Welcome to Philadelphia Jazz Project
Celebrating Sun Ra
May 22, 2022
ANNOUNCING NEW FREE MIXTAPES TO CELEBRATE SUN RA, CLICK HERE. Arriving on our planet as a child on May 22nd, 1914 in Birmingham, Alabama: Ironically referred to as The Magic City, Sun Ra also died there in 1993. Gone from his physical form for 29 years, his influence and the audience for his work, continues to grow. Sun Ra was a  Read More....
Happy Earth Arrival Day Sun Ra!!!
May 22, 2021
ANNOUNCING NEW FREE MIXTAPES TO CELEBRATE SUN RA, CLICK HERE. Arriving on our planet as a child on May 22nd, 1914 in Birmingham, Alabama: Ironically referred to as The Magic City, Sun Ra also died there in 1993. Gone from his physical form for 28 years, his influence and the audience for his work, continues to grow. Sun Ra was a  Read More....
We Shall Continue - Celebrating MLK 2021
Jan 14, 2021
Jazz speaks for life. The Blues tell the story of life's difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph. This is triumphant music.  Read More....
If You Only Read One Book In Life…
Aug 13, 2020
If you only read one book in life… Don’t. This was the heading of a series of social media posts that we started starting about a month ago. These posts were developed in collaboration with our partner, Books & Stuff - a book shop with whom we have done multiple Jazz book raffles, to emphasize importance of reading and highlight,  Read More....
For The Love Of Germantown - Revisited
Feb 15, 2020
FOR THE LOVE OF GERMANTOWN Philadelphia is home to strong musical traditions like Jazz, Gospel, DooWop, R&B, Rock and Hiphop. One place where music's magic happens is Germantown. This community in the Northwestern region of Philadelphia was and continues to be a neighborhood rich in culture, history and diverstity. Many  Read More....
Gold Rush by Alexa Gold - A Mysterious Traveler Mixtape
Feb 12, 2020
During the summer of 2014, Leo Gadson of Producer's Guild, Adam Feldman of The Free Library of Philadelphia and Homer Jackson of PJP met to discuss an idea. The trio, teamed up to develop a daring, new performance series: The Mysterious Traveler Concert Series, which takes place in the Montgomery Auditorium at the Central Branch of the Free  Read More....
Processional - The Marcell Bellinger CD Raffle
Jan 29, 2020
In the winter of 2016, PJP and The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts [PAFA] collaborated on public programming for the PAFA exhibition, Procession: The Art of Norman Lewis. Lewis, a Black American visual artist and innovator of Abstract Expressionism was a politically-conscious activist whose work was often inspired by Jazz music and  Read More....
We Shall Again - A Lyrical MLK Celebration
Jan 2, 2020
We Shall: A Lyrical MLK Celebration Saturday, January, 18th, 2020 at 3pm The Museum of the American Revolution 101 S 3rd Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 Admission Information The Philadelphia Jazz Project has been invited to remount our exciting Martin Luther King performance at The Museum of the American Revolution. We Shall: A  Read More....
Philly Jazz Legacy
Nov 11, 2019
Philadelphia has been home to many transformative figures in jazz history, including Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane and Sun Ra, in addition to lesser-known musicians who shaped the community and its music. With that said, there is so much hidden treasure about these artists and so many others that has never seen the light of day. In an effort to  Read More....
WRTI Announces Debut Of NPR Music Live Sessions
Nov 10, 2019
“Public radio music stations connect and document their local artists in a way that nobody else is capable of...” Roger LaMay: WXPN General Manager On October 24, 2019, Washington, D.C.- NPR announced the launch of a new microsite, Live Sessions From NPR Music. In efforts to continue to leverage  Read More....
Sounds of the Revolution - Revisiting Fife & Drum
Jul 27, 2019
Sounds of the Revolution - Revisiting Fife & Drum Saturday, August 17 – Performances at 11am & 1pm The Museum of the American Revolution 101 S 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 Admission Information What was the soundtrack of 18th-century America? Fife and Drum was definitely a part of the musical story of the times. A Fife  Read More....
PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: Bernard Samuel
Jun 12, 2019
PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: Bernard Samuel July 7th, 1pm & 3pm Julian Hartwell at 1pm & Bernard Samuel at 3pm The Barnes Foundation 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy Philadelphia, PA 19130 FOR MORE INFO July 7th is the first Sunday of the month, which means free admission at The Barnes. Visitors have access to the collection,  Read More....
PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: Julian Hartwell
Jun 12, 2019
PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: Julian Hartwell July 7th, 1pm & 3pm Julian Hartwell at 1pm & Bernard Samuel at 3pm The Barnes Foundation 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy Philadelphia, PA 19130 FOR MORE INFO July 7th is the first Sunday of the month, which means free admission at The Barnes. Visitors have access to the collection,  Read More....
First Friday! At the Barnes: Erica Corbo - American Odyssey
Jun 11, 2019
First Friday! At the Barnes: Erica Corbo - American Odyssey July 5th, 2019 at 6pm The Barnes Foundation 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy Philadelphia, PA 19130 FOR TICKETS First Friday! is a monthly music program at the Barnes Foundation featuring a wide range of musical traditions including - but not limited to- jazz, classical, funk  Read More....
Free Jazz Month Book Raffle 2019
Mar 13, 2019
The Philadelphia Jazz Project and Books & Stuff are collaborating again during April 2018, Jazz Appreciation Month to encourage reading. According to a 2009 report from the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board, more than half of Philadelphia adults don’t have the literacy and work skills necessary to “compete in our knowledge-based  Read More....
We Shall: A Lyrical MLK Celebration
Dec 20, 2018
We Shall: A Lyrical MLK Celebration Saturday, January, 19th, 2019 at 3pm The Museum of the American Revolution 101 S 3rd Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 Admission Information We Shall: A Lyrical MLK Celebration is an engaging intermingling of spoken word, singing and instrumental music paying tribute to one of America’s  Read More....
First Friday! At the Barnes: Philly Makes The World Go Round
Dec 11, 2018
First Friday! At the Barnes: PHILLY MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND Featuring Alfie Pollitt & Tony TNT Jones January 4th, 2019 at 6pm The Barnes Foundation 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy Philadelphia, PA 19130 FOR TICKETS Philadelphia Jazz Project is thrilled to bring the magic to the new year as part of the Barnes Foundation’s First  Read More....
Jazz Industry Day In Philadelphia
Aug 12, 2018
First Annual Jazz Industry Day Conference Scheduled For September 13 In Philadelphia "The timing is right to formally bring together the leaders, innovators and stakeholders in jazz with the goal of developing infrastructure and improving the jazz economy." —Michael Ricci, All About Jazz Jazz Industry Day is a FREE  Read More....
Behind The Sounds - Brendan McGeehan
Apr 24, 2018
Every time we attend a concert, there are people at work whom we may, or may not know, nor notice. These are people whose job is to make our experience as wonderful as possible. To that group of people who work behind the scenes in the Jazz community here in Philadelphia, we'd like to acknowledge their work and commitment. This series of  Read More....
Coltrane Temptations
Apr 3, 2018
Jazz - Up, Down And Around Saturday, April 28th 2018 at 12 Noon South Jazz Parlour 600 N. Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19130 FREE ADMISSION LifeLine Music Coalition, Inc. (LMC) is a 501 c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting jazz and the arts in Philadelphia. Since 2003, LMC has presented 15 jazz  Read More....
A Dose Of Electricity - The Mixtape
Mar 19, 2018
During the summer of 2015, Philadelphia Jazz Project, Turtle Studios and PhillyCAM recorded a diverse collection of performances by Philadelphia musicians who demonstrate their unique interpretations of the term, “Electricity.” Featuring hot performances by artists like trombonist and Center City Jazz Festival creator, Ernest Stuart,  Read More....
