Harbor Jazz Festival brings soul to Long Island

LI Advocate

By Rachael Hajec

Temperatures were low and the music levels were high as Long Islanders gathered to enjoy performances by the bay at The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook.

The Loft celebrated the first weekend of fall with its ninth annual Harbor Jazz Festival. The free, four-day event featured a wide range of iconic jazz performers and pieces from renowned musicians who put their own spin on the genre.

The first weekend of fall was in full swing at The Jazz Loft as the Harbor
Jazz Festival began. *// Photo by Rachael Hajec/Long Island Advocate*

“The festival actually started a year before The Jazz Loft opened as a way to promote what The Jazz Loft would be,” said the museum and performance center’s president, Tom Manuel. “We hope that the public is inspired by music and that, in turn, it exposes some people to jazz that never knew they were interested in it.”

The Jazz Loft became a Stony Brook staple after co-founders Manuel and Vice President Ray Anderson called for renovations in spring 2016, Manuel said.

Tom Manuel, the Jazz Loft President, and the Equity Brass Band opened the last day of the festival with a Trad Jazz Parade in front of the Stony Brook Postal Office. // Photo by Rachael Hajec/Long Island Advocate

The Harbor Jazz Festival is one of many events and concert series that are popular, including the annual Art of the Guitar Festival, weekly jam sessions, the Young at Heart concert series, Christmas spectaculars, and many other personal projects by musical artists and contributors.

There were nonstop performances by many different groups on the festival’s last day, including the Ray Anderson Group, Bill Crow Trio, Akiko Tsuruga Organ Quartet, Mala Waldron Quartet and Carlos Jimenez Mambo Dulcet.

The Jazz Loft is the only jazz centric museum on Long Island, and one out of the five in the country
// Graphic by Rachael Hajec/Long Island Advocate

“I think the width of the music that is being presented is truly exceptional,” said Anderson, who is a longtime musician and trombone player. “I don’t know of many other festivals on Long Island where there is such a variety of music happening.”

Along with the recurring performances, the museum at The Jazz Loft was scheduled to open two new exhibits honoring “The First Lady of Song,” Ella Fitzgerald, and 29-time Grammy Award winner Tony Bennett. Due to recent storm, however, The Jazz Loft and Stony Brook Village was damaged by flooding, which pushed back several performances and exhibit debuts.

The Ella Fitzgerald exhibit is at the forefront of The Jazz Loft, displaying some of her personal
memorabilia including her most famous performance gowns. // Photo by Rachael Hajec/Long Island Advocate

“This year I feel like the Harbor Jazz Festival is more important than ever because Stony Brook and The Jazz Loft just suffered some intense flood damage a month ago,” said Carole Trottere, the Loft’s public relations director.

“The community was devastated by it, and I think this is a great, positive way to enjoy music while sitting outside and bringing the community closer together,” Trottere said.