National Jazz Museum In Harlem

Coordinates: 40°48′20″N 73°56′17″W / 40.8055°N 73.9380°W / 40.8055; -73.9380

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem
Established	1995
Location	104 East 126th Street, Harlem, New York City, New York, 10035
Director	Executive director Loren Schoenberg Co-director Christian McBride
Website	http://www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem is New York City's museum dedicated to preservation and celebration of Harlem's rich jazz history. The idea for the museum was conceived in 1995 and moved into its current location the Harlem neighborhood in 2001. Based at 104 East 126th Street, the museum emphasizes the role Harlem has played in the nurturing and cultivation of jazz as a home to legends such as Duke Ellington, Benny Carter, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Count Basie, John Coltrane, and Billie Holiday. Harlem still plays an important role in contemporary jazz culture and executive director Loren Schoenberg and co-director Christian McBride aim to foster the spirit of the music as a dynamic entity that stretches far into the past and as well as the future. The museum plans to move into a permanent location at Mart 125, an Upper Manhattan landmark right across from the historic Apollo Theatre.

Programs and exhibits

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem's Visitors Center features exhibits such as "The Ghosts of Harlem" by American music producer, photographer, author, and museum board member Hank O'Neal. The show includes images of Harlem jazz legends that O'Neal had the chance to interview and photograph for his comprehensive book of the same name. The Visitors Center also houses countless books, recordings, and documentaries for guests to enjoy as well as a series of photographs of contemporary jazz musicians by Richard Conde. The museum hosts several weekly programs such as the Harlem Speaks lecture series and Jazz for Curious Listeners sessions in which jazz novices and experts alike listen and learn about rare and wondrous jazz recordings. The museum also hosts events and programs at jazz venues and other museums such as the Rubin Museum of Art for the Harlem in the Himalayas concert series.

The Savory Collection

In August 2010 The National Jazz Museum in Harlem acquired nearly 1,000 discs of recorded radio broadcasts made by audio engineer William Savory in the midst of the swing era in the 1930s. The collection includes remarkable performances of jazz luminaries such as Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Benny Goodman. Savory had access to bigger, slower-playing aluminum and acetate records he was able to record much longer clips, capturing extended live shows and jam sessions that many thought would be lost forever. The recordings are being digitized by Brooklyn-based recording engineer Doug Pomeroy, a specialist in audio restoration. The transformation, involving cleaning, correcting pitch, removing extraneous noise, mixing and mastering is quite tedious but the results have proved exhilarating and pivotal in the reassessment of the jazz greats of the time. The Savory Collection has yet to be made public for legal reasons but curious listeners can attend listening sessions at the museum or make appointments to hear the recordings.

References

• http://www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org
• http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=37349
• http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=63424
• http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/arts/music/17jazz.html?_r=1
• http://www.harlemonestop.com/organization.php?id=2
• http://jazztimes.com/articles/26547-national-jazz-museum-in-harlem-acquires-vintage-collection