Chuck Loeb Memorial All-Star Jam
THURSDAY, APRIL 11 @ 7:00 PM
DOUBLETREE GRAND BALLROOM
TICKETS $59-$69
For the commemorative Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest 25th booklet, the late guitarist Chuck Loeb wrote:
"One of my favorite Berks Jazz Fest events, and indeed a favorite of almost everyone involved, is the annual Berks All-Star Jam. The Jam has become a tradition and is held on the Thursday night prior to the final weekend of the festival.
My first jam session was at The Peanut Bar, an iconic bar in downtown Reading. It was a loose, fun, and free event, with all the guys just calling songs out and playing solos one after another as we crunched peanut shells under our feet. What fun! The Jam has grown to become THE event to attend. It is always the first show to sell out."
Loeb and trumpeter Rick Braun shared musical direction for the Jam for many years. When the event became so popular that audiences could no longer squeeze into the Peanut Bar, it moved to the Crowne Plaza Hotel; now it is held in the DoubleTree’s Grand Ballroom. And now it bears Loeb’s name to memorialize one of the festival’s most popular performers, who passed away in 2017.
This year, Braun and bassist Gerald Veasley will share music directing duties. Scheduled performers in this year’s All-Star Jam are saxophonists Eric Darius, Michael Paulo and Everette Harp; guitarist Ray Fuller; the duo of drummer and vocalist Marcus and Jean Baylor; percussionist Curtis McCain; pianists Chris “Big Dog” Davis and Tom Zink; drummer Tony Moore; trumpeter Lin Rountree; bassist Brian Bromberg; pianist/organist Bobby Lyle; and vocalists Rebecca Jade, Nicole Henry, and, as always, a few surprises.