High School Jazz Band and The Tornado News Team Present, The Pickle King
This collaborative project grew out of a desire to celebrate one of Greenlawn’s most important figures: Samuel Balton. Born into slavery in 1838, he escaped three times to freedom for himself and his family. After fighting in a Massachusetts regiment, his family moved to Greenlawn in 1873. He became a pickle farmer and used his earnings to buy property in the area. He developed what is now Smith Street and Gaines Street, and his historic home is located behind the high school at 30 Taylor Avenue. To commemorate him and to celebrate Greenlawn’s rich history, Dan Bilawsky commissioned composer Jeff Lederer to create an entirely original piece based on Balton’s life. We hope you enjoy this wonderful look into the history of Greenlawn and the music that is tied to it.
Jack Wilkens edited all of the documentary pieces below which were filmed in numerous locations from the Balton house and other historical sites on a walking tour, to the HS auditorium for a jam session/workshop with composer Jeff Lederer, to the Harborfields Public Library for a visit with the Greenlawn Historical Society.
Want to learn more about the music and the history? Check out these “Deep Dives,” one from the Jeff Lederer workshop on 11/29/23, and the other from our Greenlawn Historical Society field trip to the Harborfields Public Library on 12/12/23.
Individual Song Pieces from Workshop Night
Check out 5 songs from the winter concert performed during the workshop. Also, look at a multicamera edit of the song Pickle King performed at the library on 12/12/23.
The HHS Jazz Band & The Tornado News Team Present
“Sophisticated Lady”
The Tornado News Team and Harborfields High School Jazz Band continue their award-winning collaborative partnership with the creation of a 30-minute feature documentary paying tribute to the women who’ve shaped the music.
A tale in two parts, the video details the story of a newly-commissioned arrangement of Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady,” written by world-renowned low-brass specialist Jennifer Wharton as a feature for senior trombonist Alexa Best, and connects the voices of members of an unspoken sisterhood—numerous female HHS Jazz Band alums and current members—to bring important truths to light and celebrate women in jazz.
HF media student, Jack Wilkens, produced the videos and created the content on this page.
View the ‘short take’ of our feature documentary if you’re short on time!
HHS Jazz Band
Mr. Dan Bilawsky, Director
Reeds
Sydney Bayer, Alto Saxophone
Justin Lowenhar, Alto Saxophone
Peter Hoss, Tenor saxophone
Alex Meagher, Tenor Saxophone
Jacob Guzzardo, Baritone Saxophone
Trumpet
Kyleigh Connors
Kamden Johansen
Kyle Johnson
Peter Rocco
Hartley Semmes
Ethan Wisoky
Trombone
Alexa Best, Featured Soloist
Nathan Downey
Michael Considine
Jackson Ferrara
Sam Vaughan
Andrew Walden
Rhythm
McKenzie Coleman, Piano
Brendan Schmitt, Piano
Mr. Brendan McGlone, Guitar (guest)
Aidan Saunders, Bass
Jackson Ferrara, Drums
Ethan Rosenthal, Drums
HHS Jazz Band Alumni
Christina Amari, Tenor Saxophone and Clarinet
Class of 2019
Hannah Bartfield, Trumpet
Class of 2017
Jen Bautista, Alto Saxophone and Clarinet
Class of 2022
Melanie Bautista, Trombone
Class of 2018
Kennedy Burgess, Alto Saxophone and Flute
Class of 2013
Karen Chalif, Piano
Class of 2009
Alisa Chang, Piano
Class of 2015
Katie Farkas, Trombone
Class of 2019
Hailey Freilich, Trombone
Class of 2018
Danielle Holmes, Alto Saxophone and Clarinet
Class of 2015
Kiran Magee, Tenor Saxophone
Class of 2015
Eva Pukke, Vocals
Class of 2021
Rachel Scheff, Alto Saxophone and Clarinet
Class of 2018
Juliet Scott, Tenor Saxophone
Class of 2016
Becca Terc, Tenor Saxophone and Flute
Class of 2022
Katie Van Nostrand, Piano, Flute and Vocals
Class of 2018
The Words of HF’s ‘Sophisticated Ladies’
“I’m hoping to be a lawyer some day [and that’s also connected to] a male-dominated industry…[and I feel that] my experience as a woman in the jazz band [really] got me comfortable in that kind of space.” Hannah Bartfield, Class of 2017
“Other musicians will make you feel like you’re not good enough, like you’re not taken seriously, like your voice isn’t heard…. It’s really sad because music is one of the most powerful tools you can use to unite people.” Eva Pukke, Class of 2021
