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The Jazz Loft

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Yvonnick Prené

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook welcomes a unique artist and instrument to the performance space on Friday, August 28 at 7 p.m. when Yvonnick Prené, the harmonica ambassador, performs with his quartet. He will take the stage along with Dayna Stephens on tenor sax; Greg Lewis “Organ Monk” on b3 organ; and Aaron Seeber on drums.

Prené has fast become one of the rising stars in the harmonica world. He has performed with top Jazz artists including Kevin Hays, Pasquale Grasso, Bill Stewart, Rich Perry, Jon Cowherd and Peter Bernstein among many others. Prené is an ambassador of Hohner chromatic harmonicas.

Prené was already playing the harmonica at the age of 17, in Parisian club scenes. He later earned a master’s degree in music at the Sorbonne University in Paris, at 22 and while still enrolled, he moved to New York City to receive multiple full-tuition scholarships at the City College of New York, Columbia University and at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

To hear the harmonica magic, see: https://youtu.be/h4yVf6FYPqI

Visit  https://www.thejazzloft.org/tickets for tickets.

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Photo from The Jazz Loft

Located at 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, The Jazz Loft offers a month of great music in July:

Wednesday, July 5

Young at Heart: Requests! at 1 p.m.

Tom Manuel and the Jazz Loft Trio will take requests from the audience for this month’s Young at Heart. Young at Heart is a monthly themed afternoon jazz concert series to help seniors enjoy and remember familiar tunes.

Tickets: $10

Wednesday, July 5

Jazz 101: Long Island Jazz Legends with Darrell Smith

6 p.m.

Tickets: $15

Wednesday, July 5

Jam Session at 7 p.m.

Jam Sessions are led by Keenan Zach Jazz and musicians of all ages are invited to play on stage along with fellow Jazz enthusiasts.

Tickets: $10, after 8 p.m. $5

Thursday, July 6 at 7 p.m.

Viva Cuba!

17 piece Latin Big Band directed by Tom Manuel celebrating the music of Prez Prado, Xavier Cugat, Machito, Tito Puente and others

Tickets: $40 Adult, $35 Senior, $30 Student, $25 Child

Friday, July 7 at 7 p.m.

Viva Cuba!

17 piece Latin Big Band directed by Tom Manuel celebrating the music of Prez Prado, Xavier Cugat, Machito, Tito Puente and others

Tickets: $40 Adult, $35 Senior, $30 Student, $25 Child

Wednesday, July 12 at 7 p.m.

Jam Session 

Jam Sessions are led by Keenan Zach Jazz and musicians of all ages are invited to play on stage along with fellow Jazz enthusiasts.

Tickets: $10, after 8 p.m. $5

Thursday, July 13 at 6 p.m.

Summer Swap

The Jazz Loft will be holding four outdoor Summer Swap concerts on the Jazz Loft front lawn throughout the summer. This show will feature the Equity Brass Band and is FREE! 

The Summer Swap series is sponsored by Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine.

FREE on the Jazz Loft lawn

Tuesday, July 18 at 7 p.m.

Jazz Loft Bottle Launch Wine Tasting

The Jazz Loft will be offering concert goers the option of purchasing wine by the bottle at performances. To get a taste of the wine list, The Jazz Loft Bottle Launch will give attendees an opportunity to taste the new selection of wines, with wine specialist Paul Yolango of Opici Wines and Laura Landor of the Jazz Loft. The evening includes a tasting of each wine and discussion of the flavor profiles.

Tickets are $25 and $10 for Friends Circle members.

Wednesday, July 19 

Jam Session at 7 p.m.

Jam Sessions are led by Keenan Zach Jazz and musicians of all ages are invited to play on stage along with fellow Jazz enthusiasts.

Tickets: $10, after 8 p.m. $5

Thursday, July 20 at 7 p.m.

The Bad Little Big Band

The 12-member Bad Little Big Band led by pianist Rich Iacona and featuring vocalist Madeline Kole presents fresh and new arrangements.

Tickets: $30 Adult, $25 Senior, $20 Student, $15 Child

Wednesday, July 26 at 7 p.m.

Jam Session 

Jam Sessions are led by Keenan Zach Jazz and musicians of all ages are invited to play on stage along with fellow Jazz enthusiasts.

