A group from the Berks Jazz Fest celebrated the "Fourth of July" by traveling to the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City to see the legendary jazz group Fourplay perform.

It was our chance to see Chuck Loeb perform with the group, featuring Bob James on piano, Nathan East on bass, and Harvey Mason on drums, for the first time.

The musical fireworks onstage during the 80-minute set made the banzai trip well worth it. It was clear to the packed club that the addition of Chuck, who replaced Larry Carlton recently, has brought a new energy to the band.

The set featured a classy, solo rendition of "America" by Bob James, and a preview of a song from Fourplay's new CD, which will be released in the fall. The crowd went crazy as the band ripped through the Chuck Loeb-written tune titled "Third Degree."

It's not easy following guitar legends Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton, but Chuck Loeb appears more than ready to make his mark with the band.

There's a good chance Fourplay will be one of the featured acts at the 21st annual Berks Jazz Fest.

The news that Chuck Loeb was joining jazz supergroup Fourplay was music to the hears of his many Berks Jazz Fest friends.

Last week, Fourplay management announced that guitarist Larry Carlton was ending a 12-year stint with the band to pursue other musical challenges. The band quickly announced that Loeb was joining Bob James, Nathan East and Harvey Mason.

It always a great feeling when you see good things happenging to good people. Chuck Loeb is one of the good guys in the business.

When you see Chuck at the Berks Jazz Fest, please take the time to congratulate him and wish him well!

You can see the first Chuck Loeb-version of Fourplay live at the Seabreeze Jazz Festival in Destin, Florida, on April 18.