“[My experience encountering the music of Melba Liston and learning during my time in the HHS Jazz Band] made me realize just how long women have been making waves in jazz.” Melanie Bautista, Class of 2018
“[When I was younger and I’d attend my older brother’s concerts] I would see the other female trombonists, or saxophonists, or trumpet players. I would look up to them and I was really inspired…” Alexa Best, Class of 2023
Tornado News Production Team
Mr. Vincent Ambrosio, Media Teacher
Concert Videographers
Emma Barnett
Ainsley Batsford
Sydney Bayer
Darien Schultz
Video Editor
Jack Wilkens
Praise for Sophisticated Lady
“I loved hearing the voices of these young women, empowered by music. There is so little on social media that feels truly hopeful and healthy—this is lovely.
Tierney Sutton, nine-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist
“The gender gap in jazz is the result of a series of historical and social barriers to equal participation. It takes courageous and engaged leaders like Dan Bilawsky to facilitate an inclusive and positive environment and future for his students!”
Monika Herzig, jazz pianist, educator, author, composer, arranger, SHEroes bandleader
“Yet another wonderful initiative from The Tornado News Team and Harborfields High School Jazz Band. Not only does this project provide a precious opportunity for the students involved, but it shines a light on lesser-known figures in jazz while celebrating the work of the acclaimed bass trombonist Jennifer Wharton.”
Nicky Schrire, jazz vocalist, educator, journalist and broadcaster (JazzFM.91, LondonJazz News, The Jazz Session)
“The inspiration, talent, nuance and confidence of young trombonist Alexa Best on Jennifer Wharton's beautiful chart is the perfect lead in to [where] these young women share deep insights about themselves and their experiences in jazz band. They are the embodiment of what WE know the jazz community brings to the table, and they candidly acknowledge the challenges of being female in a predominantly male genre. Dan Bilawsky sees the big picture here about women in not-just-jazz, but the world. His ability to reach them and empower them is a thrill to see."
Claire Daly, award-winning baritone saxophonist
“This 30-minute documentary moved me to tears because I know firsthand the uphill battle of being a woman in jazz, having started off as a trombonist myself and currently working professionally as a vocalist and pianist. [This work] not only amplifies the voices of these students and of women composers of yesterday and today…but points to forward motion and acknowledgement, What a delight to see the jazz youth of tomorrow excited for the future and feeling inspired. Bravi!”
Nicole Zuraitis, Grammy-nominated vocalist, pianist, songwriter and bandleader
“The thoughtful interviews and, yes, sophisticated musicianship in Sophisticated Lady culminate in a sense of optimism and possibility: while women in jazz continue to face unique challenges in the business, the women of Harborfields High School Jazz Band prove, without a doubt, that the future looks brighter than ever.”
Hilary Gardner, celebrated vocalist (solo, Duchess) and writer
“Congratulations and Kudos to Dan Bilawsky and the Harborfields High School Jazz Ensemble and students past and present for creating the mini-documentary Sophisticated Lady. Their film highlights a grassroots way to foster the evolution of the music by providing equal opportunities, and raising awareness of the experiences, contributions, challenges and benefits of being a young woman in jazz. Hearing firsthand experiences from these young women reinforces the significance of teachers, like Dan Bilawsky, who are enlightened enough to open musical opportunities for all, regardless of gender. For every extraordinary man in jazz, there is a woman who has done, or is doing equally excellent work…make sure your students know. Also congratulations to Alexa on her wonderful performance and Jen Wharton for her exciting new arrangement! ”
Sherrie Maricle, Music Director/drummer, The DIVA Jazz Orchestra
“Wow! This is such an inspiring and heartwarming documentary on the impact that music, education, and empowering all voices can have on a community. [It’s a] beautiful piece that serves as a reminder of why we do what we do, and how we can continue to make the world a better place through jazz education.”
