Lisa Green reports from Goshen.The theme song for the Friends of the Festival Opening Night Gala of the Litchfield Jazz Festival on the rainy evening of Friday, August 10 could have been Stormy Weather, but festival founder and executive director Vita West Muir (near left, with Andrea Becker-Abbott) was having none of that. “We don’t care,” she said. “We’re having fun!” Held in the Sunset Lounge tent on the Goshen Fairgrounds, the gala, a benefit for the Litchfield Jazz Camp’s scholarship fund, featured three student jazz groups showing off the skills gleaned from their five weeks at jazz camp. Festival Friends and guests (including many proud parents) mingled with the jazz faculty and enjoyed pulled pork sliders, buttery macaroni and cheese, ratatouille, and grilled salmon and couscous served on miniature wood planks, catered by Litchfield Inn’s Bantam Bistro, with wines provided by Vandoren Vineyards and microbrews by Old Burnside Brewing Co. Three auctions — online, silent and live — gave everyone multiple chances to bid and contribute. (Dinner for two at the James Beard House, anyone?) The evening ended with more music, of course, as guests carefully sloshed their way to the Mainstage tent for a swinging night courtesy of The Four Freshman and Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks.
Larry Sims and Allison Ho; Migdalia Rodriguez and Edwin Rodriguez, development officer for the Connecticut Community Foundation, one of the festival's sponsors.
Jazz camp students take the stage; Vita West Muir and Bob Lenz, president of the Litchfield Jazz Festival's board of directors.
Saxophonist Gary Smulyan, the festival's artist-in-residence, with Ron Miterko and Jeanne Miterko, a member of the board of directors.
William O'Donnell and Angela O'Donnell of W.O'Donnell Consulting; Mike Gow, festival emcee and host of Sunday Morning Jazz on WZBG FM 97.3, with saxophonist Don Braden, the jazz camp's music director.
Monique Frazier and Erica Lumiere; due to the rain and mud, guests eschewed fancy footwear for more sensible shoes.
Vocal student Chloe Brisson with drummer and faculty member Matt Wilson, who was scheduled to play on Saturday.
Written by
Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
