Chuck Loeb Memorial All-Star Jam

(opens in a new tab)hosted by Rick Braun & Gerald Veasley

featuring Eric Marienthal, Eric Darius, Mindi Abair, Bobby Lyle, Marcus Anderson, Rebecca Jade, Andrea Lisa, Curtis McCain, Ron Reinhardt, Eric Valentine, Gerey Johnson

For the commemorative Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest 25th booklet, the late guitarist Chuck Loeb wrote: One of my favorite Berks Jazz Fest events, and indeed a favorite of almost everyone involved, is the annual Berks All-Star Jam. The Jam has become a tradition and is held on the Thursday night prior to the final weekend of the festival.

My first jam session was at The Peanut Bar, an iconic bar in downtown Reading. It was a loose, fun, and free event, with all the guys just calling songs out and playing solos one after another as we crunched peanut shells under our feet. What fun! The Jam has grown to become THE event to attend. It is always the first show to sell out.

Loeb and trumpeter Rick Braun shared musical direction for the Jam for many years. When the event became so popular that audiences could no longer squeeze into the Peanut Bar, it moved to the Crowne Plaza Hotel; now it is held in the DoubleTree’s Grand Ballroom. And now it bears Loeb’s name to memorialize one of the festival’s most popular performers, who passed away in 2017.

Since Chuck’s passing, Braun and bassist Gerald Veasley have been co-musical directors. They will be joined by Peter White, Everette Harp, Ray Fuller, Will Donato, Eric Darius, Patrick Lamb, Adam Hawley, Karen Briggs, Curtis McCain, Chris “Big Dog” Davis, Eric Valentine, Ron Reinhardt, Nate Phillips, Gerey Johnson, and Tony Moore.

ARTIST WEBSITES: Rick Braun (opens in a new tab)- Gerald Veasley(opens in a new tab)