Alexa Tarantino, award-winning jazz saxophone & woodwind artist, composer and mentor
“The moving testaments of [over a dozen alumnae] shows what a positive impact mentorship and advocacy make in someone's entire life, not just in the study of music.”
Nadje Noordhuis, celebrated jazz trumpeter, educator
“[This production offers] a thoroughly enjoyable look at how a committed and inspired high school music teacher created an ecosystem where young women jazz players can learn, grow and flourish. [It's] an astonigh how-to field guide for any educator who's interested in creating similar conditions of safety, encouragement and agency. Wow!”
Kate McGarry, Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist, educator
The HHS Jazz Band & The Tornado News Team Present
“The Wedding”
A wedding of two Harborfields programs—the HHS Jazz Band and The Tornado News Team—took place on January 14, 2022, when these two groups took a field trip to Our Lady Queen of Martyrs (in Centerport, NY) to record an arrangement of an Abdullah Ibrahim classic written for the band by three-time GRAMMY-nominated composer Alan Ferber. This event was the culmination of an idea long in the making. Here’s an inside look at a beautiful story and an amazing day…
On the surface, this feature documentary, expertly produced by the Harborfields High School Journalism Program and scrupulously edited by Fiona McLoughlin, relates the story of the making of Alan Ferber’s arrangement of Abdullah Ibrahim’s “The Wedding,” commissioned by Mr. Bilawsky for the Harborfields High School Jazz Band, and a subsequent music video collaboration at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Centerport, NY, that brought these two school groups together. But on a deeper level it details the joys inherent in the communal nature of music and creative expression—a wedding of people and purpose that stands for so much more.
Praise for The Wedding:
“A beautiful celebration of jazz community that [highlights] the many important facets of the jazz ecosystem—from education to creation to documentation.”
Nicky Schrire, Host & Producer, The Jazz Session Podcast
”[A video that] models how to take a beautiful song and turn it into an all-encompassing lesson for students in music, journalism and other programs within your school”
Lewis Porter, Ph.D., jazz pianist, educator, author
“In this time of such darkness in the world…the story of “The Wedding,” from start to finish, gives me great hope for the future.”
Richard Kamins, Step Tempest
“The world needs more of this kind of collaboration to help the youth better relate to musics such as jazz and understand the cultural nuances associated with such traditions. This genuine story of a community coming together has to inspire others.”
Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, D.M.A., Professor of Music History and Musicology & Director of Intercultural Institute, New England Conservatory
“It’s wonderful enough for a student band to be exposed to the music of Abdullah Ibrahim. But it’s even more so when that band has the opportunity to play an arrangement straight from the pen of Alan Ferber, one of today’s true masters of the large ensemble idiom”
David Adler, music critic and journalist, music educator
“Certainly, Alan’s arrangement of the Ibrahim piece is lovely and well-calibrated for these particular players, [the Harborfields High School Jazz Band] plays with surprising maturity and sensitivity, and [The Tornado News Team’s] video and audio students are working on the level of many of the university media students I’ve known.
Robert Mugge, documentary filmmaker
“Picking a solemn, haunting tune by the great South African composer Abdullah Ibrahim, and commissioning the Grammy-nominated Alan Ferber to arrange it, Mr. Bilawsky and the kids of Harborfields High School create something beautiful during a difficult period in our nation’s history. In the process, the students come to realize what they are capable of – and all of us experience their communal joy and sense of life’s possibilities.
Allen Morrison, music critic and journalist
“An inspired music teacher and his young charges hold up a gift to the light and remind us that there is still care and beauty in this world.”
Neil Gonsalves, pianist, composer, Lecturer in Jazz Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal
“This sounds great! The essence of the composition is well captured.”