Tickets: $10, after 8 p.m. $5

Thursday, July 27 at 7 p.m. 

Interplay Jazz Orchestra

The 16-piece Interplay Jazz Orchestra performs original compositions and arrangements written by band members.

Tickets: $30 Adult, $25 Senior, $20 Student, $15 Child

Friday, July 28 at 7 p.m.

Yvonick Prene Quartet with Dayna Stephens, tenor saxophone

Yvonick Prene, harmonica, Dayna Sean Stephens, tenor saxophone.

Tickets: $30 Adult, $25 Senior, $20 Student, $15 Child

Saturday, July 29 at 7 p.m.

Bull Mays Trio

Bill Mays, piano, Dean Johnson, bass, Ron Vincent, drums

Tickets: $30 Adult, $25 Senior, $20 Student, $15 Child

 

For tickets, visit www.thejazzloft.org. For more information, call 631-751-1895.

 

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From left, Joshua Landress of J. Landress Brass and Tom Manuel with the gold-plated cornet recently acquired by The Jazz Loft. Photo courtesy of The Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft’s Museum contains more than 10,000 pieces of jazz relics, including sheet music, instruments, recordings, artwork and furniture once owned by some of the Jazz greats. The Jazz Loft’s memorabilia come from as close as New York City and as far away as Europe! How does it get to Stony Brook? Look no further than Jazz Loft founder and President Tom Manuel, who is always on the lookout for something fresh and unique that can fit inside a rented van.

Recently, Manuel has been scouring the streets of New York City in search of something with a great story behind it…and he found it at the J. Landress Brass store on 38 West 32nd Street Suite 908 which is owned by Joshua Landress. The latest Jazz Loft acquisition—a 1978 gold-plated King Super 20 cornet that was used by Wild Bill Davison—came all the way from Europe, and serendipitously made its way to New York City. A defining feature of the cornet is that it’s highly engraved and even has Wild Bill Davison’s name on it.

Davison was an American Jazz cornet player who had a career that lasted 70 years. Throughout his career he worked with over hundreds of bands and made more than 20 albums between the years of 1965 and 1975.

Davison was known for his astounding playing and musicianship and always knew how to amuse the audience with his uncanny ability to play while chewing gum, without missing a single note and is best remembered for his association with Eddie Condon, with whom he worked and recorded music with from mid 1940s until Condon’s last concert. One of his most well-known songs was “Blue and Broken Hearted” that he played alongside Condon and Edmond Hall. Davison got to play with bands such as the Ohio Lucky Seven, The All-Star Stompers, George Wettling’s All Stars, and Art Hodes’ Hot Five.

“I am thrilled to be adding this outstanding item to the Jazz Loft’s museum holdings,” Manuel said. “Wild Bill Davison’s gold-plated cornet is not only a beautiful work of art visually, but an instrument that represents one of the early practitioners of Jazz.”

The gold-plated cornet is not only on display at The Jazz Loft, but Manuel is very excited to get the chance to use the cornet in future performances.

Located at 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, the museum is open Thursdays to Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. Admission fee is $10. For more information, visit www.thejazzloft.org.

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Renee Fondacaro of Old Field Apothecary with one of her scented candles, ‘Long Island Sound'. Photo by Julianne Mosher
'Long Island Sound' scented candle from Old Field Apothecary. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A variety of scented candles by Old Field Apothecary. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Renee Fondacaro in her candle making studio in Old Field. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Room and linen sprays by Old Field Apothecary. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Assorted scented candles by Old Field Apothecary. Photo by Julianne Mosher
One woman’s pandemic project brings local scents across Long Island

By Julianne Mosher

When the world shut down in 2020, Renee Fondacaro immediately knew she wanted to take on a hobby. 

Always a fan of candles, Fondacaro would have them constantly burning in her Old Field home. She took on a hobby at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic by blending essential oil scents with a clean, healthier candle wax base that she would drop off at her friends’ homes.

“I had ordered a candle kit because the pandemic was boring,” she said. “I made a bunch of them and would drop them off to my friends because I felt like it was a little gift that could maybe bring happiness when everyone was so stressed out.”

And they did bring happiness — because they smelled great. Fondacaro’s friends and family began to ask her, “Why are you not selling these?”

