Date: Fri 07-Jun-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Illustration: C

Location: A-9

Quick Words:

Jazz-Under-Stars-McLaughlin

Full Text:

(Jazz Under the Stars series at McLaughlin Vineyards, 6/7/96)

Jazz Under The Stars

(with photos)

By Shannon Hicks

The sun went down and a slight breeze crept in, and for a few hours the grapes

were left on the vines. Families, couples, groups of friends... music lovers

of all ages and backgrounds converged onto the sprawling front lawn of

McLaughlin Vineyards in Sandy Hook on Saturday evening for the first of this

year's Jazz Under the Stars concert.

Children played towards the back of the field (some mischievous youngsters

were even caught pulling up flowers from the vineyard's garden), blankets were

spread and the distinct smell of citronella candles began to permeate the air

while four musicians played jazz, under a sky lit not by stars but a full

moon.

The musicians of the McLaughlin series are the same threesome who provide

music weekly at Sand Hill Plaza's pavilion and the Olde Newtown Tavern - Peter

Concilio on bass, Dane Hassan on drums and pianist Nick Berralick - along with

a guest musician for each show at the vineyard.

For the June 1 concert last weekend, Rich Ryerson was the fourth performer. A

trumpet, trombone, baritone horn and euphonium player and teacher, Mr Ryerson

chose to perform on baritone horn Saturday evening, which complimented the

smooth selections the quartet chose to perform.

"It was a great time [Saturday night]," Mr Ryerson said from his New Milford

home this week. "I enjoyed myself immensely. I hadn't played with any of those

guys for at least ten years."

Mr Ryerson has toured throughout the US, Canada and Europe (his European tour

with the New York Jazz Quintet 12 years ago culminated with five performances

at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland). In addition to working with his own

group - The New England Contemporary Jazz Ensemble - he has played with the

Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, the Bobby Rosengarten Quartet and the Pepper Adams

Quintet.

Parking fees are now $12 per car, reflecting a change from admission practices

of last year. Rather than charge $6 per person, vineyard manager Morgen

McLaughlin has decided to instead charge a flat rate per car, regardless of

the number of occupants, in hopes of encouraging car pooling to the estate. Ms

McLaughlin has not had problems with too many cars in the residential area,

she says, and the parking fees are her way of preventing that from happening.

"I wanted to give people another option for something to do on a Saturday

night," she said this week. "Jazz is everywhere, and I thought the vineyard

could provide a different background for the music. With the parking fees, I'm

just trying to make sure we don't have a problem in the future."

The vineyard is offering a selection of dinner baskets to accompany the

performance. At a cost of $16 each (two for $30), the dinners may at first

seem somewhat pricey, but this is before the first bite into a sumptuous

smoked turkey sandwich with brie on eight-grain bread, accompanied by a

vinegar-based cole slaw and a delicious Boursin potato salad. Two dessert

selections are also provided. In this case, it was a pecan-topped fudge

brownie and a container of fresh strawberries.

There are four other dinner baskets to choose from, each as decadent and

delicious as the afore-described "I've Got The Blues" basket, and each

includes utensils and napkins. After dinner, the baskets are the purchaser's

to keep.

The dinner baskets are creations of Loree's Kitchen, a Bethel caterer. Two

days' notice is needed to have one for the Saturday evening concerts. It is

worth the call, and the cost.

The vineyard also offers its wine for purchase by the glass or bottle during

Jazz Under the Stars concerts. Soda and iced tea are also available.

"It was an absolutely perfect evening," said Ms McLaughlin, who estimates she

had nearly 200 people show up for the June 1 concert. "With the sun all day,

and then that full moon... I planned it that way," she added, half-mockingly.

"I'm like the farmers, planning things around the moon."

Peter Concilio announced the final performance of the evening around 8:30 pm,

and it was with great reluctance many began gathering their belongings and

folding their blankets once the musicians ceased playing Saturday night.

Although the quartet had encouraged everyone to follow them to their next

performance, which immediately followed at another local location, no one

wanted to leave the vineyard quite yet.

But they had no choice. The music had ended for the evening, and the grapes

had to be picked again Sunday morning.

The next concert in the McLaughlin Vineyards Jazz Under the Stars concert

series will be June 29. Remaining concerts are scheduled for July 6, July 20

and August 17. Call the vineyard, 426-1533, for additional information.

McLaughlin Vineyards is on Alberts Hill Road in Sandy Hook.