Charles Lonny West was the director of the Bethune Senior Center located on 157th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Harlem from 1973 until 2003. He became aware that there were some men who frequentled the center — having lunch, shooting pool and just hanging out–who were retired jazz musicians, who played with jazz and swing bands in the 20’s through the 50’s — The Big Band Era. Lonny West got these men together and organized and developed the Bethune Big Band. Over time, the band performed at many senior centers across the New York City area.
Lonny appointed his brother, Paul, a jazz bassist well known for his work with Dizzy Gillespie and Lee Morgan, to conduct the Bethune Big Band from 2003 to the present. Lonny passed away on June 3, 2018. Paul West continues to keep the band playing as a tribute to its founder, Charles Lonny West.
This event is a $5 suggested donation ticket with 50 max attendees. Please register in advance.
Art & Jazz afternoon for everyone! Doors at 1:45 PM
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM The Cardboard Studio with artist Tom Pnini
The Cardboard Studio Join us for a day of creativity and hands-on fun as families come together to build and play with a the cardboard car ramp! Using imaginative designs and lots and lots of cardboard, we’ll transform simple materials into an exciting masterpiece. Each family will get to design and construct their own unique cardboard car and put it to the test on our ramp.
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Yaala Ballin Jazz Band — Music & Storytelling!
Yaala Ballin and her band will present some of their favorite gems of the Great American Songbook. Songs that were written in the last century but are still relevant today. Jazz music for the people that tells stories of love, friendship and life.
Snacks from Tsion Cafe : We’re a place with Pan-African love, Black Israeli pride and a passion for delicious vegan food where we harmonize flavors from Ethiopia, Israel, and the ever diverse New York.
Join Jazz WaHi as we celebrate the upcoming Washington Heights Jazz Festival!
We’ll have music by Annette Aguilar’s String Beans with special guest Rachel Therrien, and perhaps a few surprises….
Snacks and cash bar available.
Free with reservations.
Come join us to witness Annette A. Aguilar & StringBeans live at the J Hood Wright Park! An uptown favorite, the celebrated percussionist, educator, and bandleader Annette A. Aguilar grew up in the Bay Area before moving to NYC, where she has earned two masters degrees and played with a wide array of important artists,. She founded her Latin Jazz and Brazilian group StringBeans in 1992. Named in part after its unique instrumentation–including violin and other strings–this group has performed at the Kennedy Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center; across the United States; and, as Latin Jazz Ambassadors for the U.S. State Department, in many parts of Africa.
Live music 6 nights a week 9pm-11pm for your enjoyment and never with a cover!
