The Institute’s 30th anniversary Jazz Festival is scheduled for Sunday, August 29, from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Wharf, a rural, park-like property at 10141 Wharf Road in Waynesboro, Pa.
The concert is offered free to the public. In case of rain, the concert will take place at an indoor area at the same location.
This year’s concert features one of the jazz world’s hottest rising stars, Benny Benack III (vocals and trumpet), with Paul Bollenback (guitar), Alexander Claffy (bass), and Byron Landham (drums).
Conceived in 1992 and presented every year since, the Institute’s Jazz Festival was previously held at Renfrew Park and has featured a long list of jazz legends, including David “Fathead” Newman, Randy Brecker, Bud Shank, Houston Person, Gary Bartz, Karrin Allison, Lew Tabackin, Joey DeFranceso, Frank Morgan, Jeff “Tain”Watts, Rene Marie, Vincent Herring, Ingrid Jensen, Eric Alexander, Joe Locke, and Steve Wilson.
In 2020, when audience capacity needed to be limited, the Jazz Fest concert was live-streamed around the world.
“After last year, we really wanted to do something special to mark the auspicious milestone of our 30th anniversary, while also looking to the future with great anticipation and excitement,” noted event founder Andrew Sussman.
“Thus, we are moving to a NEW location, a NEW time, and featuring some of the hottest young musicians in jazz,” Sussman said. “I believe Benny Benack and Alexander Claffy are both major talents and are going to be big stars in the jazz world. And we are thrilled to have jazz masters Paul Bollenback and Byron Landham back to round out this incredible quartet!”
To add to the celebration this year, the Pretzel Spot Café food truck will be on site and BYOB will be permitted.
Benny Benack III has proven to be a rare talent: not only a fiery trumpet player with a stirring command of the postbop trumpet vernacular, but also a singer with a sly, mature, naturally expressive delivery in the post-Sinatra mold, performing standards and his own astute songs with a thrilling sense of showmanship. His superb intonation and bracing virtuosity enable him to handle astounding feats of vocalese (complex solos with written lyrics). And he’s a highly capable pianist as well.
Benack has performed widely as a front man for Postmodern Jukebox and played and recorded with Christian McBride, Josh Groban, Diplo/Major Lazer, Emmet Cohen, Ben Folds, Ann Hampton Callaway, Melissa Errico, and many more. He’s been featured at jazz festivals and clubs around the world, won or was a finalist in several prestigious competitions (including the Thelonious Monk and Carmine Caruso Trumpet Competitions) and is highly sought after as a clinician and educator, leading workshops and panels for jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz for Young People program and the New York Youth Symphony’s Education department.
Third in a generational line of Pittsburgh jazz notables, Benack follows in the footsteps of his trumpeter/bandleader grandfather, Benny Benack, Sr., and his father Benny Benack, Jr., a saxophonist/clarinetist who gave the young Benny his first professional experience. (Benny, Sr. recorded the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1960 theme song, “Beat ’Em Bucs” and toured with Tommy Dorsey and Raymond Scott, among others.)
Benack’s latest album, “A Lot of Livin’ to Do,” was released in 2020 and features bassist extraordinaire Christian McBride, drummer/producer Ulysses Owens, Jr., and Takeshi Ohbayashi on piano and Rhodes.
Paul Bollenback started his music career in 1981, and has performed with a wide range of jazz luminaries, including artists as diverse as Stanley Turrentine, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Steve Gadd, Gary Bartz, David “Fathead” Newman, Terri-Lyne Carrington, Joe Locke, Jack McDuff, James Moody, Jim Snidero, Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis, Paul Bley, Geoffrey Keezer, Mike LeDonne, Carol Sloane, Gary Thomas, Grady Tate, and in the group East Meets Jazz with the renowned tabla virtuoso Sandip Burman, to name just a few. He is known for his versatility, and also for an influential 20-year stint with jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco. Bollenback performed on over 80 recordings as a sideman, and has released eight CDs as a leader. A busy performance schedule has been augmented since the late ’90s by steady jazz education duties at Columbia University, Queens College, and The New School. Bollenback is also a composer, whose pieces have appeared on Joey DeFrancesco’s “Reboppin’” and on the “Jazz Times Superband” CD. His most recent recording is “Portraits in Space and Time.”
