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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; It was like a family reunion, but with good music.</p><p>No, make that great music.</p><p>Friends old and new crowded into the River Street Jazz Cafe on Friday night to celebrate the venue&#8217;s silver anniversary, sipping elegant cocktails and supping from a complimentary buffet.</p><p>As glasses clinked and laughter floated in the air, founder Robert Friedman took the stage with swagger and a smile as he lifted up the mic.</p><p>&#8220;Twenty-five years. It&#8217;s really amazing,&#8221; Friedman said slowly. And then, with the timing of a master, landed the blow.</p><p>&#8220;Obviously I was very, very young when I opened up this place,&#8221; he added, sending the audience into appreciative chuckles.</p><p>The club, on the lower level of the Cross Valley Center, opened Friday, Nov. 5, 1993.</p><p>Its milestone was commemorated with a party that reunited musicians, former managers, longtime customers and friends.</p><p>Over the years, there were greats like the late Maynard Ferguson and Lionel Hampden.</p><p>And there were many local lights who started at the club or became regulars.</p><p><strong>The sax man</strong></p><p>West Pittston native Tony Carfora was a teenager when his saxophone teacher hosted open mic nights at the club.</p><p>&#8220;His parents used to say, &#8216;Would you mind if our son came up and played with the band for a few songs?&#8217;&#8221; Friedman recalled.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;d say, &#8216;Alright, one or two.&#8217; And he&#8217;d just grow from there.&#8221;</p><p>Now 40, Carfora is an accomplished sax player and lives in New York. He returned home Friday night to host the party.</p><p>&#8220;Anything for Rob,&#8221; Carfora said.</p><p>&#8220;For me, this place is like home base, this is where I got my start, this is where my roots are,&#8221; Carfora added. &#8220;I&#8217;ve made so many friends from this place, lifelong friends.&#8221;</p><p>In it, he also sees a purity and purpose that is fading in many communities.</p><p>&#8220;These kind of places don&#8217;t exist anymore, where you&#8217;re able to be treated like family and jump on stage and be part of something,&#8221; Carfora said. &#8220;This is a valuable resource for this area.&#8221;</p><p>Carfora and the night&#8217;s other musicians came prepared to play jazz, blues, funk, contemporary &#8212; whatever the mood demanded.</p><p>&#8220;They&#8217;re all very talented. They don&#8217;t have to rehearse,&#8221; Friedman said. &#8220;Tony will just go and say &#8216;Hey guys, here&#8217;s the key&#8217; and play the tune and they will just follow. It&#8217;s magic.&#8221;</p><p>For Carfora, part of the magic was sharing the night with his biggest fans.</p><p>&#8220;My parents are my lifelong supporters,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It wouldn&#8217;t be a gig without them being here.&#8221;</p><p><strong>The blues man</strong></p><p>Backstage, Clarence Spady relaxed on a sofa beneath vintage gig posters, reminiscing before it was time to perform.</p><p>Scranton-based Spady, leader of the Clarence Spady Band, was born in New Jersey but has moved around over the years. For a decade, River Street Jazz Cafe was his home club.</p><p>&#8220;Oh my God, in 25 years I&#8217;ve played here a couple hundred times, at least,&#8221; Spady said thoughtfully. &#8220;I&#8217;m very happy to have Rob a part of my life.&#8221;</p><p>Like Carfora, he also sees in the club a piece of Americana that is becoming all too rare.</p><p>&#8220;There&#8217;s a lot of great talent in this area,&#8221; Spady said. &#8220;It&#8217;s really a travesty that we don&#8217;t have the venues to support all the talent that is here.&#8221;</p><p>For himself, that talent includes playing guitar, base, drums, keys and piano.</p><p>&#8220;Not only is this my living, it&#8217;s my passion,&#8221; Spady said. &#8220;I use all five senses when I hit the stage.&#8221;</p><p><strong>The family man</strong></p><p>For Friedman, the club has been a labor of love.</p><p>&#8220;This used to be United Furniture, they used to manufacture furniture down here,&#8221; he said of the building. &#8220;I came up with the crazy idea of putting up a jazz and blues club.&#8221;</p><p>It didn&#8217;t happen without the love and support of his family.</p><p>&#8220;My parents thought I was crazy,&#8221; he recalled.</p><p>&#8220;My dad right over there, Sidney Friedman &#8212; after he got over the news he ended up buying the liquor license for me, so whoever is drinking, you can thank him, right there,&#8221; Friedman said to hearty laughter.