By dave benjamin
Staff Writer
MANALAPAN — Four groups of jazz and country musicians joined together on the Pine Brook School stage for a special concert June 3.
The Lafayette Fiddlers, the Pine Brook Ramblers, the Pine Brook Jazz Band and the District Honors Jazz Band, 80 students in all, came to play their hearts out for an audience of about 200 parents, staff and school board members who packed the school gymnasium.
"Since there wasn’t enough material for a whole show, the Pine Brook Jazz Band and the two string groups, the Lafayette Fiddlers and the Pine Brook Ramblers, decided to combine their talents and put on a show for the Board of Education," said Daniel Hutt, a teacher at Pine Brook.
Hutt joined with John Rustin, the music teacher and program director at Pine Brook School, to combine their expertise. Additionally, the talents of Tara Wolfe, the music teacher at the Lafayette Mills School, were added, and together the trio of musical experts came to produce a terrific evening of music.
Wolfe conducts a chorus, two orchestras (intermediate and advanced) and a fiddle group at Lafayette Mills.
"This is the first year I’ve done it," said Wolfe. "I had some advanced players and they wanted to play more advanced pieces. We started fiddling and we performed for a holiday concert. That was the first time we ever performed.
"Since the students love to play so much, we tried to get them to play as much as possible. When John Rusin said we’re having a ‘just for fun concert,’ I said it was a perfect opportunity for the fiddlers."
"Our kids love to play and opportunities are never turned down," said Hutt, who also directs the beginner orchestra, advanced orchestra, beginner band and bluegrass band at Pine Brook.
Every group plays at least two concerts each year, while the jazz band plays its two concerts and also has the opportunity to perform elsewhere.
Jazz band students, under the direction of Rusin, have performed at Manalapan Day, at school supervisors’ conventions and at orientations.
The program was also the first performance of the District Honors Jazz Band, conducted by Rusin, who also teaches the advanced band and combos, in addition to the jazz band at Pine Brook.
Students auditioned and the best players from four schools in the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District were selected.
The Lafayette Fiddlers began the evening event performing "Cripple Creek" and "Fiddlers Stew."
The Pine Brook Ramblers followed with "Soldier’s Joy," "Arkansas Traveler" and "Dueling Banjos."
Next up, the Pine Brook Jazz Band played "Ran Kan Kan," "Blue Suede Shoes," "My Way" and "Birdland."
Topping off the evening, the District Honors Jazz Band belted out "St. Thomas," "In a Mellow Way," "On Broadway" and "Freedom at Midnight."