Luna Stage's Jazz Series Features Dave Stryker, 10/14

By: Kelsey Denette Sep. 11, 2012

Luna Stage opens the second season of its Music in the Moonlight Jazz Series on Sunday, October 14th at 7pm with a one-night only concert by acclaimed guitarist Dave Stryker. Mr. Stryker will be accompanied by Jared Gold on organ and McClenty Hunter, Jr. on drums in a performance of The Incredible Jazz Guitar: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery at Luna Stage, 555 Valley Road in West Orange, NJ 07052.

Tickets are on sale now ($18 in advance, $20 at the door) and can be purchased in person, over the phone at (973) 395-5551, or on the Luna Stage website: www.lunastage.org. The concert is part of a six-concert series. Three or six-concert subscriptions can be purchased for $45 or $72. Other artists scheduled to appear in the series include trumpeter Claudio Roditi, tenor saxophonist Virginia Mayhew, saxophonist/flutist Don Braden, and drummer Greg Bufford.

Wes Montgomery played one of the most unique and exciting sounds in improvisational music. He continues to be the standard for modern jazz guitarists. It’s only natural that West Orange-based jazz guitarist Stryker would pay tribute to Montgomery, as he was one of Dave's early influences.

Stryker is now considered a guitarist with his own voice as well. He has recorded 23 CDs where he was lead for his own group and has been featured as a sideman with Stanley Turrentine and Jack McDuff, among others. Gary Giddins of The Village Voice called Stryker “…one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.” He was voted one of the Top Ten Guitarists in the 2001 Downbeat Readers Poll, and a Rising Star for the last 5 years in the Downbeat Critics Poll.

Jared Gold is a jazz organist who has performed internationally and recorded with some of the best jazz artists. In 2008, his first solo album, Solids & Stripes, was released by Posi-Tone records. Gold plays the Hammond B-3. He has been influenced by Larry Young, Jack McDuff, and Don Patterson, and believes in extending harmony and solidifying groove.

Percussionist McClenty Hunter, Jr. has performed in recording sessions with Grammy award winning artists Roy Hargrove, Richard Smallwood, and Donnie McClurkin. He attendEd Howard University where his mentor was legendary drummer Grady Tate. In addition to performing in Washington, D.C. and New York City venues, he is the Musical Director for the KIPP charter schools in New York.

“There is inherent theatricality in the performance of jazz”, says Cheryl Katz, Associate Artistic Director of Luna Stage, “and a large number of outstanding jazz musicians reside in and around the Valley Arts District where Luna Stage is located. When jazz scholar Sanford Josephson approached us about doing a series of jazz concerts by local artists at the Theatre, it seemed a natural fit.” Mr. Josephson is the author of Jazz Notes: Interviews Across the Generations and has written extensively about jazz musicians in a variety of publications ranging from the New York Daily News to American Way Magazine. As the curator of the Music In The Moonlight Jazz Series at Luna Stage, Mr. Josephson has brought together a collection of renowned artists paying tribute to a host of jazz legends and styles.

The Incredible Jazz Guitar: a Tribute to Wes Montgomery is sponsored by Lawrence Kantor Inc., Wholesale Distributors of Plumbing, Heating and Industrial Supplies, based in Orange and serving the Northern New Jersey area for over 50 years. http://www.kantorsupply.com/

For information on The Incredible Jazz Guitar: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery and all events and programs at Luna Stage, visit the company website:www.lunastage.org. Luna Stage is located at 555 Valley Road, West Orange, NJ 07052. (973) 395-5551. The theatre is handicapped accessible and assisted listening devices are available.

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