Ensemble to share love of jazz, blues

Cranbury Jazz to get bluesy at the Library.

By: Lacey Korevec
   Cranbury resident Paul Venanzi and his buddies play an unusual version of James Taylor’s "Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight."
   "We kind of do it as a blues number," he said. "And it’s not exactly like James Taylor does it. No guitar picking. It’s not soft and lovely. It’s a little more blues."
   Mr. Venanzi plays drums, saxophone and clarinet for Cranbury Jazz, a five-piece ensemble that’s set to perform bebop, blues and jazz this Friday at 8 p.m. in the Large Group Room as a Cranbury Public Library arts program.
   "Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" is one of the songs the group plans to perform, along with "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck, "My Funny Valentine" by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, "Blue Train" by John Coltrane and more.
   "It’s a nice art event for the Cranbury Library," Mr. Venanzi said. "They’ve put on some opera events. They’ve done quite a few things and they want to do more, so I’m glad we can help out."
   Cranbury Jazz has been playing together for about a year, he said. The group is made up of Cranbury residents Art Zysk, on trumpet, and Bernhard Geiger, on upright bass, as well as South Brunswick resident Mike Bacorn, on saxophone, New Brunswick resident Ben Kennedy, vocals, piano and trombone, and Mr. Venanzi, who also serves as the band’s manager.
   The group was started as an outlet so that the musicians could get together in their free time and do what they love most, Mr. Venanzi said.
   Cranbury Public Library Director Howard Zogott approached Mr. Venanzi about a free Cranbury Jazz performance a few months ago and Mr. Venanzi said the band was happy to do it.
   "He said, ‘I’ll pay you absolutely nothing,’ " Mr. Venanzi recalled. "And we said, ‘OK.’ We do it because we love to play jazz. We’re not a wedding band out there trying to work every week, We just try to do what we love to do."
   Mr. Venanzi said the Large Group Room, located in the Cranbury School behind Town Hall, will work well as a venue because it’s so small. He said chairs will be positioned around the band, the lights will be dim and coffee and snacks will be available.
   "I don’t think there’s any bad seats," he said. "We have to kind of be a bit tricky with lighting and sound to make what feels like an office room into what feels like a jazz club."
   Cranbury resident Bill Kanawyer will be at the event recording Cranbury Jazz’s performance for a CD the group is looking to create for friends and family. Folks who attend the event will have a chance to be heard in the background on the CD, Mr. Venanzi said.
   "But as far as we’re concerned, the recording is secondary," he said. "We just want to make sure the people hear us well and they have a good time. If I wind up not getting any songs out of our recording because of technical problems, that’s not important."
   For Cranbury Jazz, it’s all about having fun, Mr. Venanzi said. The band practices weekly at either his own house on Brainerd Drive or Mr. Zysk’s Danser Drive home.
   "We have long-suffering wives who have a lot of patience because even when we’re practicing, we’re loud," Mr. Venanzi said. "We don’t have very large houses and we don’t play in basements. We set up right in the darn living room."
   Whether they’re practicing or performing, Cranbury Jazz players are improvising with one another, and Mr. Venanzi said the audience on Friday will be able to sense the musicians’ enjoyment.
   "It’s a lot of improvisation," he said. "So you throw things at each other and listen to what each other are doing. With jazz, you can bury things, you can accent and highlight things. It’s a little more fun as a drummer. And once in a while, I step out from behind the drums and play a horn or two."
   In an e-mail sent to The Cranbury Press, Mr. Zogott said he is pleased the library is able to offer residents a chance to see Cranbury Jazz in concert on Friday.
   "Having heard several of the performers play separately I’m really looking forward to hearing them play together," he said. "I’m looking forward, too, to a rousing evening of jazz, America’s classical music."
   The event is free for community members, Mr. Venanzi said.
   "So, people can’t demand their money back," he laughed.