Happy New Year! As we welcome the new year tonight, I’m devoting my final blog of 2014 to a “thank you” to everyone who made the celebration of Jazz a la Mode’s 30th anniversary such a grand occasion last month at the Community Music School of Springfield. An SRO crowd was in attendance for a cocktail reception, special proclamations, and a concert of jazz at its finest, spontaneously conceived and swinging.
I knew that speeches would be made by three jazz-loving elected officials who’d accepted invitations to the event, but little did I anticipate that the fete would include Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno’s proclamation of November 16 as Tom Reney Day in Springfield; State Representative Steven Kulik presenting a proclamation from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and U.S. Representative Richard Neal placing special recognition of the milestone in the Congressional Record. Here are their remarks.
Many thanks as well to NEPR’s CEO and General Manager Martin Miller for his kind words in support of my work, and his announcement of an endowment fund to help maintain jazz on New England Public Radio.
Martin mentions New York jazz radio legend Ed Beach in his comments, little knowing that it was hearing Beach in 1972 that confirmed the idea of becoming a jazz radio host in my mind.
I was also touched by the numbers of musicians who agreed to come from near and far to perform that day. They included vibraphonist Jay Hoggard; trombonist Steve Davis; saxophonists Grant Stewart and Charles Neville; trumpeters Cicci Santucci and Peter Sokolowski (the same gentleman you’ve heard subbing on Jazz à la Mode for 20 years); pianists Jim Argiro, Khalif Neville, and Paul Arslanian, who doubled as the day’s music director; guitarist Tony Davis; bassists Avery Sharpe, Nat Reeves, George Kaye, and Jason Schwartz; and drummers Jon Fisher, Bill Arnold, and Claire Arenius. Here’s an excerpt of “Tenor Madness.”
Thanks also to my colleagues Ken LeBlond, Vanessa Cerillo, and the staff of New England Public Radio, some of whom I acknowledged in this previous blog, and to Eileen McCaffrey and the staff of the Community Music School of Springfield for hosting the event.
I was delighted to have several family members join us for the celebration. Pictured below are (l-r) my sisters Paula, Caroline, and Susanne, brothers-in-law Jeffrey Stookey, Scott Lane, and Neill Taylor, our Kenyan-born family friend Grace Wachuka, and my wife Meg.
A couple of excerpts of my remarks were captured by my sister Sue’s camera. Here’s my opening.
And here’s my conclusion.
Last but not least, thanks to every listener who’s ever tuned their dial to 88/5 or streamed digital.nepr.net for Jazz à la Mode, and to the thousands who’ve contributed to the show and New England Public Radio over the past 30 years. There’s no exaggeration in saying that the show and the station wouldn’t be here without your financial support.
