One of the key bands contributing to the jazz revival here in NJ was the Red Onion Jazz Band.  It has played the Watchung Arts Center several times, helping launch the Jazz Series there.   They even recorded a CD there in 1995, and it's still in print.

Their return this year is a triumphant one.  If you've missed them at their regular gigs at The Binghampton along the Hudson in Bergen County and The Cajun in Manhattan, this is a chance to catch them in an acoustic environment much closer to home.

Drummer Bob Thompson still leads, of course, sprinkling bits of jazz trivia into each tune introduction.  He's surrounded himself with top players, many of whom have been with the band for years.  Simon Wettenhall hails from Australia and also plays his trumpet with Woody Allen's band, at a much steeper cover charge, to be sure.  Joe Licari played clarinet with another band at The Stomp recently, and will bring his soprano sax too on this date.  Dick Dreiwitz also does his hot trombone work with several area bands.  Pianist Hank Ross is an inventive soloist and well worth a visit just for his creative playing.  Bob Sacchi is, like Vince Giordano, multitalented enough to play both tuba and bass saxophone, broadening the range of the band.  And John Gill is back in NYC to play banjo, after years on the West Coast playing for Turk Murphy and leading his own band (playing trombone!).

This is a band that has recorded on eight labels over the years.  They bring an immense amount of talent to Watchung, where the tab is still only $12.Go to http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ramo to read more about him or listed to his music.