Nassau Performing Arts celebrated Long Island’s jazz history with its “Almost Vegan Jazz Summer Jazz” program at the John J. Byrne Community Center in Uniondale on Aug. 19.
The event marked the centennial of jazz legends Miles Davis and John Coltrane, both born in 1926, while highlighting the musicians, memories and cultural connections that have shaped Long Island’s jazz and blues community.
The evening featured performances by Uniondale resident Napoleon Revels-Bey on drums, Bryan Carrott on vibraphone, Mala Waldron on piano and Ras Chemash Lamed, on vocals, known as the “Singing Chief.” The program was also inspired by memories of Hempstead resident Barbara Powell’s father, Seldon Powell a saxaphonists and flutist.
Organizers billed the gathering as an opportunity to remember influential musicians, celebrate contemporary artists and introduce audiences to Long Island’s connections to jazz history. The program emphasized the role local musicians and communities have played in keeping the music and its history alive.
The Jazz Foundation of America, musician Dale Lewis and members of the Long Island jazz community were recognized for their support of the event.