Alexander Claffy is currently one of the most in-demand bass players in New York. Since moving there from Philadelphia in 2011, he has worked with a long list of musicians including Wallace Roney, Christian Scott, Louis Hayes, Harold Mabern, Russell Malone, Jimmy Cobb, Louis Hayes, Joey Alexander, and Johnny O’Neal. He’s recorded three albums as a leader including his most recent, “Claffy II.” His father, Joseph Claffy is a notable society bandleader in the Philadelphia area. Claffy also appeared on the first three seasons of the Nickelodeon show, “Blue’s Clues.”
Drummer Byron Landham is best known for his 18-year association with organist Joey DeFrancesco, with whom he recorded 16 albums and toured the world. In addition, he leads his own highly regarded band, The Landham Brothers, and has performed with a wide range of jazz greats including David Sanborn, Betty Carter, Benny Golson, James Moody, Grover Washington, Jr., David “Fathead” Newman, Branford Marsalis, Chick Corea, Bobby Watson, Jimmy Smith, Etta James, Stanley Turrentine, Illinois Jacquet, George Benson, Gary Bartz, Pat Martino, and Tom Harrell.
Support for this event was provided by a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Further sponsors include The Hamilton Family Foundation on behalf of Hamilton Nissan and Hamilton Hyundai, Andrew and Sally Sussman, the Franklin County Visitors Bureau, Stephen D. Fisher, and The Institute’s Today’s Horizon Fund contributors: The Nora Roberts Foundation; the John R. Hershey Jr. and Anna L. Hershey Family Foundation; APX Enclosures, Inc.; The Carolyn Terry Eddy Family: Carolyn, with daughters Connie Fleagle & Kim Larkin. Facility support provided courtesy of Jeff and Nancy Mace.
Parking is available on the property. Those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets, and picnics are welcome. As in the past, cold water will be available free to all attendees.
The Institute at Renfrew’s 29th annual jazz festival spotlights stellar performing artists that light up the outdoor stage with hot summer jazz. An informal question and answer period follows the show. Free and open to the public. In order to ensure the safety of attendees, band members and our staff, safety protocols will be implemented in accordance with the Green Phase of Pennsylvania’s reopening plan, and that of the venue, Renfrew Museum and Park. Appropriate distancing (6 feet) is required between household/family groups. Mask use is required when appropriate distancing is not possible.
On the lawn behind the Renfrew Museum house. In case of rain, the concert will be privately recorded and filmed for later viewing. This year’s concert features an all-star quintet with Eric Alexander (tenor sax), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), Pat Bianchi (organ), Paul Bollenback (guitar), and Byron Landham (drums).
“Each of these artists is an internationally renowned jazz musician,” said event organizer, Andrew Sussman. “This concert is an opportunity to hear these stellar jazz artists for free in beautiful Renfrew Park!”
Due to COVID-19, JazzFest 2020 is limited attendance with pre-registration.
** New for 2020-The jazz Festival will be livestreamed! You can enjoy the Jazz Fest at Main Street Park, you can also watch the Jazz Fest from home, or anywhere with WiFi. (In case of rain, outdoor events will be cancelled but concert will still be livestreamed!). Livestream link available at 2:00 PM: On Facebook – or instituteatrenfrew.org
Renfrew Institute’s 27th annual Jazz Festival is scheduled for Sunday, August 26, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on the lawn behind the Renfrew Museum house in Waynesboro, Pa. The concert features world-renowned musicians and is offered free to the public.
This year’s concert will feature legendary jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker, pianist Richard Sussman, saxophonist Ada Rovatti, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Clarence Penn.