So, just about six months later, the mom of three signed up for her first craft fair in October 2020 where she made her first official sale. She and her husband John, who is a veterinarian specialist, decided that instead of a hobby, this was going to be a business. Soon after, they formed an LLC, got insurance and trademarked, and settled on the name “Old Field Apothecary,” as she creates her mini masterpieces right inside her Old Field home.

As a two-time cancer survivor, and retired nurse, Fondacaro is very health conscious. As an avid candle lover, sometimes it’s hard to know what exactly is being put into the air we breathe. That’s why she decided to make her candles at Old Field Apothecary 100% natural.

“It was really important for me to find ingredients that were very, very clean,” she said. “Candles can be very toxic if they’re not made with good, clean ingredients.”

Using clean coconut and apricot cream wax, she melts the mixture into jars that are heat safe for with woodburning wicks that make the perfect crackling sound. She would ask people what scents they were looking for, and now, nearly three years later, she has created over 80 different types, along with linen and room sprays and wax melts. She said the process is relatively simple, the longest part is melting the wax.

Fondacaro, who grew up in Setauket, would travel to local farmers markets and other craft fairs, along with making a website to sell her products. But she wanted to include the community even more. She started to approach local and other Long Island-based stores to start collaborating with including the Three Village Historical Society in Setauket and The Reboli Center for Art and History, The Long Island Museum, and The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook (where the candles are named after famous jazz musicians).

She began to venture out of the local Three Village area, too, including a collab with Kidd Squid Brewing Company in Sag Harbor and the Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay. She is currently planning a scent for a shop on Block Island, too, and for some wineries on the North Fork.

But the Reboli Center is the place that has the most variety. Lois Reboli, president of the center, said that Fondacaro walked in one day and they talked about a collaboration. She couldn’t be happier with their partnership.

“Her candles are exceptional and we are very honored to have them at our place,” said Reboli. “They bring in a lot of foot traffic from people who may have not come into the Reboli Center before.”

Fondacaro said some of her most popular scents are the lavender candles because they’re calming and not overwhelming. She loves the more woodsy, earthy scents. 

“Almost everyone who buys my candles always come back and tell me that they really can see the difference in the way they burn,” she said. “They don’t get headaches. They don’t get watery eyes. They don’t get side effects and symptoms from any toxins, so I love that.”

And there is a scent for everyone: blackberry and musk, coffee bean and cacao, strawberry cream truffle, or “after the rain” — just to name a few. Plus, they’re animal friendly so furry friends can enjoy these new smells, too. 

Candles start at $27.95 and are hand-poured right in Old Field. To view the entire collection, visit www.oldfieldapothecary.com

This article originally appeared in Summer Times, a seasonal guide supplement by TBR News Media.

 

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The Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook will present three special performances of Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite by The Jazz Loft Big Band on Thursday, June 1; Friday, June 2; and Saturday, June 3.

The Far East Suite is a 1967 concept album by Ellington, inspired by his group’s 1963 tour of Asia. Ellington and longtime collaborator Billy Strayhorn wrote the compositions. The album won the Grammy Award in 1968. The concerts are sponsored in part by the Olivia and Harlan Fischer Concert series and a grant from New York State Council on the Arts.

“Here at the Jazz Loft, we are always striving to bring our audience unique and significant works of Jazz and to keep those works alive and well,” said Tom Manuel, founder of the Jazz Loft. “Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite is the result of an ambitious tour that the band undertook back in the 60’s. I am excited to be sharing this work nearly 60 years after it won a Grammy award.”

All three performances of the Far East Suite will be at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40 adults, $35 seniors, $30 students and $25 children. To order, visit www.thejazzloft.org.

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Tom Manuel Photo by Adam Hurewitz

By Thomas Manuel

From the ancient Greeks to Ben Franklin, Andrew Carnegie, George Clooney, Bill Gates, and countless individuals in between, philanthropy, a love for humanity and a desire to see it thrive, has been a common thread. It has been said that effective philanthropy requires a lot of time and creativity; the same kind of focus and skills that building a business requires. Miriam Beard once pointed out, “The results of philanthropy are always beyond calculation.”

