Tommy Gallant Jazz Festival announces lineup of performers

PORTSMOUTH - The 39th Annual Tommy Gallant Jazz Festival will take place on Sunday, Aug. 28, from 12:30 to 8 p.m. on the main stage in Prescott Park. The day-long event is presented in partnership with Seacoast Jazz Society and the Prescott Park Arts Festival's summer concert series..

The Jazz Festival will feature a host of local, regional, and national talent, amplifying the different styles of the genre. This year’s line-up features acclaimed guest vocalist Carmen Bradford performing with the Seacoast Big Band, plus five other dynamic bands including, Gray Sargent and Friends, Soggy Po Boys, Greg Hopkins Quintet, Rebecca Cline Trio and Quartet Assante. Keeping with the Prescot Park Arts Festival’s mission of accessibility, all performances will be offered for an optional suggested donation.

“The Jazz Festival is such a staple of summers on the Seacoast,” PPAF Executive Director Courtney Perkins said. “It’s always a treat to gather some of the best local and regional jazz talent, as well as internationally acclaimed musicians to take part in this time-honored celebration of jazz music. We are grateful for our partnership with Seacoast Jazz Society in putting this special day together for the community.”

Opening Jazz Fest will be the newly formed Quartet Assante, which combines the musicians' impressive musical talents to bring Brazilian and Argentinian culture to a new experience of jazz. The group features Nihco Gallo on vibraphone, and Jason Anick on violin, with Jason Emmond on bass, and Zak King on drums. They will have you swaying to the sounds of tango and samba.

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Up next will be Gray Sargent and Friends with Jeff Stout, John Lockwood, and Les Harris Jr. “Ballads, Be-bop, and Blues!” You’re in for a treat with the combination of musicians that Gray Sargent has pulled together for the Jazz Festival this year. Each one is an exceptional professional jazz musician on their own; together, they will combine to create a bit of jazz magic.

Born on a snowy Fat Tuesday night in 2012, Soggy Po Boys have been honing their craft of New Orleans’ music in their Dover hometown ever since. Comprised of Stu Dias on vocals and Guitar, Brett Gallo on drums, Scott Kiefner on upright bass, Mike Effenberger on keys, Nick Mainella on tenor sax, Josh Gagnon on trombone, and Eric Klaxton on soprano sax and clarinet. This big band will serve its jazz messy, mixing brass-fueled mayhem with spirituals, meters-style old-school funk, and the Caribbean side of the New Orleans tradition at approximately 3 p.m.

Next up, get ready for some Latin Jazz and be transported by the Rebecca Cline Trio. Cline is a Boston-based pianist who has been performing jazz standards from Cuba and the U.S. for over two decades. A luminary in the Cuban jazz world, Cline is a professor at Berklee College of Music and author of :Latin Jazz Piano Improvisation: Clave, Comping, and Soloing."

On the stage next will be Greg Hopkins Quintet has been active in the Boston and New England area for over 40 years. Hopkins will play with Bill Pierce, Alain Mallet, John Lockwood and Yoron Israel. As Hopkins puts it, “We’ve played every jazz joint and kept ‘em jumpin’”. Each of these band members is phenomenal on their own. Together they amass a jazz power that will keep you jumpin’ too!

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Lastly, internationally acclaimed vocalist Carmen Bradford will join the dynamic Seacoast Big Band’s 18-piece orchestra at approximately 6:50 p.m. Bradford is a 2022 Grammy Nominee, has been a featured vocalist with the Count Basie Orchestra, and is recognized as one of the finest big band vocalists today. Born into jazz royalty, she is the daughter of legendary coronetist-composer Bobby Bradford and world-renowned jazz vocalist, composer and author Melba Joyce. Her grandfather Melvin Moore sang with Lucky Millender and his Big Band; Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band; and the Ink Spots, making her a third generation jazz legend.

“The Seacoast Jazz Society is grateful to the Prescott Park Arts Festival for hosting the jazz festival as part of their Summer Concert Series," explained Linda Conti, program chair and VP of the Seacoast Jazz Society’s Executive Board, "The jazz festival originated in 1983 and was then named the Portsmouth Jazz Festival. In 1996, the Society renamed it in honor of legendary local jazz musician, Tommy Gallant. We are grateful to the wonderful local and nationally prominent musicians who have agreed to be part of this year’s line-up. It is a group of very fine professional musicians who will share their talents and introduce the community to a diverse mix of jazz music at the highest level. This annual festival is a major part of the Society’s mission to promote jazz, support local musicians, and provide scholarships for young artists."

All events at Prescott Park Arts Festival are offered for an optional suggested donation of $10 per person. Instead of giving at the gate, you may also make an online General Admission Donation prior to coming to the park at prescottpark.org. Tables and blankets can be reserved in advance. Special discount pricing is available for Festival season pass holders. .

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Tommy Gallant Jazz Festival in Portsmouth NH announces performers