Thursday Night Jazz will give a family-friendly CD release party for their second CD, “Blue Flame,” Saturday, July 16, 2 to 5 p.m., at Havana, New Hope. They also perform Friday, August 5, at the Trenton Marriott, 6 to 10 p.m.
Thursday Night Jazz was first featured in U.S. 1 five years ago (“Oh To Be 14, Way Talented, and Completely Unjaded,” September 27, 2006), when they won a contest U.S. 1 ran to find talent to perform at the breakdown party following the Princeton Chamber of Commerce/U.S. 1 Trade Showcase.
According to the band’s manager, Jan Zmuda (Tom’s dad), the trio got together in December, 2004, when they were in seventh grade, to enter a talent show. They didn’t win but started getting gigs within days of their performance. In August, 2005, just before they started eighth grade they played at a charity benefit where Wynton Marsalis was an honored guest, and that night Marsalis performed with them. “That was a huge inspiration for the band and they still talk about that night,” says Zmuda.
During their high school years they were playing 60 or more gigs per year, performing at the Cape May Jazz festival (three times) and at clubs throughout the region. In 2009they played in Washington, DC, representing Mercer County as part of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Walk to Washington and Congressional dinner event.
Currently, Tom Zmuda is studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston majoring in music performance, Joel Nygren is at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore majoring in music performance and Tommy Heutmaker is at Drexel majoring in music production.
Thursday Night Jazz, Saturday, July 16, 2 to 5 p.m., Havana, 105 Sout Main Street, New Hope. 215-862-1933 or www.havananewhope.com. Family-friendly CD release party. Reservations suggested for parties of six or more. For more information on Thursday Night Jazz, visit www.myspace.com/thursdaynightjazz.