Philanthropic giving is not just a phenomenon found in certain parts of the world, rather it is a spirit of giving back which is global. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain in speaking about philanthropy expanded that the best philanthropy is not just about giving money but giving leadership. The best philanthropists bring the gifts that made them successful — the drive, the determination, the refusal to accept that something can’t be done. These are the characteristics they invest  into their philanthropy.

There are many reasons that drive and motivate philanthropy and not all are fueled by great passion for causes or humility. For every person that seeks anonymity there is another who desires their name be etched in stone. Regardless the motivation, our society at large has been beneficiary to philanthropic giving since the dawn of time.

Those of us in the arts tend to be especially in tune with the concept of patronage. Our forefathers such as Beethoven and Bach thrived upon such support and although terminology has evolved since their time, most artists would agree that it is a healthy combination of donors, grants, sponsors, and our regular concert going patrons who collectively produce our living.

Finding the correct way to properly thank a donor is about as easy as sneaking an elephant out of a circus tent! I recall inquiring once with a very special person, one who without his support so much of what both The Jazz Loft and my career has become would not have been possible, why he didn’t come to more events. He responded, “Do you really want to know why I don’t come to anything?” To which I replied, “Yes, I do!” To this he quickly quipped, “Because every time I show up you thank me!”

Over the years I’ve found joy in getting to know every individual that supports The Jazz Loft. I’ve truly enjoyed figuring out and discovering who finds appreciation in a letter, who welcomes a phone call, or who enjoys an annual summer lunch get together for a lobster sandwich and a beer. It’s actually one of my favorite parts of running a not-for-profit — getting to know amazing people, building real and genuine relationships, and forging what I know will be some lifetime friendships.

I was inspired to write this op-ed out of the desire to find a way to capture in words the gratitude I feel towards the philanthropists among us. Our community was literally designed and built by a philanthropist, Ward Melville. When I think of the names of those who have continued that bold tradition of giving and support, I resist sharing specific names, but suffice it to say you all know who they are even if you don’t know them personally. 

Chances are you bought your house from them, or perhaps they’ve managed your retirement through the years. You might get your morning coffee from them or chat with them when you’re picking up your kid from school. They might volunteer or help run one of our many outstanding museums, art galleries, community institutions or preservation organizations. Maybe they fixed your car recently or you’ve bumped into them about town, at an outdoor concert, or in your favorite park. They’re quite often invisible, or as we say in Jazz, “tippin’ on the QT.”

What I do know is that no matter how little or how much in the spotlight or foreground they choose to be, these individuals are an incredible part of the fabric of who we are as a community. They are an invaluable resource, beyond definition, and without question an incredible gift to us all. 

I consider it an honor and a privilege to serve our community in the positions and places I’ve been blessed to be and I’m inspired by those who are the philanthropists among us. To all of you out there, and you know who you are, THANK YOU!

Author Thomas Manuel, DMA is a Jazz historian, Artist in Residence at Stony Brook University, trumpet player and President and Founder of The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook. For more information, visit www.thejazzloft.org.

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From left, Jazz Loft Jazz Loft board member Darrell Smith, Linda Trotman and Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel. Photo courtesy of The Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook announced on May 16 that Linda Trotman, daughter of bassist Lloyd Trotman, will be sponsoring a new concert series in honor of her father. The series will be supported with an annual $5,000 donation from Trotman to present bassists of note at the Jazz Loft.

Lloyd Trotman was bassist with Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn; was the “house” bassist for Atlantic Records; played on many notable hits, including Stand By Me, Yakety Yak, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, and Dinah Washington’s What A Difference A Day Makes.

The Trotman funding will be matched with the Robert Lion David Gardiner Foundation donation of $5,000, along with additionally pledged funds thanks to long standing Jazz Loft donors Dan Oliveri and Michael Ardolino of Realty Connect USA.  

“I would like to thank Jazz Loft board member Darrell Smith for taking the lead on project, for working first-hand with bassist Christian McBride to arrange a forthcoming Loft performance, and for producing an impressive soon-to-be-announced concert series,” said Tom Manuel, founder of the Jazz Loft.  “This has been a project LONG in the making and I’m so happy its finally coming into reality.” 

On May 25, Linda Trotman and the other donors will be present at a the Jazz Loft at a ceremony that will also mark what would have been Lloyd Trotman’s 100th birthday.

For more information, call 631-751-1895 or visit www.thejazzloft.org.