“Each one of these artists is an internationally renowned jazz musician,” said event organizer, Andrew Sussman. “The concert is a unique opportunity to hear them play together—and it’s all free in beautiful Renfrew Park!”
Lead sponsor, FirstEnergy Foundation on behalf of West Penn Power, is returning this year to support the event. “We are proud to help sponsor this marvelous concert that brings extraordinarily talented jazz musicians and vocalists to our backyard for our customers and others to enjoy,” said David McDonald, president of West Penn Power.
Jazz trumpeter and composer, Randy Brecker has helped shape the sound of jazz, R&B and rock for more than four decades. His performances have graced hundreds of albums by a wide range of artists from James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and Parliament/Funkadelic to Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, and Frank Zappa. In 1967, Brecker ventured into jazz-rock with the band Blood, Sweat and Tears, but left to join the Horace Silver Quintet. He recorded his first solo album, “Score,” in 1968. After Horace Silver, Brecker joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers before teaming up with brother Michael, Barry Rogers, Billy Cobham, and John Abercrombie to form the seminal fusion group Dreams.
The group recorded two adventurous and widely-acclaimed albums before they disbanded in 1971. In the early 1970s, Brecker performed live with many prominent artists including Larry Coryell’s Eleventh House, Stevie Wonder and Billy Cobham. By 1975, Brecker and his brother Michael were ready to front their own group, the Brecker Brothers Band. A band of immeasurable impact and influence, they released six albums on Arista and garnered seven Grammy nominations between 1975 and 1981. Since then, his credits and awards are far too numerous to list here. Over the years, Brecker has received 18 Grammy Award nominations and won a total of six, and remains one of the most celebrated and highly respected jazz musicians in the world.
Richard Sussman is an accomplished jazz pianist, composer, music technologist, educator, and author. He has performed with many jazz and pop greats including Lionel Hampton, Lee Konitz, Houston Person, Buddy Rich, Randy Brecker, Blood Sweat & Tears, David Sanborn, Marty Balin, Country Joe McDonald, and Donna Summer. As a leader, Sussman has recorded five critically-acclaimed albums of original music, including the classic “Free Fall” and his most recent, “The Evolution Suite” for jazz quintet, string quartet, and electronics. His large ensemble arrangements have been performed by the Village Vanguard Orchestra, Metropole Orchestra of Holland, and the American Composers Orchestra in New York. Sussman has been a member of the jazz faculty at the Manhattan School of Music since 1986, where his responsibilities have included teaching and developing curriculum for jazz arranging and composition classes and managing all aspects of the Electronic Music Technology Studios. His book, Jazz Composition and Arranging in the Digital Age (Oxford University Press), has been hailed as a comprehensive and trend-setting text for jazz composers in the 21st century. Sussman has received numerous awards including two NEA grants in Jazz Composition, an ASCAP Jazz Composition Award, and a Chamber Music America New Jazz Works grant. His extensive work in the field of film and TV has included projects for ABC, NBC, CBS, Disney, and Nickelodeon.
Italian native Ada Rovatti started playing saxophone in high school after years of classical piano training. She won a scholarship from Berklee College of Music in Italy, and divided her time between Boston—where she studied with Joe Viola and George Garzone—and Italy, where she worked in big bands with guest artists such as Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker.
After a year touring Europe and Africa she moved to New York City. She has performed in important festivals such as JVC in NYC, Rochester Jazz Festival, IAJE, Detroit Jazz Fest and Montreal Jazz Fest, performing with an impressive list of artists and bands such as Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Miroslav Vitous, John McLaughlin, James Moody, Bob Mintzer, Joanne Brackeen, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Heath, Patti Austin, and many more. In addition to her musical expertise Rovatti appeared in the movie, “Mona Lisa Smile” featuring Julia Roberts.
