After a sizzling set to close the seventh annual Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival, blues guitar virtuoso Walter Trout was all smiles.
“This was one of the most fun gigs ever,” Trout said on Saturday night.
We heard that sentiment from quite a few performers, and from lots of people who flocked to the historic Morristown Green on a dry, sunny summer day to hear…
…Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, Bucky Pizzarelli and his ensemble, Louis Prima Jr. and The Witnesses, Ana Popović and her band, and Trout with his group and special guest Mark Rivera on sax.
“I love jazz, Bucky Pizzarelli, and all the blues acts. Somebody told me to make sure I see Louis Prima Jr.,” said Harold Ramsey, a lawyer who came with his wife Tracey from Queens, NY, for their first music fest in Morristown.
Slideshow photos by Kevin Coughlin
They set up a little picnic table and settled in for the entire production–which ran from noon to 10 pm.
Jenna and Gazwan Ihssan of Fairfield erected their own little beach tent, for shelter from the sun.
“Everything’s been excellent,” said Gazwan, as the afternoon gathered momentum.
Lynn Millinger traveled from Bloomfield and was happy she made the trip.
“I love live music, and I love outdoor music,” said the marketing professional.
Mayor Tim Dougherty estimated as many as 4,000 people caught parts of the show, an $80,000 extravaganza funded by corporate donations. His idea for the festival seven years ago was to promote the downtown, and the event appears to have grown each year.
“This is amazing. This is what makes Morristown great,” said the Mayor, who was happy he can stop checking weather forecasts for another year.
He rolled a lucky seven — seven festivals without rain.
Brief sprinkles after Saturday’s final notes don’t count, he said.
Co-promoter Don Jay Smith was pleased, too.
“It was a tremendous crowd, with an almost complete turnover from the early programs in the afternoon to the evening,” he said.
Stay tuned for more photos and videos to help you re-live this summer fun! MorristownGreen.com is a proud sponsor of the Morristown Jazz & Music Festival.
MORE ABOUT THE 2017 MORRISTOWN JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL
Slideshow photos by Jeff Sovelove