2024 marks the year I attended the 33rd Boscov’s Berks Jazz Festival again after a 5 year hiatus due to the pandemic and its restrictions. Since everything was back to normal, I wanted to come back, meet friends and artists, and – most of all – immerse myself into some great live music in a setting that is totally unique at this festival.
This year is the last one with festival manager John Ernesto at the helm, he will be replaced by a team of people splitting the various jobs John covered over more than 30 years. I wish them lots of luck and success to continue what John so lovingly has built up over all these years.
After a long journey due to a missed flight, I arrived late Thursday night at the DoubleTree hotel in Reading, where I managed to get a room for the festival. Since the hotel usually is fully booked during the festival, one has to make reservations early.
The festival was kicked off for me with the Greg Adams & East Bay Soul concert, featuring singer Terrell Edwards, guitarist Richard Smith, plus his longtime band members like Nick Milo on keys. They provided a great show with soulful R&B songs and groovy jazz-funk pieces featuring Greg Adams on flugelhorn.
In the evening at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, Marcus Miller and Jonathan Butler did their show, with a great band, most notably Donald Hayes on sax and Russell Gunn on trumpet who provided many great solos. Jonathan Butler was his unadultered self, singing his heart out and playing some cool electric and acoustic guitar, while Marcus Miller provided lots of funky bass playing, plus the song “Gorée” on bass clarinet. This was a really outstanding show that provided a lot of variation and top-level musicianship.
Next were keyboardist Alex Bugnon and saxophonist Najee at the DoubleTree Grand Ballroom, they went through some of their familiar songs, most notably Alex Bugnon doing his classic “Night Groove”, I always enjoy Najee’s immaculate flute playing. Nice additions were singer Alyson Williams who sang a couple of songs, plus trumpet player Tom Browne, they brought the house down with “Funkin’ For Jamaica”.
Later that evening, Gerald Veasley’s “Unscripted Jam” had many of the attending players jam together in various combinations.
On Saturday at noon, Kirk Whalum did a truly outstanding show, featuring young guitar player Andréa Lisa who added her own spin to the show with her singing and playing, certainly an artist to watch. The band consisted of his old cohorts Marcus Finnie on drums, Braylon Lacy on bass and John Stoddart on keys. They covered a lot of ground and provided one of the best shows so far for me.
Next was guitarist Lee Ritenour, he was supposed to appear with pianist Dave Grusin who was unfortunately not able to appear due to a health issue. Nevertheless, Lee Ritenour took care of the concert, supported by bassist Tom Kennedy, keyboardist George Whitty and his son Wesley Ritenour on drums, going through several of his classic songs, even going back to his fusion heydays.
At 6pm, a show tagged “The Future Is Now” featured a bunch of younger players, although many of them were already 10 or more years on the scene, nevertheless they brought a breath of fresh air and lot of enthusiasm to the stage. We got Aubrey Logan on trombone and vocals, Oli Silk on keyboards, David P. Stevens on guitar, Kim Scott on flute, Ilya Serov on trumpet, Phil Denny on sax, Curtis McCain on percussion, Tim George on bass, Carl Anderson on drums. They had a blast and performed with aplomb and lots of fun, providing one of the better shows of the festival.
Later in the evening, Incognito with Maysa appeared, the band is constantly evolving and has served to launch the career of many artists. The singers tonight were Maysa, Deborah Bond, the awesome Zebulon Ellis, plus Rona Rawls, all singers from the east coast. Most players of the band were loyal long time members, like bassist Francis Hylton and drummer Francesco Mendolino, plus the 3-piece horn section around Sid Gauld. They went throught their many hits, including “Deep Waters” and “Nights Over Egypt”, providing a satisfying show.
Sunday morning, there was the brunch, followed by a concert by the all-female band “Jazz In Pink” led by keyboardist Gail Jhonson. Their lineup varies, as soloists especially standing out at this show were Paula Atherton on sax and flute, Brooke Alford on violin and Keyanna Hutchinson on guitar, all providing nice solos, especially Brooke Alford stood out.
At 3pm at the Miller Center for the Arts, pianist Keiko Matsui did one of her rare shows with a full orchestra, featuring the Reading Pops Orchestra conducted by Willis M. Rapp. She had her regular band, plus Andrew Neu on sax, to accompany her through a string of familiar songs like “Forever, Forever” and more. This was a truly special show.
Sunday night of the first weekend, saxophonist Kirk Whalum’s “The Gospel According To Jazz” took place at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, he had his band with keyboardist John Stoddart, brother Kevin Whalum on vocals, Jonathan Butler on guitar and vocals, plus his protégée Andréa Lisa on guitar. For a couple of songs, the powerful Fresh Wind Gospel Choir was added. They concluded the show with “Love Is The Answer”, adding the huge Reading Choral Society choir to the stage, bringing the evening to a great close.
Monday and Tuesday were two evenings off for me, on Wednesday I went to the Kutztown University, where an affilated concert by saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin took place in the Schaeffer Auditorium. She was supported by a great band and went through some straight ahead numbers, still showing a broad range of moods and styles, providing an impressing concert.
Thursday night, the traditional Chuck Loeb Memorial All-Star Jam took place. Guitarist Chuck Loeb was the one that organized the All-Star Jam for many years, since his untimely passing in 2017, bassist Gerald Veasley and trumpet player Rick Braun now are responsible for the evening. As usual, we got a huge assembly of players on stage, that played in various combinations. Players involved included Rick Braun, Gerald Veasley, Eric Darius, Rebecca Jade, Chris “Big Dog” Davis, Nicole Henry, Jean Baylor, Marcus Baylor, Brian Bromberg, Michael Paulo, Everette Harp, Ray Fuller, Tom Zink, Tony Moore, Lin Rountree, Curtis McCain and Bobby Lyle. They went through a varied program of tunes, like Herbie Hancock’s “Butterfly” or “Summertime”, featuring the great Jean Baylor. Everybody got their chance to solo and shine, they played for well over 2 hours with a short intermission, they concluded the evening with “Cold Duck Time” and “Superstitious”, leaving a satisfied crowd.
