“Jazz Speaks for Life,” Pentucket Regional Middle High School to Celebrate Community at 25th Annual Café Jazz

Pentucket Regional Middle High School’s Fine & Performing Arts Department Chair David Schumacher brought with him a special tradition when he joined the district in 2000. 

“I grew up in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and played in my school’s jazz band from grades 6-12. Our director, Richard Rabideau, held our jazz concerts in the school cafeteria with dim lighting, decorations, cafeteria tables for seating, and a potluck refreshment table to enjoy after the show.”

Rabideau called these concerts “Café Jazz,” and the intimate club atmosphere made them unique and special for students and families alike.

“I chose to carry on that lineage when I came to Pentucket. Both as an homage to Rabideau, who had such a tremendous influence on my ultimate path as a jazz musician and teacher, and because I wanted our Pentucket students to experience the same intimate atmosphere for their performances.”

Petucket’s first Café Jazz was in May 2001, and it provided a unique opportunity for students to show their community what they had been “shedding” — a jazz term used to describe rehearsing — over the past year. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Pentucket’s Café Jazz. 

“When I attended my first Café Jazz as a Pentucket freshman, the excitement of hearing what the juniors and seniors were able to do, bathed in the ultra-cool atmosphere of the whole event, set me on an aspirational path that set the foundation for what I continue to do today,” said Bobby Spellman (’06), who is now a professional trumpet player based in New York City. “There was always a tradition in the Pentucket jazz program that older students would inspire and mentor younger students. This sense of mentorship and sharing musical wisdom among the students has an invaluable impact that can only be cultivated by an organic culture of enthusiasm and encouragement.”

The event has had an incredible impact on the greater Pentucket community, drawing a crowd of individuals, even those who have no link to the jazz program.

“Parents and alumni regularly attend the shows despite no current connection to the program, as do community members who have never had a child come through the program,” said Schumacher. “Students bring dates. Faculty bring their families. This is the essence of the event for me. Community. It brings me incredible joy to chat with repeat attenders after the show, or to hear from a first-time attendee who is charmed by the atmosphere.”

This year, Pentucket staff, students and community members will celebrate the award-winning legacy of the District’s jazz performances from more than 50 jazz alumni stretching back 25 years to Café Jazz’s inception. The event will take place on Friday, May 9, at 7 p.m. in the PRMHS Dining Commons.

There will be live performances from alumni and video submissions from those who can’t make it in person. Students will reflect on their time in the Pentucket Jazz program and share their latest adventures in a “Where Are We Now?” video montage.

The grand finale will feature a joint performance of alumni and current students playing music originally programmed on the very first Café Jazz in 2001. 

“It’s critical for students to have the opportunity to perform for a live audience. As a teenager, real-world gigs are hard to come by, but the Caf was a chance for us to practice and prepare to put on a show just like in a real jazz club,” said Pentucket Jazz alum Keith Mosely (’09). “Looking back, I think I prepared more for the Caf than some of my actual paid gigs! It was that important to us at the time — one shot to show our parents, our peers, and the community what we had been working on.”

Schumacher said the event holds a special place in his heart, having been inspired by a beloved childhood experience, as do the students who have built the program into much more than a few ensembles. 

“I am humbled and beyond grateful for the immense response from our alumni to this special 25th anniversary edition of Café Jazz. Myriad state, regional, and national recognitions and awards aside, these alumni will speak to the culture of creativity, acceptance, and individualism the program offers. They will speak about how the program helped them to find themselves. They will echo Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said ‘Jazz speaks for life.’ I hope that the event serves to highlight these brilliant alumni, regardless of the paths they have chosen in life.”