MELROSE — It’s time again for jazz in Melrose. Temple Beth Shalom’s popular concert series, Keeping Jazz Alive will return to Melrose at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 29 at 21 E. Foster St., Melrose.
This year’s Irving Smolens Memorial Jazz Concert will feature bassist and Berklee College of Music professor Bruce Gertz. Back by popular demand, renowned Boston jazz vocalist Cassandre McKinley will again be on the TBS stage. Joining them are jazz harmonica virtuoso Mike Turk, pianist Steve Hunt and drummer Gary Feldman.
Bruce Gertz has toured and performed extensively around the globe with some of the best artists on the jazz scene, including Gary Burton, Larry Coryell, John Abercrombie and Maynard Ferguson. He is also a winner of the Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll and many other awards.
Boston native Cassandre McKinley is not only a singer, recording artist and composer, but also a voice coach and educator at Berklee. As an artist, Cassandre channels a wide spectrum of genres that include Soul, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Pop and Country. She has merged them into a singular sound that is uniquely hers. As a recording artist, Cassandre has released 5 solo albums.
Mike Turk began playing harmonica in 1967 at age 14, in the Bronx, NY. By the early 1970’s Mike had developed his technique on the “blues” or diatonic harmonica and found his way to Boston where he soon became a local figure in the city’s vibrant music scene. Mike’s style is influenced by the techniques and jazz phrasing established by Toots Thielemans. He has performed with a wide array of performers including Bonnie Raitt, Lowel Fulsom, Hound Dog Taylor, the Charlie Musselwhite Band as well as Dave Van Ronk and Steve Goodman.
Between sets, local singer-songwriter (and Bruce’s daughter) Eva Gertz will be performing some of her original music. Eva was recently a featured performer at The Polymnia Choral Society’s summer pops concert Mothers of Rock.
The Keeping Jazz Alive concert series at Temple Beth Shalom is inspired by the memory of Irving Smolens, a longtime Temple member and avid jazz fan. Before his death in 2015, Irving never missed a single performance in the series’ 15-plus year history. Bruce and other Temple jazz fans believe there is no better tribute to Irving Smolens than to fill the TBS sanctuary with the music he loved.
Beer, wine and refreshments will be available for sale at the concert. Tickets are $30 and are payable in advance via Venmo or QR code. Tickets will also be available at the door for $35. To buy tickets or to make reservations for tables of six or more, go to jazznight@tbsma.org. Temple Beth Shalom is located at 21 East Foster St. in Melrose. Parking is plentiful and we’re just a couple of blocks from the commuter railroad. Our building is handicapped accessible. Temple Beth Shalom is a Reform Jewish Synagogue serving about 100 families from several North Shore communities including Melrose, Malden, Reading, Saugus, Stoneham and Wakefield. The Keeping Jazz Alive concert series is made possible, thanks to a grant from the Mass Cultural Council.
