Schwartz is a powerhouse of soul-jazz expression and one of the most revered Hammond B3 organists and jazz pianists of his generation. With a career spanning over four decades, he’s known for blending gospel-rooted groove with hard bop fire, creating music that’s both spiritually resonant and rhythmically rich.
🎹 Musical Legacy & Collaborations
- Played with legends like Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, David “Fathead” Newman, Arthur Prysock, and Russell Malone
- Featured on over 40 recordings, including 7 as a leader and 2 as a co-leader
- His album Organized (Muse Records, 1995) is listed in the Hammond B3 Bible as one of the essential organ records of all time
🔥 Signature Sound & Style
- Known for his deep gospel influence, fiery improvisation, and soulful phrasing
- Seamlessly switches between organ and piano, often leading ensembles that fuse jazz, funk, and spiritual uplift
- His big band project Message from Groove and GW showcases him playing all bass lines on organ, a groundbreaking feat
🎓 Educator & Mentor
- Served as music director at the Jazz Institute of New Jersey for nearly 20 years
- Taught at Jazz House Kids, Rutgers Newark, and other programs, mentoring countless young musicians
🎶 Live Legacy
- Hosted New Jersey’s longest-running jam session for 30 years, starting at the Peppermint Lounge and continuing at Crossroads in Garwood
- A regular performer at Showmans in Harlem, one of the last true organ clubs in NYC
Radam’s artistry is more than technical brilliance—it’s a ministry of sound. His performances feel like sermons, his solos like testimonies. For “Jesus and Jazz” he’s not just a headliner—he’s a vessel of musical praise.
Just Added Excited to Announce Tap Dancer – Jeffry Foote
Jeffry Foote is a seasoned rhythm tap dancer, actor, and singer with over 30 years of performance experience. He’s trained under tap legends like Deborah Mitchell, Karen Callaway-Williams, and Omar Edwards, and is a principal dancer with the New Jersey Tap Dance Ensemble.
His stage credits span iconic productions such as 42nd Street, Shades of Harlem, Dance Bojangles Dance, and Riffin & Tappin. He also appeared in the New York City Center Encores production of Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, directed and choreographed by Savion Glover. On occasion, he channels Sammy Davis Jr. in The Rat Pack Together Again, performing across the East Coast.
Beyond the spotlight, Jeffry teaches tap throughout the tri-state area, offering workshops and private lessons for dancers of all levels. His style blends tradition with rhythm-driven storytelling — a perfect fit for festivals or cultural showcases.
Rodrigo Romero
Rodrigo Romero is a dynamic Peruvian saxophonist and educator whose artistry bridges Afro-Peruvian heritage with the pulse of contemporary jazz. Based in East Orange, NJ, Rodrigo is quickly becoming a standout voice in the NYC/NJ jazz scene.
🎷 Musical Journey & Collaborations
- Performs regularly with ensembles like the Radam Schwartz Organ Trio and Big Band, Carrie Jackson Quintet, and Eddie Allen’s Salongo
- Has subbed with prestigious groups including The Roy Hargrove Legacy Big Band and Lance Bryant & Shout Big Band
- Currently releasing his debut album Libre Esencia (2025), an Afro-Peruvian jazz project that showcases his cultural roots and compositional voice
🎼 Arranger & Producer
- Works with artists like SonD’Kalle Orquesta, Willwallz, and Manuela Zapata, contributing arrangements, production, and editing
- Known for blending traditional Latin rhythms with modern jazz textures
🎓 Educator & Mentor
- Teaches through Jazz House Kids and the Paterson Music Project, guiding middle and high school students in Montclair and Paterson
- Maintains a private studio and is a graduate of Montclair State University’s John J. Cali School of Music, where he studied under Bruce Williams and Mike Lee
🎶 Style & Sound Rodrigo’s tenor saxophone voice is expressive, rhythmically rich, and deeply rooted in both jazz and Latin traditions. His playing is marked by lyrical phrasing, fiery improvisation, and a commitment to storytelling through sound.
Kahlil Kwame Bell
Kahlil Kwame Bell is a master percussionist, composer, and producer whose musical journey spans genres, continents, and generations. Known for his spiritual depth and rhythmic innovation, Bell has recorded on over 150 albums and collaborated with a staggering array of artists—from Erykah Badu, Roberta Flack, and Prince, to Branford and Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, and The Last Poets2.
🥁 Musical Style & Impact
- Blends jazz, hip hop, world music, classical, and spirituals into layered, culturally rich compositions
- Plays over 1,000 percussion instruments, including his signature slappaphone, which he describes as his “voice” offering rhythm and melody
- His work is heard daily on jazz and world music radio stations around the globe
🎓 Roots & Education
- Began drumming at age 2, studying West African rhythms from the Ancient Mali Empire
- Trained at the Harlem School of the Arts and earned a B.A. in Communicative and Creative Arts from SUNY Old Westbury
🌍 Live & Recorded Legacy
- Performed at iconic venues like The Village Vanguard, Blue Note, Newport Jazz Festival, and North Sea Jazz Festival
- Featured on Grammy-nominated albums including Jazzmeia Horn’s “Dear Love” and Don Braden’s “Earth, Wind and Wonder”
Kahlil Kwame Bell isn’t just a drummer—he’s a sonic storyteller whose rhythms carry history, healing, and heart.
Motoki Mihara i
Motoki Mihara is a versatile bassist known for his work in the New York jazz scene, blending groove, sensitivity, and improvisational depth across a range of ensembles. He’s performed with groups like the Mala Waldron Trio, appearing at spiritually rich events such as Jesus and Jazz at Mt. Zion AME Church in Millburn, NJ.
🎸 Musical Style & Collaborations
- Plays upright and electric bass with a warm, grounded tone
- Featured in trios and small combos, including performances with Mark Capon and Rich Rodriguez, showcasing his adaptability across straight-ahead jazz and modern arrangements
- Active in NYC jam sessions and open mic nights, contributing to the city’s vibrant grassroots jazz culture
🎶 Live Presence Motoki’s playing is marked by subtlety and soul—he anchors the rhythm section while leaving space for spiritual and melodic expression. Whether supporting vocalists or trading solos in instrumental settings, his bass lines speak with quiet authority.
Come experience the fusion of Jesus and Jazz featuring Radam Schwartz and friends as they uplift your spirits and leave you feeling inspired.
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