SummerJazzFest Season Announced At The Bickford Theatre

Music and food always seem perfect together so for Bickford Summer JazzFest the theatre will combine great jazz with some of the region's best food trucks on-site before each concert. Different food trucks will be featured so that both ticket holders and the general public can picnic on the beautiful Morris Museum grounds or tailgate in the spacious parking area from 5:30 to 7:30 on festival nights.

Bickford Summer JazzFest begins on Thursday, July 12 with the return of the popular singer and saxophonist Danny Bacher and his All-Star Band. His show "Accentuate the Positive" draws on tunes from his soon-to-be-released CD "Still Happy" as well as his exciting salutes to Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan, and Louis Prima. Danny will be joined by Harry Allen on tenor sax, Charlie Caranicas on trumpet, Allen Farnham on piano, Dean Johnson on bass, and Alvester Garnett on drums.

On Thursday, July 19, one of the emerging hot jazz groups from Brooklyn, Svetlana and the Delancy Five, will take the stage. The band features their leader and singer Svetlana Shmulyian whom the Wall Street Journal called an "exceptional vocalist" plus saxophonist Michael Hashim, trumpeter Charlie Caranicas, pianist Willerm Delisort, bassist Endea Owens and drummer Rob Garcia.

Then on Thursday, July 26, the popular and always entertaining vocalist Antoinette Montague brings The Antoinette Montague Experience to Morristown for a concert which blends jazz, blues, and vintage R&B. Her special guests include the great clarinetist and saxophonist Ken Peplowski, pianist Brandon McCune, bassist Melissa Slocum, drummer Willie Rodriques, and tap dancer AC Lincoln.

And no summer festival would be complete without Dan Levinson's Midsummer Night's Jazz Party. For his fourth annual appearance at the Bickford Summer JazzFest, Dan is dispensing with the scores and music stands for an all-out, freewheeling jam session with Jon-Erik Kellso on trumpet, Mark Shane on piano, Paul Wells on drums, Harvey Tibbs on trombone, and Rob Adkins on bass.

The summer concerts at the Bickford Theatre come to a close on Thursday, August 16, when Louis Prima Jr. and the Witnesses return to Morristown for their first appearance since last summer's high energy show at the Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival. The son of the explosive star Louis Prima performs many of his father's most famous hits including "Sing Sing Sing," "Just a Gigolo," and "Jump Jive An' Wail" as well as popular songs from the fifties and several originals. For this dance party, the Bickford Theatre will throw open its doors and give the audience the opportunity to dance the night away.

Tickets for the summer concerts start at $18 for Museum Members and may be purchased online at morrismuseum.org, by phone at (973) 971-3706, or in person at the Bickford Theatre Box Office. The Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, and offers free parking and full accessibility. Box office hours for phone sales are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Walk-up hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Food trucks will be at all summer concerts starting at 5:30 p.m.

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