"Great Jazz, Great Food, Great Cause" was the theme of an evening to truly satisfy the soul and senses. In the jazz club setting of Mt. Southington's Mountain Room, the Southington Rotary Club hosted Jazz 'N Ribs, a fundraiser to benefit the Rotary International PolioPlus campaign to eradicate the polio virus worldwide.
Guests enjoyed succulent ribs and fixins' prepared by chef Patrick Noury, served by student volunteers fron the Southington High School Interact Club, then listened to the hot jazz of the Billy Cofrances Quartet featuring New York jazz vocalist Nicole Pasternak.
New haven-based saxophonist Cofrances, who cites Cannonball Adderly, Eric Kloss and Paul Desmond as influences, was backed by Tom Devino-drums, Steve Taylor-bass and Joe McWilliams-keyboards. The musicians seemed inspired by the tasty backdrop of oversized black and white posters of jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis and delighted the capacity audience with two sets of energized jazz standards. Pasternak, whom Chuck Berg of JAZZTIMES has described as "reminiscent of a young Ella," often traded scat-laced vocals with Cofrances' tenor and alto licks. She even playfully blended in an audience request for Michael Franks' jazz/pop hit, "Popsicle Toes."
Billy's website features some wonderful pictures from the event.
More pictures... courtesy of Trish Walden
