I well remember several major jazz celebrities bemoaning the fact that the jazz community had failed to properly honor Louis Armstrong before he died in mid-1971. Fortunately, there was a proper memorial for Duke Ellington. In early 1973, a large all-star cast assembled for a 90-minute TV special: Duke Ellington …We Love You Madly. (That is on YouTube as I write this.) Also, happily, in New Jersey, there has long been a yearly celebration of one living jazz luminary. Some past honorees are Dr. Billy Taylor, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, and James Moody. This year it was the great bassist and educator Rufus Reid.
Twenty-five years ago, the Grammy-winning producer, audio engineer and bassist John Lee realized his dream of putting on his first Giants of Jazz concert, and ever since it opened in 2006, the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) has been its home. While it is not as well-known as famous jazz locations in Manhattan, South Orange is appropriate because so many legendary jazz heroes have lived, and still live, in that immediate area.
SOPAC is also an excellent venue for the event. Its main theater holds 439 guests comfortably. Its sightlines and acoustics are excellent, and there is plenty of parking right outside, as well as fine dining close by. (Once we dined in the Japanese restaurant a few yards from SOPAC, and saw Catherine Russell dining before her show.) The train