Free Jazz Month Book Raffle 2018
Mar 16, 2018
The Philadelphia Jazz Project and Books & Stuff are collaborating again during April 2018, Jazz Appreciation Month to encourage reading. According to a 2009 report from the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board, more than half of Philadelphia adults don’t have the literacy and work skills necessary to “compete in our knowledge-based  Read More....
Surviving The Fire - Michelle Lordi
Feb 16, 2018
Michelle Lordi is a Philadelphia native and Jazz vocalist, who has received international attention and heavy rotation on jazz radio stations far & wide for her recording projects. She has performed at many performance venues, Jazz clubs and festivals such as the Mann Music Center, The Kimmel Center, Birdland (NYC), DazzleJazz (Denver, CO),  Read More....
Satellites #4 - Kevin Diehl
Jan 21, 2018
Satellites #4 February 21st, 2018 / 8pm Satellites Are Spinning: A Sizzling, Sonic Celebration of Sun Ra Johnny Brenda’s 1201 Frankford Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19125 For Tickets: Click Here Continuing the exploration started by our Sun Ra Mixtape Series celebrating the influence of the Philadelphia, visionary musician,  Read More....
Satellites Series: A Sizzling, Sonic Celebration of Sun Ra
Oct 30, 2017
Satellites Are Spinning: A Sizzling, Sonic Celebration of Sun Ra In the fall of 2014, Philadelphia Jazz Project developed a special mixtape project honoring the immeasurable imaginative genius of the late Philadelphia, visionary musician, philosopher, composer and band leader, Sun Ra [1914 to 1993]. This unique challenge provided an  Read More....
Free Jazz Month Book Raffle
Mar 30, 2017
The Philadelphia Jazz Project and Books & Stuff are collaborating during April 2017, Jazz Appreciation Month to encourage reading. In particular, we encourage reading about some of the intriguing and colorful characters of Jazz music. We're talking about artists like Thelonious Monk, Jelly Roll Morton and Duke Ellington whose stories make for  Read More....
Vince Tampio's New CD Project - Live at PafA
Mar 3, 2017
Vince Tampio is a professional trumpeter, arranger/composer, educator and multi-instrumentalist in the Philadelphia and New York regions. His primary instrument is trumpet; he also performs on assorted brass and electric bass. Vince holds a Masters of Music degree in Jazz Performance from the University of the Arts and holds a Bachelor of Science  Read More....
Bohème Big Band Love Fest
Feb 6, 2017
V. Shayne Frederick is a pianist, vocalist and poet, who trained with master keyboardist, Trudy Pitts and has performed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Barnes Foundation, SugarHouse Casino, Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Resorts Casino, Society Hill Playhouse, Philadelphia Clef Club for Performing Arts, African-American Museum in Philadelphia and  Read More....
Announcing Sun Ra Mixtape # 7
Jan 25, 2017
We have arrived at the seventh of seven mixtapes in our Sun Ra Mixtape Series. In the fall of 2014, Philadelphia Jazz Project [PJP] developed a unique challenge for DJs, producers, electronic musicians, turntablists, singers, poets, and/or rappers, as well as solos by instrumentalists to honor the immeasurable imaginative genius of the late  Read More....
Announcing Sun Ra Mixtape # 6
Dec 21, 2016
Happy Winter Solstice!!! If you're not aware, the winter solstice, for the Northern Hemisphere is the shortest day of the calendar year. Shortest day because it is the shortest period of sunlight, with the longest period of darkness. Which also gives us the longest night. Human beings have tracked the sun’s path across the sky for  Read More....
Bohème Big Band Holiday Swing Thing
Dec 14, 2016
V. Shayne Frederick is a pianist, vocalist and poet. He and colleague, trumpeter, pianist and composer, Marcell Bellinger have been performing as the Bohéme Band: a retro Jazz ensemble with love of Swing, BeBop and Early R&B. Join them for a special holiday event, featuring a larger ensemble with Chris Coyle: bass and Khary Abdul-Shaeed:  Read More....