</p><p>He also has thrived thanks to fun-loving and loyal staff.</p><p>Manager Heather Smith Szeliga, who has been at the club for about three years, paused for an interview in the kitchen as staff swirled around her bearing hot trays of pasta and chicken.</p><p>&#8220;We have a great team, we&#8217;re all music fans here,&#8221; the Dallas resident said. &#8220;It is by far my favorite job I have ever had.&#8221;</p><p>Friday&#8217;s party, with no cover and the free buffet, was &#8220;just a big celebration&#8221; for everyone involved, she said, but especially the guests.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re trying to give a little back as thanks for what people have given us over all the 25 years,&#8221; Smith Szeliga said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">River Street Jazz Cafe owner and founder Rob Friedman enjoys a drink with his father and business partner, Sid Friedman, during the clubs 25th anniversary event Friday night.  </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_ttl110318jazzcafe25-5-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>River Street Jazz Cafe owner and founder Rob Friedman enjoys a drink with his father and business partner, Sid Friedman, during the clubs 25th anniversary event Friday night.  </caption0><photoCredit0>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_ttl110318jazzcafe25-1-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Sarah Kosek of Forty Fort and Dave Gittens of Kingston browse the complimentary buffet during the River Street Jazz Cafe&#8217;s 25th anniversary event Friday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_ttl110318jazzcafe25-1-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Sarah Kosek of Forty Fort and Dave Gittens of Kingston browse the complimentary buffet during the River Street Jazz Cafe&#8217;s 25th anniversary event Friday night. </caption1><photoCredit1>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_ttl110318jazzcafe25-2-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Musician Matt Bennick of Plains warms up before performing Friday night at the River Street Jazz Cafe. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_ttl110318jazzcafe25-2-2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Musician Matt Bennick of Plains warms up before performing Friday night at the River Street Jazz Cafe. </caption2><photoCredit2>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_ttl110318jazzcafe25-6-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Eric Kudrick and his wife Diana of Matamoras sit at the River Street Jazz Cafe bar with Gerry DuBoice of Kingston. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_ttl110318jazzcafe25-6-2.jpg</photo3><caption3>Eric Kudrick and his wife Diana of Matamoras sit at the River Street Jazz Cafe bar with Gerry DuBoice of Kingston. </caption3><photoCredit3>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_clarence-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Clarence Spady estimates he has played at the River Street Jazz Cafe &#8216;a couple hundred times, at least&#8217; during its 25-year run. &#8216;I&#8217;m very happy to have Rob (Friedman) a part of my life,&#8217; he said of the club&#8217;s founder. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_clarence-2.jpg</photo4><caption4>Clarence Spady estimates he has played at the River Street Jazz Cafe &#8216;a couple hundred times, at least&#8217; during its 25-year run. &#8216;I&#8217;m very happy to have Rob (Friedman) a part of my life,&#8217; he said of the club&#8217;s founder. </caption4><photoCredit4>Roger DuPuis | Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_Carfora-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">West Pittston native Tony Carfora, who now lives in New York City, plays saxophone at the River Street Jazz Cafe on Friday night. &#8216;This is where I got my start,&#8217; he said. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_Carfora-2.jpg</photo5><caption5>West Pittston native Tony Carfora, who now lives in New York City, plays saxophone at the River Street Jazz Cafe on Friday night. &#8216;This is where I got my start,&#8217; he said. </caption5><photoCredit5>Roger DuPuis | Times Leader </photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>River Street Jazz Cafe marks 25 years of music</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Roger DuPuis</p><p>rdupuis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>