Annual West Orange Jazz Festival at OSPAC.

. Pleasant Valley Productions presents the Annual West Orange Jazz Festival at OSPAC. Saturday, September 17th 2-9 pm at the Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center located at 4 Boland Drive in West Orange NJ. We welcome you to enjoy world class entertainers, a beer and wine garden, food vendors and more. Free parking is available at an adjacent lot as well as indoor restroom facilities. Remember to bring your own chair. General admission is $10. $20 premium seating is available which includes a pre-set chair in the front of the stage. Special group rates are available for groups of 10 or more. The rain date is September 24th.

Highlights include the legendary Grammy winning Nat Adderley Jr, Hot House best Guitarist winner Dave Stryker, Grammy Nominated drummer Richard Baratta, Sweet Lee Odom whose instrumental spectrum includes, the clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano/alto/tenor saxophone, flute, and oboe Leonieke Scheuble named “Best Up and Coming Young Artist”-Hothouse NYC Fans Decision Awards, MPack Band under the direction of Clarence -the specialist in Funk, Jazz, Blues, Fusion, Neo-soul and R&B grooves and Jan Carden whose smokey jazz and blues vocals are sure to delight.

FOR TICKETS CLICK ON

pvpospac.ticketleap.com/west-orange-jazz-fest/

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

2:30-3:00- Jan Carden

3:15-4:00-Leonieke Scheuble Generations of Jazz

4:15-5:00- MPACK

5:15-6:00- Sweet Lee Odom

6:15-7:00-Richard Baratta

7:15-8:00-Dave Stryker

8:15- 9:00- Nat Adderley Jr

NAT ADDERLEY JR.

PIANIST/COMPOSER/ARRANGER/PRODUCER

As Luther Vandross’ long-time musical director, Nat’s compositions include “Stop to Love”, “Wait for Love”, “Make Me a Believer”, “Other Side of The World”, and the Grammy-nominated “Give Me the Reason”. His many arrangements for Luther include “Superstar”, “Here and Now”, “So Amazing”, “If Only for One Night”, “If This World Were Mine”, “There’s Nothing Better Than Love”, “Anyone Who Had a Heart”, and “Never Too Much”. Also for Luther, Nat produced “My Favorite Things”, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, “Going Out of My Head” and “The Closer I Get To You” (the Grammy-winning duet with Beyonce). Nat also of course produced Luther’s very last project, “Live at Radio City Music Hall”. Nat wrote “The Wave” for Kirk Whalum, arranged Natalie Cole’s 1987 recording of “When I Fall In Love”, produced “Just Another Lonely Night” for Johnny Gill, arranged Aretha Franklin’s album Jump To It, produced Gloria Lynne’s album No Detour Ahead, and produced “That’s How Heartaches are Made” for the Temptations. And In 2016 and 2017, Nat produced the CD “Invitation” for Nicolas Bearde, and appeared as pianist on Jay Hoggard’s beautiful CD “Harlem Heiroglyphs”.After a decades-long absence from theater, Nat has recently done three important shows for the Tony-winning Crossroads Theater Company in New Brunswick, NJ. In September of ’17 he served as arranger and musical director for “Sarah Sings a Love Story” . In April of ’19 he did the same for “Sophisticated Ladies” directed by Tony winner Andre DeShields . And in September of ’19 Nat was MD and appeared as the character “Larry” (Paul Robeson’s accompanist) in “Robeson”. In recent years, the Nat Adderley Jr Quartet (or Trio) performed in Beijing (the Blue Note), Singapore (the Kool Kats Club), in New York City (Minton’s , Grant’s Tomb, the Sugar Bar), New Jersey (Shanghai Jazz in Madison), and many other venues. In September ’19 the band headlined Sheila Anderson’s (WBGO) “Somerville (NJ) Jazz Festival”. And as a “sideman” in 2019 Nat played with Regina Carter (The Jazz Standard NYC on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day) and with Vincent Herring (Smoke Jazz Club NYC later in the year).In 2020 and 2021 the Nat Adderley Jr Quartet performed for sold-out houses at Parker’s Jazz Club in Austin Tx, Breezy’s Jazz Club Jacksonville Fl, Takoma Station in Washington DC, and a few nights back at Minton’s in Harlem. Also in NYC there were a few “packed” performances for “Jazzmobile” at Marcus Garvey Park and at Grant’s Tomb. Nat also streamed various widely-viewed concerts from his living room for the Queens Public Library, the New Jersey Jazz Society. And from “Birdland” streamed the “Tribute to Phyllis Hyman” duo with Alyson Williams. Finally, in July ’21, Nat was featured (with Paulette McWilliams) in Austria at “ Porgy and Bess” in Vienna, and at the Inntone Jazz Festival in Diersbach. Nat Adderley Jr received his BA from Yale University. As Luther Vandross’ long-time musical director, Nat’s compositions include “Stop to Love”, “Wait for Love”, “Make Me a Believer”, “Other Side of The World”, and the Grammy-nominated “Give Me the Reason”. His many arrangements for Luther include “Superstar”, “Here and Now”, “So Amazing”, “If Only for One Night”, “If This World Were Mine”, “There’s Nothing Better Than Love”, “Anyone Who Had a Heart”, and “Never Too Much”. Also for Luther, Nat produced “My Favorite Things”, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, “Going Out of My Head” and “The Closer I Get To You” (the Grammy-winning duet with Beyonce). Nat also of course produced Luther’s very last project, “Live at Radio City Music Hall”. Nat wrote “The Wave” for Kirk Whalum, arranged Natalie Cole’s 1987 recording of “When I Fall In Love”, produced “Just Another Lonely Night” for Johnny Gill, arranged Aretha Franklin’s album Jump To It, produced Gloria Lynne’s album No Detour Ahead, and produced “That’s How Heartaches are Made” for the Temptations. And In 2016 and 2017, Nat produced the CD “Invitation” for Nicolas Bearde, and appeared as pianist on Jay Hoggard’s beautiful CD “Harlem Heiroglyphs”. http://www.natadderleyjr.com/