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Sara Casell. Photo by Shervin Lainez

Grammy Nominee and world class violinist Sara Caswell and her quartet will be performing music from her new album The Way to You at the Jazz Loft on Friday, May 19 at 7 p.m.

Caswell will be performing with Jesse Lewis, guitar; Adam Cruze, drums; and Ike Sturm, bass.

“Sara Caswell and her quartet will certainly be filling the Jazz Loft with exceptional music” said Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel. “I hope everyone will come out to help celebrate the release of her new album.”

Caswell has been voted into the DownBeat Critics and Readers Polls every year since 2013. The album features the stellar band that Caswell has led for the past decade.

Tickets are available on website www.thejazzloft.org for $30 Adult, $25 Senior, $20 Student, $15 Children or available to purchase at the door.

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Larry Fuller

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, is excited to announce that acclaimed Jazz pianist Larry Fuller and his trio will be returning on Saturday, May 20 for one performance at 7 p.m.

Fuller is a Yamaha-endorsed jazz pianist, band leader, composer, and clinician who is known to “swing like a beast!” He will be joined by Lorin Cohen on bass and Jason Tiemann on drums.

Before Fuller started the Larry Fuller Trio, he held the positions of musical director and pianist for vocalist Ernestine Anderson, pianist for Jeff Hamilton’s Trio, pianist in Ray Brown’s Trio, and has also toured and recorded with the John Pizzarelli Quartet.

Fuller is known for his emotive, swinging style, technique, and program versatility.

For tickets visit www.thejazzloft.org. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors, $20 for students. The Jazz Loft is located just 90 minutes from New York City and is the only music venue on Long Island that features exclusively Jazz music. For more information about The Jazz Loft, visit thejazzloft.org.

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The Jazz Loft of Stony Brook announced Friday, April 28, the establishment of its affiliate, the Institute for New Music, as a “musical and artistic incubator.”

Stephen Nachmanovitch, musician and educator, uses ribbon-cutting scissors as a prop to explain the cutting of funds for the arts. Photo by Daniel Febrizio

Tom Manuel, founder of the Loft and president of INM, spoke at a press conference expressing his excitement for this brand-new endeavor.

“The mission of the Institute for New Music is to strengthen, inspire and ennoble individuals by their contact with newly created art,” he said. “We aim to aid in the discovery and the defense of the new, and we strive to give artists the support of a nurturing platform and foundation to develop their creative ideas.”

Manuel introduced members of INM’s board of directors. Entrepreneur and philanthropist Dan Oliveri is vice president. Treasurer Dawn Oliveri organized the day’s event, utilizing her strengths in public relations, marketing and design. Laura Landor, director of fine and performing arts for the Hauppauge school district, is the secretary. Paolo Bartolani was described by Manuel as a “pianist, musicologist and music manager, working in both classical and contemporary music.” The other board member, Cathy Salit, was unable to attend but Manuel described her as “an actor, improvisor, singer, social entrepreneur, an author and an executive coach.”

“As you can see, we have an outstanding team in place to champion the mission of the Institute for New Music,” Manuel said. “And I’m honored to have them on the board and I’m excited to see what their collective talents will produce.”

The INM president welcomed Stephen Nachmanovitch  to speak, introducing him as a “musician, author, artist and educator” who “performs and teaches internationally as an improvising violinist.” Nachmanovitch lamented the loss of funding and attention paid to the arts. 

Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich presents Tom Manuel a proclamation. Photo by Daniel Febrizio

“There’s been so much cutting of funds for the arts, cutting of funds for education,” the violinist said. “What we’re going to do here with the Institute for New Music is to ‘uncut, unclip, restore’ the creative process to be the property of every child and every human being.”

Manuel said INM will be “further developing” the team, and searching for a physical space.

“Just this past week, we had some promising meetings and conversations with grant foundations and some [Town of Brookhaven] officials about some possible sites,” Manuel said. “And we’re confident that the ideal space will show itself when the time is right.”

Among the event attendees were town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R); town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook); Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket); Gloria Rocchio, president of The Ward Melville Heritage Organization; and Jane Taylor, president of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce. 

The weekend’s events included a performance by popular jazz trombonist Ray Anderson as well as what was called the Spontaneous Creation Workshop with Nachmanovitch and Anderson.

 

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