LIVE: Albany Musicians’ Association Jazz Gala @ Colonie Elks Lodge, 4/13/14

Photographs by Andrzej Pilarczyk

April is Jazz Appreciation Month, and the folks at the Albany Musicians’ Association held their annual Jazz Gala at the Colonie Elks Lodge in Latham on a recent Sunday afternoon in celebration. The music was as wide-ranging as the term “jazz” – from the traditional sounds of the Ragtime Windjammers to the decidedly more contemporary sounds of trumpeter Chris Pasin and his quartet.

Also playing during the free festivities were the Colonie High School Jazz Ensemble, the Mark Capon Trio and the Rena Graf Quartet. In addition to all of the great music, the event also honored Thomas Bellino, Chris Martin, Neil Brown and David Bournazian for their considerable contributions to the Nippertown jazz scene.

NOTE: The Schenectady Musical Union Jazz Gala will take place on Sunday afternoon (April 27) at Robb Alley at Proctors in Schenectady. Tom Pierce – former vice president of A Place for Jazz and AlbanyJazz.com contributor – will receive his Jazz Hero Award from the Jazz Journalists Association, and the event will also feature performances by the Jim Wilson Quintet (3pm), the Rob Lindquist Quartet (4pm) and Colleen Pratt & Friends (5pm). Admission is free.