Ken Needleman had an idea. Great jazz, in Ridgefield, with good food. His wild dream has become a fabulous reality at Sarah's Wine Bar

What attracts world-class musicians, including legendary jazz guitarists Bucky Pizarrelli and Frank Vignola, to Ridgefield? 

Ken Needleman. Needleman is the brainchild behind Ridgefield’s The Jazz Master’s Series, which takes place monthly at Sarah’s Wine Bar. Needleman says it was “a confluence of events” that turned a concept into reality. “I had this idea where live jazz would be presented in an intimate setting, where jazz would be the focus of the evening,” explains Needleman. It was fall 2008 when Needleman shared with his wife, Marcia, what he had mulling over for some time. “I actually spoke my idea out loud,” explains Needleman.

Marcia Needleman immediately thought of the intimate venue, which had just opened upstairs from Bernard’s. It was an upscale and upbeat eatery now popularly known as Sarah’s Wine Bar. Being supporters of the arts, proprietors Bernard and Sarah Bouissou wholeheartedly embraced Needleman’s concept. “Sarah suggested I take a look at the room to make sure it was appropriate,” says Needleman. “It was the perfect space.” Shortly after, the Needlemans created a company, Avilena Music Productions (named after their two daughters Hannah Aviva and Sophie Lena), and in February 2009, launched the first Jazz Master’s Series.

Needleman, an art conservator in New York City, and Marcia, a teacher at The Enchanted Garden, bring internationally renowned jazz musicians to Sarah’s on the last Sunday of each month. Many of the performers are musicians Needleman met while taking guitar lessons under the tutelage of distinguished jazz guitarist Howard Alden. “I met so many great players through Howard Alden,” says Needleman, who has been playing guitar since the age of nine. The Jazz Master’s calendar is already filling for 2013. “We’re getting inquiries from all over the country,” says Needleman, who adds, “There is a great deal of buzz throughout the community of musicians.”  

The Jazz Master’s Series has attracted an audience of people from Fairfield County, northern Westchester, and the region. “We have people who come from as far as Rhode Island and some who come from New York City,” says Marcia Needleman.  Bethel resident Judy Juracek has been attending the series for two years. “So many people appreciate this.  We would have to go to New York City to hear musicians like this and to have them here in this intimate setting is a gift,” remarked Juracek. Redding residents Dr. Ken Kaess and his wife Punchy agree, “This is top quality Jazz,” says Dr. Kaess.

During the Jazz Master’s Series, jazz isn’t a sideshow. It is not background music. It is the main attraction. You will not hear chatter from the audience or loud laughter—just the occasional sound of a dish being cleared or a bottle of wine being uncorked. You will see lots of toe tapping, head bobbing, and body swaying. “During my announcements, I remind the audience to mind their level of conversation,” says Needleman. There is a quiet policy during each event; placed on each table is a small card that reads: “Please respect the musicians and remain quiet when they are performing.”

“The music is first and the food second,” says Needleman. “In fact, it’s the one night of the month that the chef is not the star.” And Bernard Bouissou is perfectly fine taking a back seat for the evening. “We want to acknowledge and celebrate that Bernard and Sarah have embraced this concept. The Jazz Master’s Series would be impossible without this perfect union,” he explains.

This article was first published in Ridgefield Magazine and appears in the September/October 2012 issue of Town Vibe