Jazz Connect Conference Announces
Dates and Location for 2015 Event
 |
| Melissa Walker talks about the Jazz House Kids Program at 2013 Jazz Connect Conference. |
Series of Workshops, Panels and Events on
January 8-9, 2015 will Address Important Issues and
Trends in the Jazz Community
The Jazz Connect Conference, organized by JazzTimes and the Jazz Forward Coalition, announced the dates and location for the annual gathering of the jazz community in 2015. The conference will be held January 8-9, 2015 at Saint Peter's Church in New York City and will lead into the annual APAP (Association of Performing Arts Presenters) Conference as well as Winter Jazzfest.
Now in its third year, the conference will continue to focus on vital
issues affecting the jazz community carrying on the format and momentum
from the January 2014 event which had over 800 registrants. The Jazz
Connect Conference in 2015 will present a series of workshops, panels
and events held over the course of two days to engage, stimulate and
challenge the registrants.
Moderators
and panelists will again include an impressive cross-section of artists
and professionals from around the world. Among the panelists and
speakers in past Jazz Connect Conferences have been Ben Allison, Marty
Ashby, Gail Boyd, Ben Cameron, Jim Donio, Sara Donnelly, Dave Douglas,
Rachel Ford, Robert Glasper, Bryan Grone, Jana Herzen, Tim Jackson,
Willard Jenkins, Michael Kline, Vijay Iyer, Karen Kennedy, Jana La
Sorte, Jeff Levenson, Derrick Lucas, Danny Melnick, Allison Miller,
Jason Moran, Wulf Muller, Arturo O'Farrill, Greg Osby, Eddie Palmieri,
Al Pryor, Vernon Reid, Michael Ricci, Mark Ruffin, Matthew Shipp, Scott
Southard, Meghan Stabile, Ed Trefsger, Matt Wilson, Isabel Yrigoyen and
many other notable artists and professionals. Early Bird Registration is
only $75 until September 30, with additional discounts offered to members of various organizations.
 |
| Arturo O'Farrill addresses audience at 2013 Conference. |
The Jazz Connect conference is organized by Peter Gordon of the Jazz Forward Coalition and Lee Mergner of JazzTimes, with assistance and input from over a dozen industry professionals. With a theme of "Strength Through Community"
the conference will again bring together a wide cross-section of the
jazz community for 12 workshops and 5 plenary sessions, on a variety of
timely and engaging subjects. "One of the great pleasures I've witnessed
at the conference is the reemergence of jazz engaging with itself,"
says Gordon. "What better time than now to put our collective
intelligence to work, creating a giant shared resource. What better time
than now to show our unity, dedication and vitality. And invite the
world to take the breath of life we call jazz."
Saint
Peter's provides a unique setting for this gathering of the jazz
community. The church has a long history of supporting and affiliating
with jazz, going back to 1965 when the Reverend John Gensel created the
Jazz Ministry. Over the years, Pastor Gensel officiated at many weddings
and baptisms, as well as countless funerals and memorial services for
both little-known and legendary musicians and champions of jazz,
including Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, John Coltrane, Coleman
Hawkins, Thelonious Monk, Eubie Blake, Alberta Hunter, Erroll Garner,
Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Roy Eldridge, Sarah Vaughan, Teddy Wilson,
Major Holley, Zoot Sims, Bill Evans, Mel Lewis, John Hammond, Barney
Josephson, and Max Gordon.
Today,
the church works with organizations such as the Duke Ellington Society,
the Jazz Foundation of America, International Women in Jazz and Chamber
Music America, and it hosts a variety of events, from jazz vespers to
memorial services, throughout the year. "Saint Peter's has been a
gathering place for the jazz community in New York since 1965," explains
Ike Sturm, music director for the Jazz Ministry at the church. "Jazz
Connect strikes me as a perfect complement to what the Jazz Ministry has
stood for since the beginning: community, support, celebration and
creativity." The church will be providing the conference with multiple
and spacious multi-purpose rooms, including a black box theater, for the
workshop and panel sessions.
The
Jazz Connect Conference is one of several pre-conferences tied to APAP,
but due to the large number of attendees, the conference moved from its
location for the last three years at the Hilton New York to nearby
Saint Peter's Church. The Jazz Connect Conference is part of "January in
NYC Is the Place to Be for the Performing Arts," celebrating the
unmatched convergence of performing arts professionals, audiences and
events in New York City. Every January, more than 45,000 people from
around the globe flock to New York City for public festivals and
industry gatherings, featuring over 1,500 performances by thousands of
world-class artists of all disciplines and genres, including world
music, theatre, dance, jazz, and more.
 |
|
Mark Ruffin of Sirius/XM on radio panel at 2014 Conference.
|
JazzTimes
is the official publication for the event. "The magazine has a long
history of involvement with jazz industry conferences-from the JazzTimes
Conventions during 1979-1998 to the industry track at the IAJE
conferences during 2000-2009," explains Mergner, group publisher for
JazzTimes. "The Jazz Connect Conference represents a natural progression
from the past and we're happy to partner with the Jazz Forward
Coalition to bring together all the diverse segments of the jazz
community for two days."
For more information about the Jazz Connect conference, you can e-mail jazzconnectnyc@gmail.com. To pre-register for the conference, go to the event page. To reserve a table-top display or to advertise in the Conference edition of JazzTimes, contact Miene Smith at 617-706-9092 or msmith@madavor.com.
Attendees can get a special discount at the host hotels for the APAP|NYC conference, but must go through the APAP|NYC website.
About the Jazz Forward Coalition
The
Jazz Forward Coalition (JFC) is a consortium of industry leaders
focused on enhancing jazz's vitality and cultural relevance for audience
development. JFC is focused on developing programs and platforms to
support its two central themes of advocacy and infrastructure. By
providing a global voice, JFC will cultivate opportunities to motivate
growth for current and future generations to expand jazz's cultural
footprint.
About JazzTimes
JazzTimes
is America's preeminent jazz magazine providing irreverent,
uncompromising and often provocative coverage of the American jazz
scene. Relying on an award-winning editorial staff, JazzTimes encompasses special themes, directories, comprehensive news reports and an extensive music review section. JazzTimes is a must-read for the jazz enthusiast. On the web at www.jazztimes.com
About Saint Peter's Church
The
Jazz Ministry at Saint Peter's Church (often referred to as "the jazz
church") began in 1965 in New York City, serving musicians and their
families and opening the doors of the church to jazz. Weekly vespers
services support guest musicians and promote new expression and
fellowship, while educational programs, public concerts, memorials and
festivals help creatively shape the life of New York City. www.saintpeters.org
