No More Trenton Jazz Festival

[Lois Gilbert]

City of Trenton officials reminisced yesterday after an announcement that hard economic times had killed off the Trenton Jazz Festival.

The Trenton Jazz Festival Executive Committee confirmed the death of jazz following a 19-year run due to the tough economic conditions over the past few years.

“The Trenton Jazz Festival has always had three goals — providing top flight musical talent at reasonable prices, being family oriented, and being self-sustaining financially,” said committee member Rocky Peterson.

“In recent years, the worsening economic conditions around the nation have made it increasingly difficult to obtain the corporate sponsorships that have always been a necessary link to achieve reasonable ticket prices and also to ensure that the city’s contribution remains at the bare minimum.”

“The Trenton Jazz Festival had grown into a $250,000 event, with the city of Trenton annually contributing in the neighborhood of $50,000,” said committee member Renee Haynes.

“City support has largely been in-kind, relying on the countless hours of devoted volunteers. Having the Jazz Fest be mostly self-supporting has always been within our reach, but this year it is clear that the economic conditions would not make that possible.”

Peterson, Haynes, and fellow Trenton Jazz Festival Executive Committee members Len Pucciatti and Samuel Frisby recalled the early days of the Jazz Fest.

“It began at the site of the KatManDu night club, with traditional jazz players like Ellis Marsalis,” Pucciatti added. “Later, the festival took a turn toward smooth jazz in order to attract a larger audience — and that worked.”

“They came for the relaxed ambience, for hot barbecue on the grill and cool jazz on the stage. We also were fortunate to have tremendous successes, featuring some of the most renowned musicians in the world. The Trenton Jazz Festival was well known in the music industry as a top-notch, professionally run event, in terms of production and how we dealt with the artists.”

The performers have included Yolanda Adams, Ashford and Simpson, Patti Austin, Roy Ayers, Erykah Badu, George Benson, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Chris Botti, Jonathan Butler, Richie Cole, Brian Culbertson, Morris Day and The Time, Paquito D’Rivera, George Duke, Roberta Flack, Kenny G., Lalah Hathaway, Boney James, Al Jarreau, Teena Marie, Jimmy McGriff, Stephanie Mills, Najee, Manny Oquendo, Jeffrey Osborne, Eddie Palmieri, Pieces of a Dream, Tito Puente, The Rippingtons, David Sanborn, S.O.S. Band, Yellow Jackets, and War, among many, many others.

[paul cohen]

Although dissapointed, no one should really be surprised. the Philly Jazz scene has been dying a slow death. We lost Zanzibar Blue, WWDB radio, must share radio WRTI with the Main Line classical set. Too many good players, not enough places to play, and forget about touring big names. It's been as bad lately as the rain.