The Cock N’ Bull Restaurant was the site of Galway, NY’s 1st Annual Jazz Festival. The brainchild of Keith Pray’s 501(c)(3) Capital District Jazz Ltd, the all day festival featured nine bands ranging from the youthful quartet of saxophonist Theresa Rodriguez, the veteran Art D’Echo Trio to the world music influenced sound of Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius & Heard. Music played ranged from standards to originals with a heavy dose of Latin and straight-forward jazz with close to 85 musicians involved.
Bands included Theresa Rodriguez quartet, The Art D’Echo Trio, The Giroux Brothers, The Joe Barna Quartet, Keith Pray’s Drop, The Trojan Horns, Kaitlyn Fay Quartet, Brian Pateneaude Quartet and Elizabeth Cassius’ Heard.
Joe Barna‘s quartet played his straight ahead/Latin compositions, as did Brian Patneaude’s group and Keith Pray’s project played a more funk based music. Kaitlyn Fay delivered fine vocals from Broadway and World War Two era. Giroux Brothers performance centered around their recorded output.
The food and scenery were as much a part of the festival as the music. Owner Rick Sleeper and his staff deliverd farm to table fare that was enjoyed by all. Of particular note were the homemade ice cream sandwiches, including fresh bluberries sandwiched between two chocolate cookies as well as burgers, pizzas and chicken sandwiches all fresh and served promptly. In between sets, the Trojan Horns provided NOLA and funk horns performing around a fire pit.
In spite of a brief shower, the festivities were enjoyed by all including the musicians and staff of the restaurant.
Next time you hear of a Jazz Festival in Galway, remember there is one in Galway, NY! Thanks to the Main Street Gallery, the Saratoga Music Coalition and Parkway Music for their local sponsorship. The festival would not be possible without Rick Sleeper and his support for the local music scene and the tireless work of Keith Pray to make the festival possible.
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