West Orange-based Drummer Dedicates Concert to his Mentor

Greg Bufford was listening to music in a Philadelphia jazz club in 1975 when one of the performers, the legendary drummer Philly Joe Jones, invited him to sit in. Bufford, also a drummer, will never forget that experience. "Philly Joe came up to me, put his arm on my shoulder and told me he would teach me," he told The Star-Ledger in 2009. "In the lessons, he'd talk about life, music, drums. He felt there was a beauty in playing the drums. So what I try to do is get close to the musicality of Philly Joe. My job is to make everybody in the band sound their best. It's not about me sounding good."

Jones, who died in 1985, can be heard on more than 500 recordings, but he is probably best known as a member of the classic Miles Davis Quintet of the 1950s. Over his career he played with an endless list of jazz giants, and Bufford plans to highlight the music of some of those luminaries when he pays tribute to Jones at the final Music in the Moonlight jazz concert of the season at West Orange's Luna Stage on May 19. "As we prepare to do this tribute to Philly," he told me, "we are getting very excited about the wonderful music he made with his good friends. We will be playing the music of Miles, Trane (tenor saxophonist John Coltrane), Monk (pianist Thelonius Monk), Lee Morgan (trumpet), Bill Evans (piano) and Duke Ellington. These were a few of the many great people Philly Joe Jones was associated with."

Bufford will be accompanied by pianist Lou Rainone, bassist Belden Bullock, saxophonist Willie Williams and trumpeter James Gibbs III. Anyone who has seen him lead a trio on Tuesday nights at West Orange restaurant Suzy Que's knows of his ability to swing a small group. The addition of trumpet and saxophone and the honor of reliving Philly Joe Jones' legacy will undoubtedly add up to a memorable and exciting night. 

Born in Kaiserlautern, Germany, Bufford grew up in Harrisburg, PA, and lived in Philadelphia from 1975-81. He moved to New York in 1981 and to West Orange in 1988. He has a jazz performance degree from Rutgers University and has played with several celebrated jazz musicians including the late alto saxophonist Sonny Stitt and late baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne. He was a regular at the now defunct Skipper's Pub in Newark and often appears with Nat Adderley, Jr.'s bands at such venues as Trumpets in Montclair and the OSPAC Jazz Festival in West Orange.

Bufford has always wanted to do a tribute to Jones, and "and I am so glad that Luna has given me that opportunity," he said. If you are a true fan of classic modern jazz, this is a concert you won't want to miss.