On The Sunny Side Of The Street: Volume 17

FROM THE [home desk] OF OUR PRESiDENT & FOUNDER

Dear friends and families,

This Thanksgiving, I reflect upon the spirit of GRATITUDE, a gorgeous word that holds so much meaning. At the JAZZ HOUSE, I am thankful every day for our small but mighty creative team, our dedicated leadership, and the ingenuity of our many talented instructors who call the JAZZ HOUSE their home. I am indebted to the hundreds of guests artists who have lifted us up and the hundreds of thousands of people who have had a hand in helping us stay a community, allowing us to find continuity, purpose, inspiration and hope. Lastly, I am filled with gratitude for our students and our families, for helping us use the power of music to propel us forward. I am deeply, deeply grateful for all of you.

Today, I think about the journey we have all been on together this year. It’s been a devastatingly challenging time as we cope with the continued separation of loved ones and friends, and in some cases, the passing away of those we hold dear. This pandemic knows no boundaries and the accompanying economic hardships have affected the way we live, how we work and how we look at the future.

And while we are all in this together, we are not all in the same boat. There is no doubt that some in our community have weathered the brunt of this storm more than others. Everyday at JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, we bear witness to this — a school whose music programs have not resumed, students with special needs not able to get the assistance they need, technological issues that hinder learning, families struggling to stay afloat, artists that don’t have enough work — an unprecedentedly challenging year and, we worry for some, the next few months may be the hardest yet.

But with the election (almost) in the rearview mirror and the news a vaccine on the horizon, I am hopeful that sunnier days will indeed be ahead. I once again come back to the word GRATITUDE, knowing that we have truly created a resilient and thriving community with grit and generosity at its core.

As we all reimagine our holiday season this year to stay safe and make changes to keep others safe too, I’ll be thinking about the ways the JAZZ HOUSE can continue to harness music as a powerful antidote to fuel an equitable future and show gratitude for our rich diversity as we resolve to forge a new way in this new day.

With gratitude,

Our 2020 Year-End Appeal is underway, and we would be so grateful to count you among our supporters as we continue to bring communities together during this challenging time and face the year ahead. Our work simply doesn’t happen without the generosity of special friends like you! Thank you for your consideration.

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JAZZ HOUSE SPOTLIGHT

CHRISTIAN SANDS is an emerging jazz force. He possesses pianistic technique in abundance, which was on full display as he took the stage with CHRISTIAN McBRIDE, RAVI COLTRANE and JEFF “TAIN” WATSON at JAZZ BY STARLIGHT, a benefit for JAZZ HOUSE KiDS held on two magical nights evenings in a picturesque backyard setting. We caught up with Christian that evening to ask him about JAZZ HOUSE KiDS.

“The JAZZ HOUSE is a place where musicians young and old can come together and get to share and get to talk among one another and really just be involved in this thing called jazz. I am happy to be part of it.”

REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR TRIMESTER II!

Once again, our arts and student services team led by MARKUS GOTTSCHLICH put together an exciting program of ensembles, electives and masterclasses for both youth and adults. We give a special warm welcome to our new instructors, ALEXIS CUADRADO who will lead our Advanced Harmony elective on Sundays, and MANUEL VALERA who will teach Piano Shed II as well as Latin Jazz. We also welcome ALVESTER GARNETT who will be leading the Jazz Drum Set elective.
Classes start on December 6th so make sure you register today!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

TONIGHT!
Monday, November 23, 6:30 pm ET
JAZZ HOUSE GOES TO COLLEGE
Zoom
Questions? Reach out to Markus Gottschlich
Do you know a high school student interested in studying jazz in college? They will not want to miss our JAZZ HOUSE Goes to College tonight. We invite all student musicians and their parents from the JAZZ HOUSE and beyond to join us for our FREE annual college fair evening, our first ever virtual, featuring representatives from some of the top jazz schools in the country including The Juilliard School, Oberlin, Manhattan School of Music, Princeton, Rutgers Institute for Jazz Studies, William Paterson, The New School, Temple University, University of Miami, Montclair State, NYU, SUNY Purchase, Jersey City University and more. In addition to our prestigious group of jazz program directors, several of our alums currently attending the universities will join us for the inside student perspective.

