SOMERSET JAZZ CONSORTIUM AND
JAZZ GROOVE JAM
SESSIONS -
OUR VISION
BRINGING
JAZZ TO LIFE FOR ALL TO HEAR
Welcome to our web site!
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IN MEMORY
OF CHARLES RUSSONELLO – 1951-2011



Our Sunday House Band Co-Drummer and Latin Percussionist, Charlie Russonello, passed on on September
9, 2011. We sorely miss Charlie’s humor, wit and musical abilities which he consistently brought to
the table at our jam sessions and gigs. As a member of the consortium’s ‘Brain Trust,’ Charlie is irreplaceable.
His loss is a loss for all of us.
The combined forces of the Somerset Jazz Consortium and Leopoldo Gayten's New World Order
Jam Session rrallied around Charlie's wife Jing and the rest of his family and we held a Jazz Funeral for Charlie at
his wake on Sunday, September 11, 2011. There was more poignancy in this memorial in that it was also the 10th Anniversary
of the heinous terrorist attacks which brought down the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. We grieve and pray for
all. John Abbott and I each received thank you letters from Jing
thanking us all for softening the loss by keeping Charlie alive through the music he so dearly loves. I honestly believe
he's out there somewhere having a spirited discussion with Buddy Rich, Elvin Jones, Gene Krupa and Joe Morello.
There will be a memorial concert for Charlie in the future. We will
work with Jing and with Charlie's nephew Gio on this.
Again,
please keep Charlie, Jing and Gio in your prayers and thoughts.
Thank
You,
James C. Jasion – Founder / Moderator
Somerset Jazz Consortium and Jazz Groove Jam Sessions
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SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11th, 2011 - 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF
9-11
!!!GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
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Our mission continues.
as always, to bring you high quality Jazz at low or nonexistant cost at venues and hours that are convenient to you and your
family and your budget.
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More News - at School.
Bassist Evan Levine -
and guitarist Pravin Thompson, are returning to their 2nd year at Oberlin College and New Jersey City University
respectively. Our freshmen in college include Ryan Lakritz, at Columbia University, Luke Miller, at The University
of Wisconsin in Madison, WI and Michael Chernin, at Brandeis. Good choice of schools! Again, congratulations Guys!
H
Hopefully we'll see all of these fine musicians
on some of the Sundays they can make it back to sit in. To all of you, we want to extend our gratitude. It was
a supreme pleasure performing with you and growing as artists.
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We are looking forward
to continue to bring some wonderful sounds and a lot of fun as we bring Straight-Ahead Jazz, Mainstream Jazz and Bossa Nova to
a wider audience.
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We are now going to be playing weekly on Wednesdays at
Nighthawk Books in Highland Park. We will be featuring ALL ORIGINAL Compositions and Public Domain repertoire.
Stay tuned for our schedule.T
The new time is at 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM at:
- S
Nighthawk Books
212 Raritan Avenue, (Rt 27)
Highland
Park, NJ 08904
Tel: 732-339-8920,
8929
Click HERE for Map
Click HERE for
More about Nighthawk Books
MaChu Jam Session Is No Longer
Unfortunately, due to business pressures, Alphonse Boatright was forced to close MaChu Cajun Fusion Restaurant
in Somerset so no more Tuesday night Jam Sessions. We are in search mode for a new venue for our Tuesday evening
weeknight jam session and will get back to you on that in the coming weeks.
HIGHLAND PARK LIBRARY APPEARANCE OF THE SOMERSET JAZZ HORN SQUAD
This Tuesday, October 11th, the Somerset Jazz
Horn Squad will be playing from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM at Highland Park
Public Library, located at:
31
North 5th Avenue
Highland Park, NJ 08904-2900
(732) 572-2750
Click HERE for Map
Click HERE for More about Highland Park Public Library
ANOTHER GREAT DAY IN HIGHLAND PARK - AUGUST 20, 2010!
Front Row - L - R - Vinnie Troyani, Scott Ricketts, Jim Jasion, Bob Pallito, Jerry Otero, Bob Balogh,
Jac Keenan, Leo Gayten
Back Row - L - R - Max Jacob, Charlie Russonello, (unidentified), Ben Rose, Evan Levine, Ryan Lakritz, Michael
Lawton, Joe Lisa
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From our beginnings at the Sanctuary Coffeehouse
in Somerville in July 2003, we have grown to a network of about 80 active jazz playing musicians who participate in
regularly scheduled jam sessions and gigs currently occurring each week on:
Sundays
- 1 - 5 PM Mondays - 7
PM - 9 PM Tuesdays
- In the Evening - TO BE ANNOUNCED-
( Jazz 'Hang' starts at Noon )
( SJC Horn Squad Closed Gig )
At: At: At:A
JPJ's
Coffee Starbucks TO BE ANNOUNCED
315 Raritan Avenue 693
West Edgar Road ( US Hwy 1 ) TO BE ANNOUNCED
Highland Park, NJ
Linden, NJ
TO BE ANNOUNCED
Edison, NJ
(or E-mail him at:)
Map Of PJ's Map Of Starbucks
Map Of TO BE ANNOUNCED
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Wednesdays
- 5 - 7 PM
Original Composers Session
Nighthawk Books
212 Raritan Avenue
Highland Park, NJ
Edison, NJ
(or E-mail him at:)
Tel: 732-339-8920
Map Of Nighthawk Books
ABOUT THE MUSIC PLAYED
BY THE SOMERSET JAZZ CONSORTIUM
Working from the 4 Real Books and other sources, our group is proficient in various
jazz sub-genres including Bebop, Hard Bop, Bossa, Swing, Mainstream, Fusion, Traditional "Dixieland" and Latino
Jazz.
Members of our regular playing network also perform at various
venues under the umbrella of The Somerset Jazz Consortium ranging from solo performers to septets. We aim to make affordable
Jazz music of a high order easily available to local audiences.