Jump-Jive Right Into July with the Inaugural Delco Jazz Jam 2023
Get ready to jazz it up with the Inaugural Delco Jazz Jam 2023! The program is presented by Upper Darby Township, who is thrilled to partner with the Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation and Berks Arts getJazzed to host Delco Jazz Jam headliner Gerald Veasley, as well as various local Student Jazz Education programs. Delco Jazz Jam will be held on Saturday, July 15th from 4:00 to 9:00pm in the municipal parking lot across from 100 Garrett Road in Upper Darby.
The headliner of the Inaugural Delco Jazz Jam 2023 will be Philadelphia native and jazz bass guitarist, Gerald Veasley. Veasley brings his drive and passion for educating and motivating other musicians to his role as president of Jazz Philadelphia, where he celebrates and lifts up the city’s jazz history, its established artists, and the next generation of Philadelphia-bred musicians. Veasley is a virtuoso on the six-stringed bass, and has recorded or performed with many notable artists in jazz, R&B, and gospel: Joe Zawinul, Grover Washington, Jr., Odean Pope, John Blake, Nnenna Freelon, McCoy Tyner, Pat Martino, and Kirk Whalum, among many others. Veasley has recorded ten albums as a leader, including “The Electric Mingus Project” which reimagines the music of legendary bassist/composer Charles Mingus; “I Got Life”, a tribute to Nina Simone; and “Live at SOUTH” a collection of funk-tinged jazz originals captured in concert. Schooled by his mentors Joe Zawinul and saxophone giant Grover Washington Jr., Veasley seeks to blur musical boundaries, respecting tradition while moving forward.
In addition to Veasley, various local Student Jazz Education programs will be performing at Delco Jazz Jam, including the Brad Schoener MusicMan Academy’s very own Jazz Jam! campers. Now entering its fifth year, Jazz Jam! is a week-long jazz camp for elementary and middle school musicians to empower themselves through creative exploration and hone their music skills while guided by top jazz educators. Other Student Jazz Education programs performing at Delco Jazz Jam will be Settlement Music School’s Wheeler Pre-Advanced Jazz Ensemble, West Philadelphia MJS Trio, and Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts.
Delco Jazz Jam 2023 will culminate in an open, free-flowing jam session for all ages with Omar’s Hat, a Philadelphia jazz collective featuring local artists and musicians. The whole community is invited to enjoy cool jazz on a hot summer night with food trucks, Conshohocken Brewing Beer Garden, and a village-vibe community spirit. For more information visit the Delco Jazz Jam Facebook Event Page