Jazz Week, typically celebrated at the headquarters location of the Monmouth County library in Manalapan, has just expanded to Jazz Month. Free jazz and related jazz programs will heat up the library in November when the library presents Jazz Month 2007.
This year’s concerts will begin with the Claudio Roditi Quintet on Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. Roditi, an acclaimed jazz musician with a multitude of CDs to his credit, integrates post-bop elements and Brazilian rhythmic concepts with ease and plays with power and lyricism. He has 13 critically acclaimed albums. Currently he leads his own band.
Art Baron and the Duke’s Men, a band made up of Ellington alumni, will perform on Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. In August 1973, when Baron was 23, he joined the Duke Ellington band, the last trombonist Ellington ever hired.
In the past he worked with Buddy Rich, Stevie Wonder and James Taylor. Baron’s work can be heard on such recordings as Bobby Watson’s “The Year of the Rabbit,” Frank Wess’ “Entre Nous” and “Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus.”
The Virginia Mayhew Septet will perform on Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. Jazz saxophonist and composer-arranger Mayhew, a critically acclaimed recording artist, introduced her debut album in 1997 and has since launched four additional CDs including “Sandan Shuffle,” “Phantoms,” “No Walls” and “Leave It to Diva.”
JazzTimes characterized Mayhew as “a master of her arts.” In speaking of her “Phantoms” CD, The Village Voice wrote, “The accomplished tenor saxophonist [Mayhew] returns with her admirable long-term quartet … going inside and outside with ease and imagination.”
Guitar duo Joe Beck and Jimmy Bruno will combine their talents on Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. During a career spanning five decades, Beck has recorded with artists including Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Paul Desmond, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, Stan Getz, Larry Coryell, Gene Ammons, Sergio Mendez, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Laura Nyro, Houston Person, Roger Kellaway and Richie Havens.
Bruno is an internationally acclaimed performer and jazz guitar master who plays from within the tradition of straight-ahead jazz while taking the guitar to a new technical level.
Jazz Month offers an opportunity to showcase great performers in a film and discussion series every Saturday led by jazz enthusiast Bob Rickles.
The first film, about jazz legend Sarah Vaughn, will be shown on Nov. 3. Duke Ellington will be the subject of a film shown on Nov. 10. On Nov. 17, a film about singing legend Ella Fitzgerald will be shown. The final feature film screening will highlight Diana Krall, to be shown on Nov. 24. All screenings are scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
All events are at the headquarters location of the Monmouth County Library, 125 Symmes Drive (just off Route 9 south), Manalapan. The performances and screenings are free and open to the public. For more information call (732) 431-7220 or visit www.monmouthcountylib.org.