Announcing Sun Ra Mixtape # 5
Dec 6, 2016
In the fall of 2014, Philadelphia Jazz Project [PJP] developed a unique challenge for DJs, producers, electronic musicians, turntablists, singers, poets, and/or rappers, as well as solos by instrumentalists to honor the immeasurable imaginative genius of the late Philadelphia, visionary musician, philosopher, composer and band leader, Sun Ra  Read More....
Announcing Sun Ra Mixtape # 4
Nov 14, 2016
In the fall of 2014, Philadelphia Jazz Project [PJP] developed a unique challenge for DJs, producers, electronic musicians, turntablists, singers, poets, and/or rappers, as well as solos by instrumentalists to honor the immeasurable imaginative genius of the late Philadelphia, visionary musician, philosopher, composer and band leader, Sun Ra  Read More....
For the Love of Germantown
Nov 2, 2016
For the Love of Germantown Philadelphia is home to strong musical traditions like Jazz, Gospel, DooWop, R&B, Rock and Hiphop. Our greatest strength has been the unexpected and wonderful blending and swirling of these traditions into new and fascinating musical creations. One place where this magic happens is Germantown. This community  Read More....
RAPHSTRAVAGANZA
Aug 26, 2016
RAPHSTRAVAGANZA: A Kinetic Cirque Experience Saturday, September 10th 2016, 12:00pm to 7:00pm Center Courtyard of City Hall 1401 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19107 FREE Admission, but you must Get A Ticket Here Leading hip-hop artist and 2016 Guggenheim Fellow and 2013 Pew Fellow, Raphael Xavier will bring together  Read More....
Actress/Singer: Joilet Harris Talks RetroLove
Jun 14, 2016
RetroLove June 29th & 30th, 2016 at 7:00PM Drake Theater | 1512 Spruce Street | Phila., PA 19102 Joilet Harris is a Philadelphia treasure. Her searing portrait of Lena Younger in the Arden Theater’s production of A Raisin in the Sun and her Barrymore award-winning turn as Caroline Thibodeaux in Caroline, or  Read More....
Composer/Musical Director: Monnette Sudler Talks RetroLove
May 22, 2016
RetroLove June 29th & 30th, 2016 at 7:00PM Drake Theater | 1512 Spruce Street | Phila., PA 19102 Grammy nominated composer/jazz guitarist/vocalist/bandleader Monnette Sudler is known as the “First Lady of Jazz Guitar.” Ms Sudler began in the tradition of avant-garde Jazz, playing with artists like, Sunny Murray, David Murray,  Read More....
Happy Birthday Sun Ra!!
May 22, 2016
May 22, 2016 - May 30, 1993 102 years ago today, stars fell on Alabama and out of the debris emerged a brown baby boy, who would be named Herman Poole Blount. We knew him as the intergalactic traveler, philosopher and master musician, Sun Ra. To celebrate his birthday, we share PJP Mixtape Series - Sun Ra Edition Vol 3, featuring  Read More....
What Is RetroLove?
Apr 4, 2016
Retro Love June 29th & 30th, 2016 at 7:00PM Drake Theater | 1512 Spruce Street | Phila., PA 19102 Beth Feldman Brandt is a poet whose writing has investigated such diverse themes as old maps, herbal remedies and, now, dating before the Internet. She is the author of “Sage” and “Solace”, both collaborations  Read More....
Mysterious Traveler - Victor North
Mar 29, 2016
Mysterious Travelers 2: Great Migrations - a collaboration between The Free Library of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Jazz Project. Back by overwhelming popular demand! FREE concerts every fourth Monday night from October 2015 through May 2016, audiences will hear from veteran, as well as up-and-coming musicians who are shaping the future sounds  Read More....
AfroTaino Presents Daymé Arocena
Mar 22, 2016
AfroTaino Productions is a Philadelphia-based concert and events presenter/producer and marketing firm with a goal of sharing the vibrant world of global arts with local audiences and organizations. With 11 years under their belts they have collaborated with organizations like the National Council of La Raza, Mural Arts Program, National Public  Read More....