Claude Cozens, South African drummer and composer
“I was totally mesmerized when I watched [these students] perform this amazing work by one of our country’s greatest musicians. The performance was exceptional, the documentary emotional, but, most importantly, [the entire production team] was able to demonstrate how music transcends and unites us against those traits that separate us human beings.”
Karen Devroop, saxophonist, Acting Director of Music at University of South Africa (UNISA) Music Foundation
“By simply asking the right questions—‘How do we make this happen?’ and ‘How do we maximize its impact?’—Mr. Bilawsky and his Harborfields High School students accomplish every artist’s goal: to create something of meaning/beauty, which will endure and inspire others. I love it!
Earl MacDonald, Director of Jazz Studies, University of Connecticut
“I have heard [Abdullah Ibrahim play “The Wedding”] many times, but never with a jazz big band. I was thrilled to hear that there was a big band arrangement of it. And what a [gorgeous] arrangement by Alan Ferber, beautifully performed by the HHS Jazz Band. Congrats, you captured the essence of this work.”
Carlo Mombelli, South African bassist, composer, educator
“Fantastic playing by everyone in the band and a beautiful arrangement by Alan Ferber. Congratulations to all on such a wonderful project.”
John Fedchock, trombonist, bandleader, GRAMMY-nominated arranger
“What is really amazing is how this authentic experience for students is a case where the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts.”
C. Andrew Hovan, jazz drummer, photographer and journalist
“This is a superb documentation of the Harborfields High School Big Band performing, done by the Harborfields High School Journalism Department students, which certainly gives an insight as to how talented these students are in both programs. Kudos to Band Director Dan Bilawsky, arranger Alan Ferber, journalism teacher Vinnie Ambrosio and all of the students. I would love to hear (and see) Mr. Ibrahim’s reaction to hearing this chart and these students performing his piece.”
Dr. Brad Stone, Producer, Programmer and Host, “The Creative Source,” SoulandJazz.com
This multi-camera, single-microphone music video of the Harborfields High School Jazz Band performing “The Wedding,” written by Abdullah Ibrahim and arranged for the band by Alan Ferber, was recorded by the Tornado News Team on January 14, 2022, at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Centerport, NY.
In addition to the feature offering and music video, please enjoy this five-minute version of the documentary about this amazing 'wedding' of two great programs at Harborfields High School, lovingly edited by Fiona McLoughlin and Darien Schultz. This was created for submission to BASH (Stony Brook University’s Broadcast Awards for Senior High).
Additional Material From the OLQM Sessions
While the primary purpose of our recording session at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs was to capture “The Wedding,” we wanted to use the opportunity to showcase additional music, so, with a little time built in for this, we recorded this multi-camera, single-microphone music video of the Harborfields High School Jazz Band performing “Reflections,” written by Thelonious Monk and arranged by Oliver Nelson.
Both “The Wedding” and “Reflections” feature the full ensemble—the big band—but we also wanted to shine a light on our rhythm quartet, so, two rehearsals prior to our visit to Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, we talked through a head-solos-head-tag arrangement of this classic, and the quartet recorded it at the sessions.
With a DSLR and plenty of phones at the ready, we crowd-sourced plenty of images from this memorable day. Then Rubenia Aguilar compiled and edited everything to create this wonderful slideshow.
Tornado News Crew
Advisor: Mr. Ambrosio
Rubenia Aguilar
Nichole Allan
Allison Castellano
Anna Gosselin
Debra Jaffe
Hailie James
Wyatt LaFountaine
Fiona McLoughlin
Mia Mirabile
Darien Schultz
Lina Tornese
Nigella Trinidad
HHS Jazz Band
Director: Mr. Bilawsky
Reeds
Jennifer Bautista
Sydney Bayer
Peter Hoss
Kate Lysaght
Becca Terc
Justin Lowenhar
Trumpet
Robert Blosser
Ryan Casano
Kamden Johansen
Kyle Johnson
Hartley Semmes
Trombone
Alexa Best
Nathan Downey
Jackson Ferrara
Andrew Walden
Piano
McKenzie Coleman
Julian Moody
Guitar
Aidan Katz
Bass
Aidan Saunders
Drums
Jackson Ferrara
Ethan Rosenthal