Mo-Town Melodies

Photograph, from left: Paul Bollenback, Paul Rossman, Michael Goetz, Richard Baratta, Vincent Herring, and Bill O’Connell of Richard Baratta Gotham City Latin/Jazz Septet

This month is a jackpot of music around Morristown. From blues and jazz to folk and classic rock, August brings something for every music lover.

MUSIC ON THE GREEN

The Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival celebrates its 15th year of bringing community and free music together on the Green.

Every August for the last decade and a half, Morristown has hosted some of the country’s best jazz and blues musicians for a free community festival. This year is no exception, and on August 15 a slate of big names hits the stage set up on the Green. 

The free concert, the brainchild of Mayor Tim Dougherty, is produced by Don Smith, who lived on Macculloch Avenue for more than 25 years and had a long career in and around the music business. 

Smith mines his deep connections to bring top acts to Morristown. “I choose the acts personally,” Smith says. “I know jazz very well, and I know all the artists. I pretty much know everyone in blues, too.” Smith tries to bring new acts in each year to “expose as many people as possible to the artists.” 

This year features a particularly stellar lineup, starting with jazz and transitioning into blues later in the day. Bring lawn chairs, spread out your blankets, and enjoy the show. For more information, visit morristownjazzandblues.org.

12 p.m.  Swing Band James Langton New York All-Star Big Band covers chart toppers by Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and other big bands from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. 

2 p.m.  Grammy-nominated group Richard Baratta Gotham City Latin/Jazz Septet hits the stage to perform a fun set of Latin jazz standards.

4 p.m.  LaBamba and the Hubcaps, led by trombonist, vocalist, and arranger Richie “LaBamba” Rosenburg, is a rare repeat performer at the festival—this year marks his third appearance. Rosenburg has performed with Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Diana Ross, and other famous artists. 

6 p.m.  Dylan Triplett, who was named the Blues Music Award’s “Best Emerging Artist” in 2023, combines blues classics with his soulful voice.

8 p.m.  The festival closes with blues superstar Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, a guitar phenom who is widely regarded as one of today’s top blues songwriters. In 2023, “60 Minutes” called Ingram “a new blues superstar” during a segment on the music scene in Clarksdale, Mississippi, his hometown.

FRIDAY NIGHT TROUBADOURS

Each Friday night for 50 weeks per year, contemporary singer-songwriters and acoustic musicians in a range of styles—from Americana and country to bluegrass and jazz—hit the stage at the Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (21 Normandy Heights Rd.).  

An impressive two-thirds of the musicians are nationally touring performers. The remaining one-third are members of local communities, from beginners to accomplished professionals, who get on stage to share their musical skills. This is all part of the Troubadour Concert Series run by the nonprofit Folk Project, which has been bringing music and dance to Morristown for more than 50 years.

Tickets for the shows can be bought at the door or online at folkproject.org. They cost just $20 to keep performances accessible and encourage more people to discover new music. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit folkproject.org. Here’s the August lineup: 

8/7:  Carolann Solebello, a founding member of Americana trio Red Molly, and singer-songwriter Kyle Morgan both perform. 

8/14:  The bluegrass music of The Ryan Shupe Band and the mountain-style harmonies and fiddle music of Rakish. 

8/21:  Campfire Night has three artists performing from the middle of the room, without a sound system, while sitting next to an electric campfire. The artists are folk musician Joe Crookston, James Taylor aficionado James Geddon, and a sing-along led by Ken Galipeau. 

8/28:  The Veterans & Songwriters Project features the stories of 10 veterans set to music written by Folk Project songwriting professionals. 

LOCAL BEATS

There’s lots of other music on offer around Morristown in August! Here’s a sampling of additional performances. For tickets to MPAC events, visit mayoarts.org/events.

8/1:  Johnny Woods Band. Moo-Sic on the Farm at Fosterfields. 4:30 p.m. $5/person (2 and under free). For tickets and more information, visit Morrisparks.net/events. 

8/5:  A Tribute to ABBA. MPAC, 7:30 p.m.

8/6:  Smooth Retsina Glow. 1776 Morristown Patio Lounge, 7 p.m. 

8/6:  Joshua Van Ness & Garrett Lash. Vail Mansion Plaza, 6 p.m. MPAC free event.  

8/6:  Dead on Live—Bob Weir Tribute. MPAC, 8 p.m.

8/12:  EagleMania—Eagles Tribute Band. MPAC, 8 p.m.

8/13:  Steve Bergamini. 1776 Morristown Patio Lounge, 7 p.m. Free. 

8/16:  The Stray Cats. MPAC, 7 p.m. 

8/18:  Wilma. Vail Mansion Plaza, 6 p.m. MPAC free event.  

8/19:  Orleans, Firefall, Pure Prairie League & Atlanta Rhythm Section. MPAC, 7 p.m.

8/20:  Glen Burtnik’s Summer of Love Concert. MPAC, 8 p.m.