By: Edir Coronado
Tuesday nights the downtown area of Westfield becomes an outdoor club for people of all ages, with jazz melodies filling the evening air. People from all over flood Westfield streets to be a part of the exciting atmosphere, amongst the backdrop of shops and eateries, The Sweet Sounds of Downtown Jazz Festival has something for everyone.
Thanks to the Downtown Westfield Cooperation, for the past 20 years during the scorching summer months, every Tuesday night through August 30th, musicians from all around will travel to play on Elm Street, South Avenue, North Avenue, and Central Avenue, and turn the ordinary street setting into the remarkable. The turnout was great from the very first performance held on July 5th. In anticipation, scores of folks came out to watch as town favorite, The Eric Mintel Quartet, gave the show that would set the tone for the rest of the summer. The quartet, traveling from Pennsylvania, has been playing in Westfield for six years and the enthusiasm that is displayed by the crowd when they perform is reciprocated with equal vibrancy from the band.
Eric Mintel, leader and pianist of the Eric Mintel Quartet, was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and has been playing piano all his life. Mintel described growing up, “We didn’t have much, but we had a piano.” Mintel’s greatest source of inspiration and who he modeled himself after was legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck. After listening to his parents record collection, he stumbled upon Take Five, Mintel regards this time as the moment of realization that he would become a jazz musician. Mintel expressed how much he enjoys playing in Westfield, he considers the crowd the fifth member of the band, “We feed off the crowd’s energy,” he added “at one point when I was playing my piano solo, I looked up and there was a sea of people, which was great!” The melodic firepower didn’t end there, throughout the month of July people enjoyed the sounds of David Aaron Quintet, Roxy Perry, the Greg Searvance Quartet, and many more. The Sweet Sounds of Downtown Jazz Festival continues throughout the month of August, every Tuesday at 7 p.m.
(above) The David Aaron Quintet.
(above) The Roxy Perry Band performed on North Avenue and Elm street.
(above) The Greg Searvance Quartet performed on East Broadway and North Avenue on July 19th.
(above) Eric Mintel playing piano. The Eric Mintel Quartet performed on July 5th on East Broad and North Avenue.