DAVE STRYKER

Whether you’ve heard guitarist Dave Stryker leading his own group (with 34 CD’s as a leader to date), or as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, and many others, you know why the Village Voice calls him “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years. “Hot House magazine awarded him Best Guitarist Fans Decision for 2017. He was recently voted once again as one of the top Jazz Guitarists in the 2022 Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls for the 15th time. Dave’s last 5 CD’s have all gone to #1 on the JazzWeek Radio chart. His most recent “As We Are” features John Patitucci, Brian Blade, Julian Shore and a string quartet led by violinist Sara Caswell. Critics are calling it one of Dave’s greatest works yet. “Eight Track III” stayed at #1 on JazzWeek Radio chart for 6 straight weeks. “Messin’ with Mister T”, is a celebration of the man he worked with for over a decade — Stanley Turrentine, “Mister T” — with ten of the greatest tenor sax players on the scene today. It went to #1 on JazzWeek Radio and stayed in the Top 50 for 20 weeks and has received great reviews including 4 1/2 stars in Downbeat magazine. http://www.davestryker.com

RICHARD BARATTA

Grammy Nominated drummer Richard Baratta was nominated for his album, Music In Film: The Reel Deal. Since working on his first film, Desperately Seeking Susan in 1984, Baratta has worked on over 50 movies, first as a Location Manager, then Unit Production Manager, and for the past 15 years as a Co-Producer and Executive Producer. A small sampling of his filmography includes, Academy Award nominated Joker Joaquin Phoenix winning the Best Actor Award, Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award nominated The Irishman, Dr.Strange, The Wolf of Wall Street, five Spiderman movies,Too Big To Fail, Smurfs, Taking Pelham 123, Across the Universe, Donnie Brasco, Working Girl, and Big. Richard is also a film producer whose production credits include The Joker and The Irishman.

