It takes an intrepid personality to attempt a music festival in a pandemic…with a hurricane churning at you.
But ukulele players are an optimistic lot, and the Folk Project’s Mark Schaffer was determined to give them some sunshine.
So he invited a bunch of them — with proof of vaccination– to his Rockaway home over the weekend for a pared down edition of the NJ Uke Fest.
On Friday and Saturday nights, they masked up for living room concerts by Jim Boggia, Christopher Trietsch, Gracie Terzian, Christine DeLeon and Christopher Davis-Shannon.
Those performances bookended outdoor workshops exploring the mysteries of George Formby triple thumb rolls, jazz arrangements, the circle of fifths, and socially distanced strum-alongs.
Highlights from the 2021 NJ Uke Fest. Video by Kevin Coughlin:
Some patrons bailed out, and Hurricane Henri washed out Sunday’s jam session on the Morristown Green. But all things considered, participants appeared pleased with the outcome– especially after last summer’s Uke Fest was torpedoed by COVID-19.
“It was a typical Folk Project miracle, where the people, the music, the volunteers, and artists came together as a community and created a magical experience,” said Schaffer, whose volunteer team included his wife Robin and Mark Dutton, founder of the Morristown Uke Jam club.
“He did the impossible: A top quality fest on a shoestring budget,” Dutton said of Schaffer.
Boggia was thrilled to present his four-stringed tribute to Bruce Springsteen. The Philadelphian said he has not had a live gig–or a haircut–since the novel coronavirus struck in March 2020.
Guests, who paid $85, came from as far as Virginia and Ohio for the musical camaraderie.
Rick Kaerwer of Richmond ranked the festival among the few bright spots of the pandemic.
“This is amazing. It’s a great blessing to see real artists, in a house. I like to see people expressing themselves, and telling their stories,” said Kaerwer, a newly retired I.T. professional who took up the uke about five years ago.
He ventured to the event largely because he follows Jumpin’ Jim Beloff, one of the featured performer/instructors.
An author of numerous ukulele manuals, Beloff also boasts an instrument collection that once rated a visit from George Harrison, an avid ukester.
Beloff cut short his Saturday concert to dash home to the Connecticut shoreline, in Henri’s crosshairs at the time.
Trietsch, a performer/luthier, and his mom/pianist, Rosemary, made a similar scramble back to Long Island after their set.
‘SOFT ON THE FINGERS’
Leressa Crockett has attended all but one of the previous seven NJ Uke Fests. She was determined to make this one, too– even though she has moved from Millburn to Oberlin, Ohio.
“This has been fantastic,” the retired bankruptcy lawyer said of the limited gathering, about a quarter the size of prior years, when the festival filled churches and cultural centers.
“It’s a more intimate experience… this is special. It’s almost like private lessons.”
Everyone observed pandemic protocols, she said.
“I feel sorry for the people who couldn’t be here,” added Crockett. She already is planning to bring members of the Northeast Ohio Ukulele Group to next year’s Uke Fest.
Slideshow photos by Kevin Coughlin. Click/hover on images for captions:
Nelson Torres, a deacon at Holy Family Catholic Church in New Brunswick, chaperoned kids from the church summer camp to the 2019 festival. Children were not allowed this time (no COVID shots yet), so he flew solo.
A guitar player, Torres was introduced to ukuleles by his son. “It’s a very fun instrument to play, and very portable. It’s very sweet for the kids, soft on the fingers. And affordable.”
Susan Sooy of Rockaway got bitten by the ukulele bug at the last festival. The retired nurse felt confident about this weekend’s precautions.
“They put effort in to keep us all safe, requiring masks and the distance thing, and it’s outdoors. I love it!” she said.
Sooy gave her hosts bonus points for personal touches like table cloths for the sandwich supper in the driveway, scene of an open mic.
The weekend’s featured artists inspired her to “practice even more,” she said.
“I’m hooked. It’s a lot of fun, with nice people. It’s kind of my element.”