Tuesday, November 24 @ 7:30 pm ET
CHAMELEON: A TALK ABOUT HERBIE HANCOCK
WITH LIONEL LOUEKE + JAMES GENUS

Presented by NJPAC and curated by Seth Abramson, Rabbit Moon Productions, Inc.
NJPAC and Jazz Standard present a special online event celebrating a true musical icon, Herbie Hancock is as influential today as when he first appeared with the historic Miles Davis Quintet in 1963. Tune in for a lively virtual conversation about the shape-shifting, genre-defying jazz pianist featuring two long-standing members of his touring band, Lionel Loueke (guitar) and James Genus (bass). Master musicians in their own right, they’ll sit down with GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Seth Abramson of the Jazz Standard to discuss the unique experience of playing with Herbie-on the stage, on the road, and around the world.
FACEBOOK LIVE

Tuesday, December 1 @ 7:30 pm ET
A DISCUSSION ON WAYNE SHORTER WITH
DANILO PEREZ, JOHN PATITUCCI AND BRIAN BLADE

Presented by NJPAC and curated by Seth Abramson, Rabbit Moon Productions, Inc.
NJPAC and Jazz Standard present a fun and informative online roundtable discussion about Newark-born sax master Wayne Shorter-Kennedy Center honoree, GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement awardee, and “jazz’s greatest living small-group composer” (The New York Times). So, what’s it like to be part of Wayne’s World? Seth Abramson hosts a conversation with his longtime bandmates who have worked side-by-side for well over a decade: Danilo Perez, John Patitucci and Brian Blade. Each of these musicians are award-winning bandleaders in their own right-but what have they learned from Wayne both on and off the bandstand? Tune in and find out.
FACEBOOK LIVE

Friday, December 11 @ 7:30 pm ET
TRIMESTER I — STUDENT SHOWCASE WATCH PARTY

Hosted by MELISSA WALKER + CHRISTIAN McBRIDE
Curated by MARKUS GOTTSCHLICH, JAZZ HOUSE KiDS Director of Music Operations, produced by Yardbird Entertainment
FACEBOOK LIVE

Sunday, December 6
TRIMESTER II — YOUTH and ADULT FIRST DAY OF CLASSES!
REGISTER

Wednesday, December 9 @ 6:30 pm
[iNSIDE] THE JAZZ NOTE® Guest Artist Series
Hosted by CHRISTIAN McBRIDE

via ZOOM
As part of the [iNSIDE] THE JAZZ NOTE Guest Artist Series, JAZZ HOUSE KiDS presents, “Being Gig Ready,” hosted by 6-time GRAMMY Award-winning bassist CHRISTIAN McBRIDE. Curated by TED CHUBB, trumpeter and JAZZ HOUSE Director of Cultural Programming.
REGISTER

Wednesday, December 16 @ 6:30 pm
[iNSIDE] THE JAZZ NOTE® Guest Artist Series
Hosted by ANAT COHEN

via ZOOM
As part of the [iNSIDE] THE JAZZ NOTE Guest Artist Series, JAZZ HOUSE KiDS presents a special session led by multiple GRAMMY-nominated jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, and bandleader ANAT COHEN. Curated by TED CHUBB, trumpeter and JAZZ HOUSE Director of Cultural Programming.
REGISTER

A VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SIGNATURE SUPPORTERS!

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• Appaloosa Management Charitable Foundation Inc
• ASCAP Foundation Louis Armstrong Fund
• Coastal Community Foundation of
  South Carolina
• Cool Wind Ventilation Corp
• Devils Care Foundation
• E.J. Grassmann Trust
• The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation
• Holly English and Fred Smagorinsky
• Gia Maione Prima Foundation
• The Hearst Foundation
• The Herb Alpert Foundation
• Hudson Media, Inc.
• Hyde and Watson Foundation
• J.T. Magen & Company
• Susan and Chris Gifford
• Kenneth Goldman Donor Fund
• Manhattan Mechanical Contractors

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• New Jersey State Council on
  the Arts
• National Endowment for the Arts
• PSEG Foundation
• Ralph Pucci International
• The Peter Kiernan and Eaddo Kiernan Foundation
• Nerissa Radell and Russell Gioiella
• Rita and Terry Woodard
• Mikhail and Sofia Segal
• Janet Shapiro and Phillip Byrd
• Silver Family Foundation
• Sandra Smith
• TD Charitable Foundation
• Turrell Fund
• Verizon Foundation
•  The Victoria Foundation
• York Capital Managemen
• and many other generous donors…

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“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”

~ Plato