Recap: Abe Ovadia & Ben Reubens at the Waterford Public Library 4/5/2024 – By: Tim McDonough

Abe Ovadia & Ben Reubens Perform at Waterford Public Library

Little did jazz guitarist Abe Ovadia know that his gig at the Waterford Public Library would take
him back to the source of one of his “ah ha” childhood moments. Prior the their performance,
Abe was browsing the library’s CD collection and pulled out one from surf garage guitar band
Los Straitjackets. He explained that he was a big fan of the band during his middle school years,
particularly their rendition of the jazz swing standard “Sing, Sing, Sing”, from their album “The
Velvet Touch of Los Straitjackets”. He recounted how he took the recording to his guitar teacher
at the time and demanded that he teach him how to play it. Los Straitjackets are of course led
by Waterford native Eddie Angel, and the band has performed in the area on numerous
occasions. When asked how he’s come to perform so often at libraries throughout the New York
and New Jersey area, Abe told me that the impetus was going to see jazz saxophonist Joe
Lovano perform at the Monmouth County Library. He feels that libraries offer an atmosphere
where he can better reach an audience than a club or festival date. Library audiences tend to
come with perhaps less preconceived notions about what a jazz performance should be or
sound like.

During our brief conversation before the show, Abe and Ben both shared a bit of their
background and some astute observations about what it means to be jazz musicians today. Abe
graduated from the Berklee College of Music and NYU’s Jazz Studies program, while Ben came
out of the Manhattan School of Music. Both gentlemen stressed the importance of recognizing
that playing music is a privilege and a passion, that requires sacrifice and setting realistic goals.
Ben also mentions being open to opportunities to play that might not fit traditional definitions of
jazz, but nevertheless can be crucial in terms of artistic growth. Both musicians do a lot of
teaching, which while providing necessary income, also offers a chance to share their passion
for jazz and prepare their students for real world situations.

Abe Ovadia and Ben Reubens performed to an appreciate audience at the Waterford Public
Library on Friday April 5th. Their set included several interpretations of pop/rock tunes, as well
as several jazz standards. They engaged the audience and encouraged questions and
feedback. Earlier the same afternoon, they also performed a short Intro to Jazz program for
several young patrons, who seemed to thoroughly enjoy the music. We appreciate them making
the trek up from their native New Jersey and recommend you keep an eye out for other gigs
they may have in our area, quite likely at another local public library!