| Miles Davis and
Thelonious Monk Families Kick Off 5th Jazz Appreciation Month
Donors line up with Smithsonian officials at the national kick-off
of the 5th annual Jazz Appreciation Month. From left: Dr. John Edward
Hasse, Smithsonian Curator (and Jazz Appreciation Month founder);
Dr. Brent Glass, Director of the National Museum of American History;
Thelonious Monk, Jr.; Gale Monk; Cheryl Davis; Erin Davis; Vince
Wilburn, Sr.; Vince Wilburn, Jr.; Herman Leonard.
The families of Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk helped kick off
the fifth international Jazz Appreciation Month by donating rare
music and memorabilia to the Smithsonian’s National Museum
of American History. At a press conference on March 30, they were
joined by the distinguished photographer Herman Leonard, who donated
20 of his iconic images of jazz musicians, including Thelonious
Monk, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Stan Getz, et al.
Representatives from the national and international organizations
and agencies which are sponsors, partners, and collaborators in
Jazz Appreciation Month also gathered for the ceremony, which was
held March 30 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American
History.
Read the full press
release or view more
photos of the 2006 JAM launch event.
Jazz Appreciation Month poster features
Duke Ellington
The 2006 Jazz Appreciation Month poster features a stunning
portrait of Duke Ellington by the celebrated American artist LeRoy
Neiman. Neiman is best known for his portraits of sports and entertainment
figures, and maintains a lively interest in jazz. In 2005, Neiman
donated 75 boxes of his papers to the Smithsonian’s Archives
of American Art.
The Museum has produced 250,000 of the posters, which are being
distributed free of charge to schools, educators, librarians, radio
stations, performing arts presenters, US embassies and consulates
around the world, members of the National Academy of Recording Arts
and Sciences, and others.
Duke Ellington (1899-1974) is the pre-eminent jazz composer and
one of the greatest all-around American musicians ever — bandleader-conductor,
composer, arranger-orchestrator, accompanist and piano soloist.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History preserves
the vast Duke Ellington Collection, including 100,000 pages of unpublished
music that Ellington and Billy Strayhorn composed for the Duke Ellington
Orchestra, and another 100,000 pages of documents, including business
records, newspaper clippings, tour itineraries, concert programs,
and correspondence.
Governors Proclaim Jazz Appreciation Month
A number of US governors have issued proclamations declaring April to be Jazz Appreciation Month in their states:
- Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
- Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano
- Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue
- Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich
- Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm
- New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine
- New York Gov. George Pataki
- Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell
- Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr.
- Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner
- Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle
Thanks to state leaders of the International Association for Jazz Education
for securing these proclamations.
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