Mike Barris & Friends to Salute 1920s Jazz, Blues Stars

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RED BANK – Six years ago, when Elberon guitarist Mike Barris kicked off his series of concerts saluting 1920s jazz and blues stars at the Red Bank Woman’s Club, he had no idea he was starting an area tradition.
“I had a sense the show would be very strong, and could build some longevity because of the great tunes we were playing, and the excellent musicians we had playing it,” Barris recalls. “But the music business is very transitory. If you had told me back then that we’d still be talking about this gig in October 2012, I might have looked at you and said, ‘Seriously?’ ”
Mike Barris & Friends will play its 14th show from 8:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, in the cozy, warm-sounding drawing room of the historic Sen. Anthony Reckless Estate, an 1870s-era mansion at 164 Broad St., Red Bank. The building also is home to the Woman’s Club. The group – featuring Barris on rhythm guitar, vocalist Jennifer Jordan, lead guitarist Doug Clarke, and trumpeter Tom Bender – will pay homage to such pre-World War II jazz and blues greats as Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, and Bessie Smith.
The evening is part of the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation’s monthly “Reckless Steamy Nights” concert series.
A donation of $10 is suggested, in support of scholarship programs sponsored by the Woman’s Club and the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation. The event is BYOB and includes free snacks.