By Christopher Benincasa, JerseyArts.com
originally published: 02/20/2020
Did you know that New Brunswick, N.J. is the only place in the country where you can see live, world-class jazz every week for free? You can thank the New Brunswick Jazz Project. We recently sat down with the New Brunswick Jazz Project team at Tavern on George, where most of their events take place. Jimmy Lenihan, Virginia DeBerry, and Michael Tublin are long-time friends who share a passion for jazz, and, 10 years ago, they set out on a mission together to bring live jazz back to New Jersey in a big way.
Now in its 10th season, the New Brunswick Jazz Project has become a vibrant cultural hub, with a never-ending line-up of live shows – all free and open to the public. Additionally, every September is their Central Jersey Jazz Festival, with events happening in New Brunswick, Somerville, and Flemington. And on top of that, every Tuesday they host Emerging Artists Night at the Garden State Ale House in New Brunswick, featuring both performances and open jam sessions.
About the author: Christopher Benincasa is an Emmy Award-winning arts and culture journalist. He produced content for NJ PBS for a decade before co-founding PCK Media. Christopher currently works as a freelance producer, video editor, writer, and communications specialist for a diverse set of commercial, non-profit, and government clients. His work has been featured on various PBS stations, and in American Abstract Artists Journal, The Structurist, Paterson Literary Review, and JerseyArts.com.
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Discover Jersey Arts, a project of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
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