(TRENTON, NJ) -- Trenton City Museum will present a free jazz concert Friday, July 18, 2025 at the museum's Ellarslie Mansion in Cadwalader Park. Featuring world-renowned vibraphonist Joe Baione, the Joe Baione Vibraphone Experience is the first group to perform in a series of jazz events leading up to the museum's 2026 TRENTON MAKES JAZZ exhibition, in collaboration with the City of Trenton.
Doors will open at 6:00pm for the 6:30pm concert. Along with great music, attendees can enjoy a bite, a beverage, and the museum’s special jazz café seating. Admission to the concert is free, with reservations strongly encouraged by July 11 via ellarslie.org/jazz or 609-989-1191.
Baione’s website states, “The relative rarity of vibraphonists in the history of jazz remains one of the musical genre’s true mysteries. Despite the natural beauty of the instrument’s sound and the historical importance and celebrated popularity of its most famous players – Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson – comparatively few artists have chosen to make the vibraphone their primary means of expression. Fortunately, Joe Baione shows that the vibes and the mallets with which he plays them are in very good hands.”
A native of the state of Delaware, Baione grew up in a jazz drenched musical environment nurtured by his parents, the clarinetist-saxophonist-educator Jim Baione and musician mother, Barbara Baione. Joe studied both music education and jazz performance, graduating from the University of Maryland E.S. in 1995. He is a passionate and creative band teacher by day and an energetic and innovative band leader and performer at night.
Located in Trenton’s Cadwalader Park, Trenton City Museum is accessible by car from Parkside Ave. and has ample, accessible parking alongside the museum. It is open Thursdays through Saturdays, 12:00pm to 4:00pm; Sundays, 1:00pm to 4:00pm. There is no admission fee to view the museum’s art and history exhibitions, but donations are welcomed. Trenton City Museum is housed in Ellarslie Mansion, an 1848 Italianate Villa on the National Historic Register.
The surrounding Cadwalader Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed such landmarks as New York City’s Central Park. The museum showcases exhibitions of contemporary fine art, ongoing and changing history displays that explore Trenton’s rich industrial and cultural past, and hosts numerous community events and family workshops year-round.
