EAST GREENBUSH – To commemorate jazz appreciation month, Albany Musicians Association will host the Neil Brown Memorial Jazz Gala, held in memory of the association’s previous president, Neil Brown on Sunday, April 28 at the Rensselaer Elks Lodge.
The gala, free to the public, will be held 1-5 p.m., and will feature four jazz acts; Woody Strobeck and his Steel Pier Jazz Band (1-1:30 p.m.), Jeanne O’Connor Quintet (1:30-2:30 p.m.), Steve Lambert Band (2:30-3:30 p.m.), and Katalyst, led by organist Jon LeRoy (4-5 p.m.).
The gala, according to Diane Geddes, coordinator and musician, is fully funded by the Music Performance Trust Fund and the Jim Clark Community Performance Fund.
It will also include a cash bar, hors d’oeuvres, and a 50/50 drawing to support the organization’s scholarship fund. Although the gala is free, Albany Musicians Association will accept donations to go towards both its scholarship fund and the organization itself.
For over 20 years, the gala has showcased the finest upstate New York jazz musicians and bands at various venues in the Albany area, according to Joe Finn, event coordinator. For two years, Finn has produced the event and in various years, performed at it as well.
Finn said it has been an honor and a privilege to produce the gala, and honor Brown’s memory.
Brown, a pianist, was an active member of the American Federation of Musicians and performed in the local music scene. He served as president in the AFM Local 14 for over 10 years and remained dedicated to supporting the efforts of professional musicians, including the Albany Symphony Orchestra and the local jazz community.
All the artists who are scheduled to perform at this year’s gala, are established musicians in their own right both locally and nationally.
Strobeck, who performs in the New Orleans jazz style, performs with his band regularly in Lake George and remains a crowd favorite among music fans.
O’Connor has taken her singing career to new heights as a featured vocalist sharing the stage with Nicholas Payton on the opening night of “Midsummer Night’s Swing” at Lincoln Center, performed at the jazz club, Blue Note, and performed a six-week run in the “Worldbeat Jazz”series at the Guggenheim Museum. Locally, she has performed at Caffe Lena, the Saratoga Arts Festival, and at the Upbeat on the Roof at the Tang Museum of Skidmore College.
Lambert, a trumpet player, who has produced CD’s of his original work, has performed alongside Nick Brignola, Ray Vega, Rufus Reid, and many others.
As for LeRoy, the organist had performed alongside Aretha Franklin, Nick Brignola, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and Jerry Weldon. LeRoy will also sell his recent CD recording at the gala.
Interested patrons can listen to O’Connor, Lambert, and LeRoy’s music in advance via YouTube. Rensselaer Elks Club is located at 683 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush.
