Six SFLS Jazz House Musicians Make Their Public Concert Debut In Montclair

SFLS Jazz House Musicians

Student-musicians began learning their instruments in January

Six Senator Frank Lautenberg School (SFLS) student-musicians who had never played a musical instrument until six months ago made their public concert debut at Montclair’s Wellmont Arts Plaza on Thursday. The student musicians had all participated in the JAZZ HOUSE Music Scholars Program that launched at their school in January and continued their music education at the Summer at the JAZZ HOUSE Sessions in Montclair. The student musicians who performed at the JAZZ HOUSE Summer Sessions concert on Thursday were trombonist Jhnelle Rodriguez, saxophonists Julissa Crespo, James Martinez, trumpeter Emma Bermudez, clarinetist Ashley Riera, and vocalist Dif’rent Simpson. The students participated in the summer program with the help of a $10,000 McDonald’s of Paterson Scholarship established by Angela Adderley and the Adderley Management Company, Inc. Adderley is the owner/operator of several McDonald’s restaurant locations including one on Market Street in Paterson. Her husband, multi-Grammy Award-winning artist Nat Adderley, Jr., led the Funk + Soul Band at the JAZZ HOUSE Summer Sessions. He also worked as musical director for the late Luther Vandross and is the nephew of legendary jazz saxophonist Julian Edwin “Cannonball” Adderley. .