CC Booker III featuring Will Scruggs plays soul jazz – stirred with a little bit of blues.

The two Cs represent music legends Ray Charles and King Curtis and the rest of the name pays tribute to Booker T Jones.
“We’re dedicated to defining the soul and jazz of these three great artists,” Scruggs said.

The band, which also consists of drummer Marlon Patton, guitarist Dan Baraszu, and organist David Ellington – is based in Atlanta and is soon heading to the Mountain State. The guys will be traveling in their “veggie van” – which happens to be fueled with recycled vegetable oil.

Upon arrival in North Central West Virginia, CC Booker III featuring Will Scruggs will be one of the featured acts of Summer Jazz Weekend, sponsored by the West Virginia Jazz Society. 

“I think this is our fifth trip up to West Virginia,” Scruggs said, “and every single time, we always have a blast. The first thing I think of is that the audiences. They really make the drive worth it. We meet some interesting people at some of the places we go, but West Virginia has always been at the top of the list for meeting nice people. We get a great vibe and a great sense of community.”

Scruggs and his band will be the featured entertainment at the Soulful Jazz & Summertime Blues event Fri., Aug. 24 at Stonewall Jackson Resort. They will play from 8-10:30 p.m. in the ballroom. Tickets, $55 each, includes a gourmet dinner.

The following morning, Scruggs and company will work with other Summer Jazz Weekend artists Jenny Wilson, Adam Loudin and Nikki Parrott to conduct a master class on site at Stonewall, from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. That night, the band will play an 8 p.m. show at Tygart Lake Lodge’s Boston Beanery.

In each instance, the band will bring to the stage a mix of new pieces and tunes it has been delivering to audiences across the Eastern seaboard for the past four years.

“We’ve been all over the country and overseas, but mostly we’ve played as far north as New York City and as far south as Florida,” Scruggs said.

The band plays a lot of small, intimate venues, but has also been on the bill of Twins Jazz in D.C. and the Atlanta jazz club, Churchill Grounds.

Scruggs actually started the band with a group of New York City-based musicians, then regrouped to include musicians closer to his hometown of Atlanta.

So why jazz? After all, it’s not the genre chosen by too many aspiring instrumentalists.

“I love all different kinds of music, but I really came to jazz through the saxophone,” Scruggs said. “Most people studying the sax are led directly to jazz, but then many go on to other places. I just always wanted to stick with jazz.”

CC Booker III Featuring Will Scruggs mixes elements of soul jazz, blues and funk. The band members especially like creating that “nice, bluesy, arm sound” in an up-close-and-personal venue, Scruggs said.

“We really try to appeal to an audience and get comfortable with our audience, playing smaller venues,” he said. “We like that close interaction.”

Speaking of close interaction, the band will also be playing a bonus performance while they are in town.

That stage will be the Aug. 26 Bridgeport Farmers Market at the Marketplace, Charles Pointe.

“We normally hire local musicians, but since Will is committed to the local foods movement, we thought he might help bring in different people to the market,” said Debbie Workman, market board member. “We thought we would draw people who have never been to the market, as well as people who just wanted to hear him play. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Scruggs is pumped about the performance, too. Promoting local foods is right up his alley.

“I am a big-time environmentalist and I definitely work hard in my life to be as green as possible. I just really care about the environment and the earth,” he said. “The local food movement is extremely important for health reasons, environmental reasons and economic reasons. Fresh foods are not only free of chemicals and preservatives, they are good. And when you buy them, you are supporting area farmers and other locals, which is also vital.”

In just days, Scruggs and company will load in their “veggie van” and make their way to our neck of the woods.

“We’re real excited to get on the road and we’re super excited to play at the Farmers Market - and get a good meal,” he said.
The performances, taking place throughout the 10 a.m.-2 p.m. market time, are being sponsored by Ryan Environmental, PJ Kelly’s, Touchtone Data Systems and Bridgeport Conference Center.

Summer Jazz Weekend also features a Sat., Aug. 25 “Tribute to the Great Ladies of Jazz” at Bridgeport Conference Center. That event will feature Sharel Cassity, a regular with the Diva Jazz Orchestra and vocalist/bass player, Nikki Parrott.

Sha’ron Clark will provide vocals with Chuck Redd on drums.

“We also have Chuck’s brother, Robert Redd, playing the piano that night so they’ll be a lot of jazz mixing and matching,” said Bob Workman of the West Virginia Jazz Society. “It’s going to be a phenomenal show.”

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. Reservations are a must. Tickets are $55, available at Bridgeport Conference Center (304-808-3000) or at http://bridgeportconference.com/jazz-ticket-ordering.

 

A full Summer Jazz Weekend schedule is below: