Best of the Loft

Jazz and Blues go together like cold beer and a hot, hot night. And a hot night of great music is what you’ll experience with these four acts that will have you wishing it would never end! Mike Griot presents Blues People brings the soulful Funk of classic Blues, Jazz singer Frank Noviello swings with the great classics, Radam Schwartz owns the Jazz keyboards and Dean Shot’s Tribute to Howlin’ Wolf brings to life one of the greatest Bluesmen to ever live.

Jazz in the Loft is curated and hosted by Lee Boswell-May.
Blues in the Loft is curated and hosted by Mike Griot.

Mike Griot’s all-star band includes Kelton Cooper on lead guitar and vocals (Kool & the Gang/Black Widow Blues Band), Mike Griot on bass guitar (Sue Foley, Michael Hill’s Blues Mob, UK-soul pioneer Omar, Deborah Coleman, Russell Gunn), Gene Lake on drums (Maxwell/Henry Threadgill/ Joe Zawinul/ Marcus Miller, David Sanborn) and Victor Burks on Keyboards and Vocals (Jamie Fox, Laura Branigan, JoE)…and Saxophonist Tony Ohrbach!

Frank Noviello, is a true Jazz vocalist adhering to a tradition of swing and spontaneous performance. Frank has performed and recorded with many of the area’s world class Jazz players. He has appeared at such notable Jazz venues as Birdland, Village Gate, Shanghai Jazz, Kitano and the Blue Note. Festival appearances include featured vocalist for the Dewar’s Greenwich Village Jazz Festival program “An Evening of Song” and the Jersey Jazz Festival.   Jazz Critic Zan Stewart of the Star Ledger called him ” …. that rare bird, a true Jazz singer … he swings with vibrant rhythm, surprising you … he scats with vitality, invention and snap.”

Radam Schwartz, Hammond B3 Organist and Jazz pianist, has built his reputation over the last 30 years playing with such great musicians as Arthur and Red Prysock, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Al Hibler, David Fathead Newman and Jimmy Ford. He continues to make music history today playing with renowned artists Cecil Brooks III, Russell Malone, the Spirit of Life Ensemble and many others.

Dean Shot is widely considered one the east coast’s brightest shining Blues and Roots artists by peers and music lovers alike. Having spent almost six years playing guitar next to Hubert Sumlin, Dean learned much of what he knows about Howlin’ Wolf from his relationship with Hubert. Hubert asked Dean to carry the music forward and give it to others. Sumlin was Wolf’s right-hand man and guitarist for over 27 years and recorded most of the great singer’s hit songs with him. His guitar stylings were an integral part of the Wolf sound and the two are almost inseparable. Hubert took Dean under his wing, mentoring the young guitarist from New Jersey during his formative years. Learning priceless lessons and getting the information directly from the source had a profound effect on Dean as a musician and as a human being. Dean serves as the bandleader, guitarist and arranger for the project. You can clearly hear the echoes of Hubert Sumlin, Willie Johnson, Jody Williams, Pat Hare and their guitar genius in Dean’s delivery of this music.

If you or a member of your party is in need of assistance please notify SOPAC at the time your tickets are purchased. The SOPAC Box Office can be reached at (973) 313-2787.