(NEWARK, NJ) -- 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, and presented in partnership with seven religious, educational and cultural institutions, delves into some of the most fruitful and sometimes contentious relationships in jazz history through photos, documents and text.
On view from October 15 through December 13 in the Jewish Museum of New Jersey at Congregation Ahavas Sholom - Newark's only active synagogue - the exhibit is the centerpiece of a community-wide celebration of jazz. Partners include five diverse congregations, all within a short walk of each other on Broadway in Newark, as well as New Jersey City University in Jersey City and the Newark Arts Council. Those congregations are Ahavas Sholom (145 Broadway), Clinton Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church (151 Broadway), Iglesia El Sembrador (143 Broadway), Mount Zion Baptist Church (208 Broadway), and Project New Life of N.J. (Projeto Vida Nova of N.J.) (152 Broadway).
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.
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.
"This is a shining example of how the arts and faith-based groups can partner in a celebration of their mutual love of jazz," said Donna Walker-Kuhne, NJPAC's vice president of community engagement. "We're pleased to see such enthusiastic collaboration among members of the spiritual community in this unique, multicultural downtown corridor."
"This unprecedented collaboration also speaks to the pride that these diverse members share in sustaining Newark's jazz landscape," said Wayne Winborne, executive director of the Institute of Jazz Studies. "This exhibit takes an unblinking look at the triumphs as well as the misfortunes experienced by both African Americans and Jews - in Newark, the country and internationally - in pursuing something original and transformative."
An opening reception at the museum on Sunday, October 18 features the music of Aaron Weinstein & Trio. Called "the Groucho of the violin" by Tony Bennett and "a perfect musician" by jazz guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, Weinstein has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center and at jazz festivals worldwide. A respected mandolinist as well as violinist, he has played and recorded with such jazz icons as Les Paul, Dick Hyman, Skitch Henderson and Annie Ross.
Jazz, Jews, and African Americans: Cultural Intersections in Newark and Beyond is open Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. For extended hours and appointments, call (973) 485-2609. The Jewish Museum of New Jersey at Congregation Ahavas Sholom is located at 145 Broadway. Admission is free.
