Editor's pick: Liberty Jazz Festival hits a historic note

WHEN: Thursday, September 3 through Saturday, September 5

WHERE: Liberty Museum and Arts Center, 46 South Main Street, and Liberty Music & Arts Pavilion, North Main Street

COST: Free

CONTACT: info@liberty-cdc.org

LIBERTY, NY — Sullivan Performing Arts will present the fifth Liberty Jazz Festival this weekend, with the main performances taking place on Saturday, September 5 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Liberty Music & Arts Pavilion on North Main Street.

The festival will get off to an early start with a special symposium on the history of “Jazz Venues in Sullivan County,” a special Sullivan County Bicentennial event, on Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 p.m. at the Liberty Museum and Arts Center at 46 South Main Street. On Friday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m. there will be a night of talk and performance, “Friday Night Jazz,” featuring the history of the Percells, also at the museum.

The Percells was the dream of Gail Houston Jones, their lead singer. Jones grew up singing gospel, while still appreciating rhythm and blues: “I started singing when I was about 10 years old. My grandmother was a singer. She sang with the Twilight Gospel Singers, who became one of the first African-American groups to carry gospel to Europe. She had passed away by the time they got there, though. As a little kid, I listened to LaVern Baker and Little Willie John,” she said.

The Percells, featuring Jones as vocalist, Cecil Allen (guitar), Richard T (keyboards), Buddy Allen (sax), and Papa John (drums), will perform again on Saturday at the Pavilion. Other artists performing will include the Jazz Poets, featuring Walter Keller and Barry Wallenstein; and the Inner Urge Jazz Quartet, featuring Steve Carlin (guitar), Anthony DeCicco (bass), Sam Morrison (sax) and Papa John (drums).