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Jazz musician Jay Howe took the stage on the Branford Green earlier this month to perform before a packed audience. Fans set up chairs throughout the town’s center and others stood on the surrounding sidewalk to listen.
“The best part of the business is making lots of new friends,” Rowe told the audience.
At the Thursday show on August 7, he was joined on stage by Rohn Lawrence on guitar, Trever Somerville on drums and Dave Anderson on bass.
Rowe, a native of Milford, CT, has been playing music since he first took up the piano at age 12. After attending the New England Conservatory of Music, Rowe formed a band to break into the New Haven music scene, performing as the opening act for many visiting groups.
His career took off when he started touring with Marion Meadows, a smooth jazz performer. In the years since, Rowe has continued to perform with various jazz artists. In addition to performing at jazz festivals throughout the United States, Rowe has traveled abroad to countries including Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and others. He specializes in smooth jazz music.
Throughout his career, Rowe has released five CDs. At the concert, he sold his 2006 CD “Laugh Out Loud.” He also encouraged fans to look up his other songs on iTunes.
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After two hours of jazz, Rowe said goodnight to the audience with his lead song “Jaywalking” from his 1997 album of the same name. After he finished, the audience started cheering, demanding an encore. Rowe then re-emerged for a final tune.
Eric Triffin has been following Rowe’s career for many years. Every Monday, Rowe plays at Toad’s Place in New Haven as part of the weekly series “A Night of Smooth Jazz with Rohn Lawrence & Friends.”
Over the years, Triffin has watched Rowe perform over 500 times and he was on the Green to hear Rowe perform this night.
“Once you find something like this, you don’t miss it. It’s like going to church and getting re-oriented, re-harmonized,” Triffin said. “We need more music in our lives.”
Rowe agrees that music plays a central role in many lives. Twelve years ago, he started a non-profit organization, Smooth Jazz for Scholars, Inc., which has raised about $54,000 in funds for the music program in the Milford public schools.
“I knew enough people,” Rowe told the Eagle after the concert. “It was just a good way to give back to the community.”
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Rowe came to the Green as part of the Branford Jazz on the Green Series. The Series features a different jazz artist every Thursday night of the summer. The audience has loved the series.
During the concert, Rowe commended the festival on its diversity of performers: “The great thing is that they did a wide variety of music this year.”
This Thursday, August 21, Jeff Kashiwa will conclude the 2014 festival with a saxophone performance.
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