Third Annual Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival Set for Today

The third annual Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival returns today, August 17th with ten hours of free music on the beautiful Green in downtown Morristown, New Jersey. The music runs from noon until 10:00 p.m. and features legendary jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli with guitar partners Frank Vignola and Ed Laub, young blues sensation Quinn Sullivan, the Jazz Lobsters Big Band, Rob Paparozzi and the Hudson River Rats and guitar master Johnny A.

The music kicks off at noon with a performance by the Jazz Lobsters Big Band. This popular hard-swinging ensemble plays music that ranges from the Swing Era to contemporary Latin salsa. The 18-piece band has been a Jersey Shore fixture for more than 30 years under the leadership of arranger and keyboardist James Lafferty.

The Lobsters will be followed at 2:00 by the Guitar Summit which brings together jazz legend Bucky Pizzarelli with two of his favorite guitarists, Ed Laub and Frank Vignola. An original member of the Tonight Show Band, Bucky has played with a long list of greats from Benny Goodman to Paul McCartney and is a member of the Jazz Hall of Fame and the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

At 4:00, Rob Paparozzi and the Hudson River Rats take the stage. Singer and harmonica player Paparozzi has worked with a remarkably diverse list of artists including Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, B.B. King, Dr. John and Cyndi Lauper. He spent seven years as front man for Blood Sweat and Tears and toured with the "Original Blues Brothers Band" before launching his own group in 2011. Rob is considered by many to be one of the premier blues harmonica players in the country.

Following Rob Paparozzi is 14-year-old guitar prodigy Quinn Sullivan who drew two standing ovations at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in April. Quinn has been receiving rave reviews on his current tour with mentor Buddy Guy and is one of the youngest artists to ever perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

Closing the evening is the critically acclaimed guitarist Johnny A. With a superb style that blends the sounds of Wes Montgomery, Jeff Beck, BB King and Jimi Hendrix, this virtuoso guitarist leads one of New England's most popular bands and often headlines at New York's Iridium Club. He is in a class by himself and the perfect way to close an exceptional jazz and blues festival.

Major sponsors for this summer's Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival include 40 Park, Brown and Brown Metro, Genova Burns, JCP&L, Morristown Municipal Airport, PNC Bank, PSE&G and the Star-Ledger. Additional sponsors include Alaimo, Atlantic Health, Cipollini Carting, Community Theatre at MPAC, Greenbaum Rowe, Hyatt Morristown, Inglesino Pearlman, Iron Bar, Jeff Rawding AIA, McEnerney, Morristown Parking Authority, O'Donnell McCord PC, Riker Danzig, Trustees of the Morristown Green, T&M and Villa Enterprises.

The Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival will take place on the Green in Morristown rain or shine from noon until 10:00 p.m. Admission is free and many local restaurants will be offering specials for festival attendees. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. For more information, visit www.TownofMorristown.org.

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