"A Night of Jazz" to Benefit Young Musicians in Harlem

September 21, 2006

Contact:
Ellen Lubell, The Children’s Aid Society, (w) 212-949-4938, (c) 917-854-6864
Emily Crossan, The Children’s Aid Society, (w) 917-286-1548, (c) 201-344-5742

Harmony in Harlem Program Teaches Adolescents an Appreciation of Jazz

NEW YORK, September 2006 – Jazz aficionados and children’s advocates will gather at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club on Tuesday, October 24 for “A Night of Jazz, ” a special evening benefiting Harmony in Harlem, a collaborative music ensemble run by The Children’s Aid Society’s Youth Chorus Program and The Jazz Museum in Harlem. Rhonda Hamilton, radio personality and producer of a popular jazz program on WBGO-FM, will host the evening.

“A Night of Jazz” will feature a unique performance by Wycliffe Gordon, accompanied by the Jonathan Batiste Trio. Gordon is an award-winning trombonist who has built an extraordinary career as a performer, conductor, composer, arranger and educator. He is a former member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and The Gully Low Jazz Band. Jonathan Batiste is a talented pianist who has performed with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and many renowned artists including Alvin Batiste, Louis Hayes, David “Fathead” Newman and Cyril Neville.

The Children’s Aid Society and The Jazz Museum in Harlem’s Harmony in Harlem program is designed for young musicians in grades 7 – 12 who have the talent, interest and desire to study and play jazz but lack access to formal instruction. Harmony in Harlem will evolve into a 15-piece Big Band, a working ensemble dedicated to performing music written by great Harlem composers.

To order tickets, please call 212-949-4936 or visit www.childrensaidsociety.org/harmony.

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The Jazz Museum in Harlem is dedicated to fostering the spirit of music as a living, breathing art form. For the past four years, the Museum has led a revival of jazz appreciation, and has organized many important initiatives within the Harlem community and beyond, including a bi-weekly series, “Harlem Speaks,” honoring individuals of importance to the legacy of Harlem Jazz. The Jazz Museum in Harlem All-Stars have performed at the White House and at benefits for leading non-profit organizations. For additional information, visit www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org.

The Children’s Aid Society (CAS) was founded in 1853. It is one of the nation’s largest and most innovative non-sectarian agencies, serving more than 150,000 of New York’s neediest children and their families with a network of services that includes community schools, neighborhood centers, camps, adoption and foster care services, teen pregnancy prevention, education, health and recreation. For more information, please call 212-949-4938 or visit www.childrensaidsociety.org.