SWEET LEE ODOM

Lee Odom’s, instrumental spectrum includes, the clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano/alto/tenor saxophone, flute, and oboe. Lee is also a composer/band leader, whose musical spectrum includes, gospel, free improved music, jazz, R&B, and classical. Lee has worked on selected virtual service projects for Canaan Baptist Church, Harlem and Mt. Zion AME, Bronx as sound engineer. Lee was commissioned as Producer/Director for the first virtual production of Joeseph Daley's Colorations/Explorations, performed by the Dance Clarinets, directed by JD Parran. Lee has performed with many outstanding groups and musicians such as Don Byron, JD Parran, Whitney Marcelle, The Karl Berger Improv Orchestra, Canaan Baptist Church Music Ministry, 12 Houses Free Improv, the Makanda Project Boston, MA, Craig Harris, and the David Murray Octet. Lee Odom also performs as band leader, with Sweet Lee Music, performing at various venues and festivals throughout NY, Boston, CT, New Jersey, Washington DC and Florida.https://www.sweetleemusic.com/bio

MPACK

Clarence Conover's MPack Band

MPack is a band, a brand, and a musical production enterprise, consisting of multiple elements in an ever-evolving flow. Like a river, it's unpredictable and never flows the same way twice. It is an ever evolving, thought provoking, limitless musical experience that will elevate your mind body & soul and make you shake your behind all at the same time. MPack is the musical brainchild of bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer and vocalist Clarence 'Groove Master' Conover. He’s the founder, leader, and vocalist of the Clarence Conover Project, the MPack Band and the founder and CEO of M-Pack Music productions whose motto is “Life Changing Sounds”. He released his first CD “My Time” in 2014. In his formative years, his musical influences included Herbie Hancock, Grover Washington, Phyllis Hyman, Luther Vandross and Prince, just to name a few. Clarence has performed and recorded with Patti Labelle, Teddy Pendergrass, Grover Washington Jr., the Delfonics, Bo Diddley and others. He is a product of the Philly sound. Clarence is a specialist in Funk, Jazz, Blues, Fusion, Neo-soul and R&B grooves. This cross-genre musician, Clarence “M-Pack” Conover is creatively talented and has gathered other likeminded musicians and vocalists (Joe Scarpitto, Chris “Baby Funk” Meagher, Brett Calder, Kev “Nazt” Moore and Patricia Walton) to create this musical phenomenon known as MPack Band. MPack brings an explosive energy to the stage, guaranteed to rock the house all night long!. http://mpackmusic.weebly.com/

LEONIEKE SCHEUBLE AND THE GENERATIONS OF JAZZ

Leonieke (phonetically pronounced “lay-o-nee-ka”)

Leonieke Scheuble started to play piano after being inspired by “Ray,” a movie based on the life of Ray Charles. Without any prior musical training, she began to spend great lengths of time at the piano creating pieces that were rhythmically interesting and compositionally balanced. She was 5 or 6. In September 2015, Leonieke was named “Best Up and Coming Young Artist”-Hothouse NYC Fans Decision Awards, (her most prestigious honor to date). May 10, 2016 Leonieke honored and featured in film for an audience of over 1,000 at the TEDx TALK Easton, PA event. Later that year, she performed and spoke for another TED x Event which was filmed for PBS and can be viewed at

JAN CARDEN

Jan Carden is a singer, actor, fine artist and former visual arts teacher. Jan has performed with the Barry Herman and Mel Arnold Orchestras as well as with the Phipps Family Band. His solo performances have been in venues in Canada, Jamaica, Florida, Maryland, as well as New York City. Locally, he has given concerts for The Theatre under the Stars, The West Orange Arts Council, OSPAC Performing Arts Center and many others. He has given solo jazz performances at local nightclubs to great acclaim. Jan has performed a wide variety of principal roles in musical theatre productions, such as, Elton John’s Aida, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Dreamgirls, Ragtime, Light in the Piazza and Pirates of Penzance. Most recently he played the role of father in Children of Eden.

https://www.jancarden.com/about-the-artist

Host or Publisher Pleasant Valley Productions at OSPAC