Frosty 3! - Cool Holiday Jazz Celebration
Nov 6, 2015
Celebrate the Holidays with the Philadelphia Jazz Project! FROSTY 3: COOL HOLIDAY JAZZ CELEBRATION ....featuring some of Philadelphia's finest Jazz musicians. Frosty3! is co-produced and hosted by J. Michael Harrison. Hear him Fridays at 10:00 p.m. on The Bridge, on 90.1FM WRTI. SATURDAY | December 12th, 2015 | 3:00 p.m. IRVINE  Read More....
3 Jazz Films
Jul 28, 2015
If you enjoy the music and are open to learning more about it, then you don't want to miss 3 short films that are coming our way very soon. Most important, there's a local angle here as well. Dr. Guy Ramsey, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Music at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the very informative book, "The Amazing  Read More....
Raimundo Santos At Venice Island
Jul 2, 2015
The 7 x 7 Venice Island Concert Series takes place at the new and beautiful performance facility: Venice Island Performing Arts & Recreation Center in Manayunk. This series introduces the artists and the audience to a must-see Philadelphia area venue. It is through these kinds of efforts that we support and enable the Philadelphia Jazz music scene  Read More....
A Blast From Recent Past
Jun 1, 2015
In March 2013, PJP was invited to do an unusual thing. We were asked to be amongst a group of performers to take part in Philadelphia's TedX talks. These events have rarely, if ever involved musical performances. We thought long and hard of what and who to present. The following is documentation video from the Tedx YouTube Channel, of  Read More....
We’re All Winners
May 28, 2015
Since the Fall of 2014, Philadelphia Jazz Project and our partner, Jazz Near You/All About Jazz have been engaged in a campaign to remind Jazz fans of the vibrancy of the music, as well as introduce new audience members to the wonders of Jazz & Grown Folks Music. Our goal is to develop a mailing list of 100,000 people. We’ve been  Read More....
Announcing Sun Ra Mixtape Series
May 21, 2015
Last fall, Philadelphia Jazz Project developed a unique challenge for DJs, producers, electronic musicians, turntablists and anyone that understands the sampling sport. An open call was issued to this creative community to create instrumental tracks that could support vocals from singers, poets, and/or rappers, as well as solos by  Read More....
PJP’s Jazzy Christmas Celebration
Dec 6, 2014
From LOVE Park to Penn’s Landing, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Philadelphia is blessed with many family holiday traditions, including everyone’s favorite, the Wanamaker Organ Christmas Light Show. Back in the day, families would go to the Gallery at Market East and sing holiday songs around the  Read More....
Frosty 2: Another Cool Holiday Jazz Celebration
Nov 14, 2014
Celebrate the Holidays with the Philadelphia Jazz Project! FROSTY 2: Another COOL HOLIDAY JAZZ CELEBRATION ....featuring some of Philadelphia's finest Jazz musicians. Co-produced and hosted by J. Michael Harrison of WRTI SATURDAY | December 13, 2014 | 4:00 p.m. [Doors open at 3:45pm] IRVINE AUDITORIUM 3401 Spruce Street,  Read More....
Road To Merida - Part 2 - Elliott Levin
Oct 8, 2014
Cancun/Merida; May 16, 2013 Arrive in Cancun... swoon through the Yucatan 180... void past Valladolid... Popola... Chichenitza... into Merida... Steaming spring eternal humid-if-i-cation... revived by Sopa Limon... a Mayan tonic (lemon spiced chicken broth with tortilla strips)... Leads to Olimpo Sonic (theater/venue of our opening &  Read More....
Road To Merida - Part 1 - Elliott Levin
Oct 8, 2014
In May of 2013, Philadelphia saxophonist and poet, Elliott Levin set off on a brief musical tour. He was traveling to perform in Cha'ak'ab Paaxil: Festival of Improvisation, Free Jazz & Noisiness, which takes place in the beautiful city of Merida, Mexico. Levin was going to jam and collaborate with some old and new friends. On the way, he would  Read More....