Blue Note Records Chairman Emeritus Bruce Lundvall Presents
The Sunrise Senior Living Jazz Festival, A One-of-a-Kind
All-Star Jazz Concert at Brighton Gardens of
Saddle River, New Jersey on August 24, from 2:00 - 8:00PM
Artists Performing Include Joe Lovano,
Dianne Reeves, Chucho Valdés, Ravi Coltrane,
Bill Charlap, Rene Rosnes and Many More
A Portion of the Proceeds Will Go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation,
Which Is Dedicated to Finding a Cure for Parkinson's Disease
This year on Mother's Day, May 11, Blue Note Records chairman emeritus Bruce Lundvall
was sitting at his New Jersey home watching the NPR livestream of the
Kennedy Center's 75th anniversary Blue Note concert in Washington, D.C.
He says, "I loved it. It was unbelievably great."
Lundvall praised Blue Note president Don Was, the label's general manager Hank Forsyth, and premiere Blue Note artist Jason Moran,
who also serves as Kennedy Center's artistic director for jazz, for
putting on such a gala event. It featured vocalists Dianne Reeves and
Norah Jones as well as legendary artists such as Wayne Shorter and Lou
Donaldson in addition to a full team of current Blue Note artists
including Joe Lovano, Terence Blanchard, Robert Glasper, Lionel Loueke,
Derrick Hodge, among others.
"I
should have been there," Lundvall says. "But I couldn't travel." In
lieu of his physical presence, the Kennedy Center showed a video of
Bruce at home welcoming the event. "I'm in a wheelchair now so that I
can't fall and hurt myself when I attempt to walk," he says.
Lundvall, who has become disabled because of Parkinson's disease, has moved into a full-time senior assisted living community, Brighton Gardens of Saddle River,
not far from his home in New Jersey. "After falling down three times
and having to call the police to put me back in bed, I realized moving
me off of the floor was like moving a beached whale. My wife Kay and I
decided it would be best for our mutual sanity if I move to a managed
care facility," he says. "Thanks to Don and Hank, I'm still vitally
involved with Blue Note."
A
lifelong champion of jazz, Lundvall had been president of the legendary
jazz label Blue Note since 1984, and had previously been president of
Columbia Records and Elektra Records, where he founded the jazz-oriented
Elektra Musician imprint. During his career, he not only signed
standout talent but also staged unlikely events, including the renowned
three-day Havana Jam festival featuring Columbia's top pop and jazz
artists as well as superb Cuban artists in Cuba's capital 35 years ago.
He also celebrated the relaunching of the formerly dormant Blue Note
Records in 1984 by staging a "miraculous" all-star jazz concert in New
York's Town Hall.
Regarding the latter, in author Dan Ouellette's biography, Bruce Lundvall: Playing by Ear,
he quotes the "idea" man saying that he called the logistics-challenged
event "a harebrained scheme to celebrate the occasion." His partner and
best friend Michael Cuscuna noted, "Bruce was doing what he does best:
cajoling us into doing the impossible."
Lundvall
continues to think up new ideas to present great jazz to audiences. His
latest endeavor will be producing an all-star concert on the grounds of
Brighton Gardens on August 24 from 2:00 - 8:00PM under an auditorium-styled tent. "I was talking to my friend here, Jim Naneman, about some of the shows we used to do," Lundvall says. "And he said to me, why don't you do something here?"
That set Lundvall into motion to work with the community's Director of Sales, Victoria Priore Cain,
to make such an event a reality. She enthusiastically agreed and has
been active in making this the first concert ever staged there. Lundvall
called his artist friends and has worked out a concert game plan for
the event.
The top-tier cast of stars that Lundvall has assembled is quite impressive. Saxophonist Joe Lovano will be leading his nonet (which includes vocalist Judi Silvano), Dianne Reeves will sing, and Chucho Valdés, one of jazz's greatest pianists, will be performing solo. One of the highlights of the afternoon will be pianist Bill Charlap's interpretations of Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein compositions and piano duets with his wife Rene Rosnes. Charlap will be joined by Javon Jackson, Nicholas Payton, Ravi Coltrane, and the great rhythm section of Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums. Special festival guest will be local jazz guitar great Bucky Pizzarelli who will perform with his longtime duo mate, guitarist Ed Loeb.
All artists performing are playing pro bono, with proceeds from ticket sales going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation,
which is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease. Tickets
will be $150. In addition, a special donation of $200 will include VIP
seating at the concert in the front row, meet and greet with musicians
after the show, cocktails and an autographed copy of the biography, Bruce Lundvall: Playing by Ear.
A
raffle for autographed photos of celebrities will also take place.
Complimentary beer and wine will be served. At intermission, there will
be a complimentary hour-long tapas party for concertgoers.
Tickets are on sale now at Ticketbud.com.
For more information, please contact
Victoria Priore Cain · 201-818-8680
Director of Sales, Brighton Gardens Sunrise Senior Living, NJ
For media information, please contact:
DL Media · 610-667-0501
Don Lucoff · don@dlmediamusic.com
- or -
Michael J. Fox Foundation · 212-509-0995
Christina Brdey · cbrdey@michaeljfox.org
