August
2002
Feature
Story: Trenton Jazz Festival
Trenton gets jazzed up for annual August festival
By
Joe Emanski
To hear Len Pucciatti tell the story, Trenton had always been
a city in 
search
of a jazz festival.
"I guess the mayor had been in office for about a year. We
said, 'Mayor, why couldn't this city have a jazz festival?' He
said, 'Try it out, see what happens,'" says Pucciatti, Trenton's
inspections director. From there it was up to Pucciatti and some
other members of city government to form the nonprofit organization
that has now successfully run the festival since its inception.
The
first jazz festival took place in a parking lot, on the land in
front of what is now the nightclub KatManDu. Then-owner Mike LaMelza
gave permission for the lot to be used, and for its first few
years, the jazz festival took place there, with power cords running
across the lawn. The first headliner was Jimmy McGrath.
As
the city gears up for its eleventh annual festival, which takes
place this year as it has in recent years at Mercer County Waterfront
Park, Pucciatti and his fellow organizers, including former City
Attorney Rocky Peterson, the Mayor's chief of staff, Renee Killian
and Francis Blanco, director of Recreation, Natural Resources
and Culture, are able to take pride in the knowledge that virtually
all of the major jazz acts in this area have performed in the
festival at one time or another.
Yes,
over the last ten years Trenton has seen some of the best-known
jazz legends who are still performing on stage: Tito Puente, Eddie
Palmieri, Manny Oquendo and Libre, Ellis Marsalis and Oleta Adams
have all made appearances. Last year, the acts included Frankie
Beverly and Maze, Kurt Whalum, Lala Hathaway and former basketball
player Wayman Tisdale, who has become better known for his musical
exploits than his jump shot.
This year on August 17, festival attendees will be treated to
the musical stylings of Ashford and Simpson, Pieces of a Dream,
Roy Ayers and Alex Doyon ß SPELLING. Local acts have been
a hallmark of the festival, and this year is no exception. Area
musicians Grace Little and the Paul Plumeri Blues Band will also
be a part of the festivities.
Although
the event is known as the Jazz Festival, you won't find just traditional
jazz acts on the stage. For example, Ashford and Simpson, this
year's headline act, is known basically as a singer-songwriter
duo, not necessarily as jazz musicians.
"We've
had a mixture of acts over the years and we've had to do that
so we make ourselves more appealing to a broader audience,"
says Pucciatti, who names smooth jazz and blues as two of the
alternative sounds you'll be likely to find throughout the festivities.
"We've tried to present a range of different types of jazz
players, some R and B."
According
to Pucciatti, it becomes more difficult each year to attract the
same quality of performers that festival attendees are used to
seeing in Trenton. "There are more venues now, there are
larger venues, they don't choose to play smaller venues,"
he said. "But we've been very fortunate. We actually added
more acts (than usual) this year."
The
Jazz Festival operates by way of committees and subcommittees,
each charged with taking care of an aspect of the event, from
stage management to accounting to security. Everyone from the
head committee on down works on a volunteer basis, which is one
of the reasons the festival is still going strong in its eleventh
year. Sponsors such as this year's main sponsor, Fleet Bank, also
keep the festival running smoothly.
The
gates open at 1 p.m., and entertainment starts at 1:15. For the
committee and volunteers day starts early in the morning, around
5 a.m. for some. Pucciatti estimates that there is a core of about
15 to 20 volunteers who are responsible for the bulk of the festival
setup. All of the volunteers are city employees, but aside from
sneaking a few moments of enjoyment out of the festival, their
only compensation is knowing they are part of something that's
great for the City of Trenton.
The
festival has averaged an attendance of around 8,500 people in
the last few years. Although in the early Waterfront Park days,
the baseball field was accessible only by the performers and stagehands,
recent years have seen the field open to ticketholders.
"We've
found that has really improved the quality of our performance,"
says Pucciatti, who adds it was the musicians-not just the fans-who
complained that the audience was too far way. "Now it's electric,
when they feel the energy of the audience-(last year) Frankie
Beverly had people dancing," he adds.
Ticket
prices are not exactly at the same level as the Trenton Thunder,
but considering the number and quality of the acts participating
in this year's event, the cost-$25, $35 and $45 for on-field seating-seem
reasonable.
The
profits earned from the festival makes are funneled right back
into future years' events. Says Pucciatti, "The city is not
in the position to underwrite this. We'll raise a significant
amount of money to offset the costs. We do not have to rent the
stadium but we do pay for security. Trenton's finest are there
working with us on the outside. We have all of the same things
that go on at the Thunder Games."
Including
food. The ballpark's food vendors will be open for business as
usual, serving hot dogs, French fries and beer to the hungry crowds.
The Jazz Festival is a pure musical exhibition-visitors shouldn't
expect to bounce on any trampolines or scale any portable rock-climbing
walls. However, in addition to the regular ballpark vendors, local
specialty vendors Al Bowens ß SPELLING of Blackjack (barbecue)
and Betty Young (fish dinners) give the event a little unique
flavor.
Coolers
will not allowed into the stadium, but that doesn't mean that
the only beverages that will be consumed on August 17 will be
provided by vendors inside the stadium. Attendees are able to
get their hands stamped for re-entry throughout the day, so if
they want to watch one act, then head back out to their cars for
a little get-together, the festival's organizers have no problem
with that.
"People
tailgate, they bring their family, and that's what it's all about,"
says Pucciatti. To round out the activities of the day, Philadelphia
smooth-jazz radio station WJJZ-FM is expected to have a booth
with giveaways, and the Trenton Times is slated to hold contests
where winners get tickets and a photo session with musician Roy
Ayers.
"There's
a little something in this lineup for everybody," says Pucciatti.
#
# #
Tickets
are available via Ticketmaster, by phone or the Internet. Before
the day of the event, tickets will also be available at Sovereign
Bank Arena. The day of the festival, the Waterfront Park ticket
office will open at 10 a.m. For additional information, call the
City of Trenton Division of Culture at 609-989-3169.
