National Jazz Museum in Harlem facts for kids
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| Established | 1997 |
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| Location | 58 West 129th Street Manhattan, NY 10027 |
| Public transit access | Subway:   at 125th StreetBus: Bx15, M1, M7, M60, M100, M101, M102 |
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem is a special place in Harlem, New York City. It's all about celebrating and preserving the amazing history, culture, and music of jazz. The museum was started in 1997 by a few people who loved jazz. One of them was Leonard Garment, who was an advisor to two U.S. presidents and played the saxophone. Another founder was Abraham David Sofaer, a former judge.
For over 15 years, the museum was located in East Harlem. Then, on February 1, 2016, it moved to a new, bigger space in Central Harlem. This new spot has lots of room for cool exhibits.
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What You Can See and Do
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem has many interesting things for visitors. You can explore exhibits like The Ghosts of Harlem. This exhibit featured photos and stories by Hank O'Neal, who is a music producer and photographer. He took pictures of famous jazz legends from Harlem.
The museum also has a collection of books, recordings, and documentaries. These are all about jazz for you to enjoy. They also have changing exhibits that show off local artists. These artists are often inspired by jazz music.
Fun Programs and Events
The museum hosts many exciting events. One popular series is Harlem Speaks. These are talks where people share stories about jazz. Another program is Jazz for Curious Listeners. Here, both new and experienced jazz fans can listen to rare recordings. They can also learn more about the music.
The museum often works with other groups, like the International Salsa Museum. They team up with community organizations and businesses too. Together, they host events at different jazz clubs, art galleries, and other places. This makes it easy for everyone to join in the fun.
Meet the Artistic Directors
The museum has two amazing Artistic Directors who help guide its programs.
Christian McBride: A Jazz Star
Christian McBride is a super talented bassist, bandleader, and composer. He has won many Grammy Awards! He became the museum's first Artistic Director in 2002. He has been a big part of planning all the cool programs ever since.
Christian McBride leads several different music groups. Each group shows off his incredible creativity. His music mixes many styles, including traditional jazz, experimental jazz, funk, soul, Latin, hip hop, and rhythm and blues. Some of his famous groups include Inside Straight and The Christian McBride Big Band.
Jon Batiste: Music Innovator
Jon Batiste is another multi-Grammy winner. He is a bandleader, plays many instruments, writes songs, and composes music. He started working with the museum in 2008. He helped create a program called Jazz Is: Now!.
With his band, Stay Human, Jon Batiste would break down jazz music. He would teach people about its theory and history. He often had special guests join him. Jon Batiste was named an associate artistic director of the museum in 2012.
The Savory Collection: Hidden Jazz Gems
In August 2010, the National Jazz Museum in Harlem got a very special collection. It was nearly 1,000 recordings of old radio broadcasts. These were made by an audio engineer named William Savory in the 1930s. This was during the exciting swing era of jazz.
The collection includes performances by legendary jazz artists. You can hear Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Benny Goodman. Savory used special, larger records that could record longer clips. This meant he captured extended live shows and jam sessions. Many people thought these recordings were lost forever!
These old recordings were carefully cleaned up and made digital. This process involved fixing the sound, removing extra noise, and making them sound great. Some parts of the Savory Collection are available to download online. As of May 2017, three volumes were available. In 2022, a special 6-CD set with selections from the collection was also released.
See also
- List of music museums