In 2003 Rovatti released her first two CDs as a bandleader with the Elephunk Band and with guests Randy Brecker, Mike Stern and Don Alias. Her latest album, “Green Factor” is a unique recording with a melting pot of Irish/Celtic/jazz/fusion influences with strong harmonies and sophisticated arrangements. She has been touring with the Brecker Brothers Reunion Band and just released with the same band a double CD/DVD.
Bassist/composer Drew Gress performs extensively with artists on the cutting edge of contemporary improvised music. His latest project, “The Irrational Numbers,” features Gress’s original compositions for quintet. Earlier releases include the critically acclaimed “7 Black Butterflies” (2005), “Spin & Drift” (2001), and “Heyday” (1997). Gress can also be heard within the ensembles of John Abercrombie, Ralph Alessi, Tim Berne, Don Byron, Uri Caine, Ravi Coltrane, Marc Copland, Mark Feldman, Fred Hersch, John Hollenbeck, and John Surman. He has also grounded the performances of Buddy Hackett, Phyllis Diller, Zoot Sims, Cab Calloway, and Pia Zadora. Gress has toured North and South America, Europe, and Asia, and has served as Artist-in-Residence at St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia and at the Paris Conservatoire. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, and Chamber Music America, and currently resides in New York.
Clarence Penn is one of the busiest jazz drummers in the world, a leader of multiple bands, a composer, a prolific producer, and an educator. Since he arrived in New York City in 1991, Penn has played with Ellis and Wynton Marsalis, Betty Carter, Stanley Clarke, Steps Ahead, Makoto Ozone, Michael Brecker, Dave Douglas, Maria Schneider, Luciana Souza, Richard Galliano, and Fourplay. His discography includes several hundred studio albums (including the Grammy-winning recordings by Randy Brecker and Maria Schneider) and he has toured extensively throughout the world. Penn has also composed music for films and produced tracks for numerous singers in the pop and alternative arenas. He earned a “Ten Best of 1997” accolade from the New York Times for his first leader recording, “Penn’s Landing.” Penn is also active as an educator and drum clinician and has taught on the faculty of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, the Stanford Jazz Workshop, the Saint Louis College of Music in Rome, Italy, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Intensive Jazz Institute. His most recent recording is “Monk: The Lost Files” which features modern arrangements of the music of Thelonious Monk.
Support for this event was provided by lead sponsor, FirstEnergy Foundation on behalf of West Penn Power. In addition, Renfrew Institute receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Further sponsors include Franklin County Visitors Bureau, Stephen D. Fisher, and Renfrew Institute’s Today’s Horizon Fund contributors: The Nora Roberts Foundation; APX Enclosures, Inc.; The Carolyn Terry Eddy Family: Carolyn, with daughters Connie Fleagle & Kim Larkin; and the John R. Hershey Jr. and Anna L. Hershey Family Foundation. Facility support is provided courtesy of Renfrew Museum and Park.
Parking is available behind the visitors center, with additional parking in the lower lot off Welty Road. Those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets, and picnics are welcome. Rain site: Waynesboro Area Middle School auditorium.
JazzFest 2017 is set for August 27, 2-4 PM, and it is an all-star line up of artists. Conrad Herwig on trombone, Vincent Herring on alto sax, Mike LeDonne playing a Hammond B3 organ, guitarist Paul Bollenback, and Jeff “Tain” Watts on drums will perform at Renfrew Institute’s 26th annual event. The event is held on the lawn behind the Renfrew Museum farmhouse. The concert is free and open to the public. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy a summer afternoon of hot jazz.
The concert is followed by an informal question and answer period. The rain site: Waynesboro Area High School auditorium.
Underwriting support provided last year by lead sponsor, FirstEnergy Foundation on behalf of West Penn Power, plus a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional support provided by Franklin County Visitors Bureau, Hamilton Nissan, and Hamilton Hyundai. A special thank you to Renfrew Institute’s Today’s Horizon Fund donors: The Nora Roberts Foundation, Alma W. Oyer, APX Enclosures Inc., and the Carolyn Terry Eddy Family.
