OSPAC Features Jazz And Latino Music

On Saturday, September 6th and Sunday, September 7th, the Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center will hold its Sixth Annual Jazz Festival, within the spectacular OSPAC Amphitheater, located at Crystal Lake, 4 Boland Drive, in West Orange, New Jersey.

[Oskar Schindler: Sixth Annual Jazz Festival]

The Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center is a non-profit organization with a mission to bring high caliber performances, and a strong commitment to arts education at free or minimal cost to the public through its annual Jazz and World Music Workshop. 

On Saturday, September 6th and Sunday, September 7th, the Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center will hold its Sixth Annual Jazz Festival, within the spectacular OSPAC Amphitheater, located at Crystal Lake, 4 Boland Drive, in West Orange, New Jersey. The event this year will cost $10 for adults and $5 for seniors. Children, 12 years and under, get in free.  Jazz and Hispanic music lovers will enjoy this event.  Those traveling to the festival by train can take the New Jersey Transit to South Orange.  The fare is $5.00 per ride; $2.50 for seniors and those with disabilities.                                                                                                                           

Larry Pantirer of Millennium Homes donated the Amphitheater and surrounding three acres of land to the township of West Orange in memory of Oskar Schindler, who saved hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust, including Pantirer’s father, Murray Pantirer. OSPAC is the only performing arts theater in the United States named for Oskar Schindler. The sponsors for OSPAC’s Sixth Annual Jazz Festival are Commerce Bank; Millennium Homes; Ferential Systems Inc; Leaf, Saltzman, Manganelli Pfeil & Tendler LLP; Reckson Associates Realty Corp.; Matzel & Mumford; PSE&G; and WBGO-FM.

OPAC Executive Director and singer Kate Baker, has been associated with the OPAC Jazz Festival for 6 years.  She discussed the OSPAC Jazz Festival Summer Workshop, also in its 6th year, which offers students of all ages and abilities the opportunity to study with an internationally renowned faculty of jazz musicians.  Some of these students will be performing with the OSPAC Jazz Workshop Big Band during the festival. 

These talented musicians, (13 and up) high school, college age and older learn from the masters. This program emphasizes the mastery of playing and singing jazz and world music. Our goal is to improve the students’ musicianship and help facilitate creativity.  Students who attend the workshop will improve in their chosen style of music with a greater appreciation for all types of music, whether it is jazz, rock and roll, pop, funk, fusion, R&B or hip hop. Students receive individual attention to help improve their skills. This workshop is one the students will remember for years to come,” stated Baker.

 “We have a wonderful line up of jazz and Latino artists this year.  People can stroll throughout the lawn and picnic alongside the beautiful lake.  Attendees can bring their own food, chairs, blankets and mats or purchase food from the international food vendors that will be at the two day event,” said Kate who has performed at other festivals including the Euro-Meet Jazz Festival, The Texaco Jazz Series in New York City, Liberty State Park Jazz Concert Festival, Berkshire Jazz Festival, the William Paterson Jazz Room Concert Series, The Carini Jazz Festival, and The Pergine Spettacolo Jazz Festival, et al.

The two day OSPAC Jazz Festival lineup is:

 Saturday September 6th
12:30 pm…………OSPAC Jazz Workshop Big Band led by Don Braden
1:00 pm…………..Carrie Jackson Quartet
2:00 pm…………..Duke Ellington Legacy Band Featuring Norman Simmons and Nancy Reed
3:00 pm…………..Dave Stryker and the West Orange All Stars with special guest Billy Hart                4:00 pm…………..Maucha Adnet Quartet – Celebrating 50 Years of Bossa Nova!
5:00 pm…………..Allan Harris Quintet featuring Don Braden
6:00 pm…………..Geri Allen Trio
7:00 pm…………..Grupo Latin Vibe

Sunday September 7th
12:30 pm…………OSPAC Jazz Workshop Ensemble led by Vic Juris
1:00 pm…………. Enrico Granafei
1:30 pm…………. Richie Cole and the Alto Madness Orchestra
2:30 pm…………..Kate Baker Quintet featuring Vic Juris with special guest Judi Silvano
3:15 pm…………..Nilson Matta and Brazilian Voyage  with special guest Harry Allen
4:15 pm…………..Joe Locke Force of Four
5:15 pm…………..Joe Lovano/Dave Liebman Quintet
6:20 pm…………..Cecil Brooks III Trio

The festival will be emceed by WBGO’s Gary Walker, who will present the festivities against an open-air setting, complete with artisans, crafts, a health spa center, entertainment and activities for children. The weekend will also include “Paint the Music” led by Nitza Horner, who is a teaching artist and freelance educator affiliated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Via the Paint the Music” project anyone can pick up a paint brush and paint the music as it sounds to them.  I am very excited about this aspect of the Festival.  I think it will be a fun thing to do,” claimed Kate.

Driving directions are on the site.  A free OPAC shuttle will pick up festival attendees at the South Orange Train station and drive them to the Festival in West Orange, New Jersey.  Interested parties can learn more about the festival at http://www.ospac.org. 

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