'JAZZ, JEWS, AND AFRICAN AMERICANS' Exhibit to Host Panel Discussion, 11/22

The exhibition Jazz, Jews, and African Americans: Cultural Intersections in Newark and Beyond, co-produced by New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers-Newark, Jewish Museum of New Jersey at Congregation Ahavas Sholom, and WBGO Jazz 88.3FM, will present a panel discussion regarding Jazz, Jews, and African Americans, a FREE exhibit.

The exhibit tells the story of the relationships that helped grow and develop jazz. Moderated by Wayne Winborne, Executive Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers-Newark, the panel will include John Schreiber, NJPAC President and CEO and former longtime jazz producer, Dan Morgenstern, former director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers-Newark, and Sheila Anderson, host of WBGO's Weekend Jazz After Hours.

The discussion is set for Sunday, November 22 at 2pm at the Jewish Museum of New Jersey at Congregation Ahavas Sholom, 145 Broadway, Newark, NJ. To register, www.njpac.org/community.

About the Exhibit:

Created by the Institute of Jazz Studies and curator-archivist Tad Hershorn, Jazz, Jews, and African Americans profiles influential figures from the 1920s to the present day and reveals how their roles in performance, artist management, media and recording informed "America's classical music." The narrative includes examples of famous success stories, such as trumpeter Louis Armstrong's lifelong friendship with the Jewish family that nurtured his talent, as well as clashes and exploitation between the two cultures. The exhibit runs through December 13.

Visitors can learn about the contributions made by George and Ira Gershwin in bringing a new dimension to black jazz and the later impact of the composers' canon on Ella Fitzgerald's recording career. A reproduction of a Nazi propaganda poster, disparaging to both Jews and African Americans, condemns jazz as degenerate music. Controversies over blackface traditions and exploitative managers are chronicled side-by-side with tributes to some the jazz world's most timeless pairings of black and white musicians.

The exhibit emphasizes Newark's prominence in the jazz landscape by spotlighting such legends as Sarah Vaughan, Wayne Shorter, Willie "The Lion" Smith, and James Moody. Innovators like poet Amiri Baraka, author of Blues People: Negro Music in White America; illustrator Paul Bacon, renowned for his dust jackets and album covers; and Lorraine Gordon, owner of the Village Vanguard, also claim strong roots in the city. Vaughan, known as "The Divine One," also was a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church, where her funeral services were held in 1990.

Cultural partners for the exhibit include Ahavas Sholom; Clinton Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church; Iglesia El Sembrador; Mount Zion Baptist Church; Project New Life of N.J.; the Newark Arts Council; and New Jersey City University.

Hours of exhibition are Tuesday, 2-4pm, Thursday, 6 to 8pm and Sunday, 12-5pm. For extended hours and appointments, call 973-485-2609. For more information on NJPAC's community events, visit njpac.org/community.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States and is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey - where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 9 million visitors (including over 1.5 million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. Visit njpac.org or call 1-888-GO-NJPAC for more information.

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