JAY LUSTIG
Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg performs with Mark Pender (right) and Mark Newman (left) at the 2018 Morristown Jazz and Blues Festival in 2018.
Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg — a longtime mainstay of the New Jersey music scene, though he now lives in California — is not exaggerating when he calls the group that will appear with him at The Morristown Jazz and Blues Festival, Sept. 14, a Rock ‘n R&B Big Band. A total of 21 people will be onstage with him to play rock, blues and R&B, including harmonica player and singer Rob Paparozzi, who is billed as a “special guest.” (Paparozzi has performed at the festival many times, over the years, most recently headlining in 2021 with his Juke Joint band.)
The musicians who will join singer and trombone player LaBamba are:
Saxophones
Frank Elmo
Nick Stefanacci
Stan Harrison
Chris Bittner
Tom Timko
JAY LUSTIG
Rob Paparozzi at the 2021 Morristown Jazz and Blues Festival.
Trombones
Ben Williams
Clarence Banks
Caleb Rumley
Jonathan Shubert
Trumpets
Mark “The Luv Man” Pender (also vocals)
Chris Anderson
Tony Cinkutis
Vincent Borselli
Guitar
Glenn Alexander
Piano
Mike Mancini
Bass
Mike Merritt
Drums
James “The Worm” Wormworth
David Longworth
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR
Backing Vocals
Jade Rosenberg
Reed Rosenberg (also percussion)
LaBamba — who recently reunited his band The Hubcaps to open for Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park — is a former longtime member of the Jukes. Elmo, Harrison, Pender, Anderson, Alexander and Longworth are also present or former Jukes members.
LaBamba, Pender, Merritt and Wormworth played in the bands of Conan O’Brien TV talk shows. Banks is a longtime member of The Count Basie Orchestra. And Jade and Reed Rosenberg are LaBamba’s children.
The festival will take place outdoors, at Morristown’s downtown Morristown Green, with no admission charge (bring your own lawn chairs). The schedule will be:
Noon: The Hot Sardines
2 p.m.: The U.S. Navy Band Commodores
4 p.m.: LaBamba’s Rock ‘n R&B Big Band
6 p.m.: Louis Prima Jr. & the Witnesses
8 p.m.: Joanne Shaw Taylor
Visit morristownjazzandblues.com for information.
Click HERE for my interview with The Hot Sardines’ Elizabeth Bougerol, done in advance of the band’s appearance at last year’s festival (which, unfortunately, didn’t happen, because of bad weather).
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