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HISTORY 2001
A
Remarkable Year
2001 was an extraordinary year for the newly formed Pasadena
Jazz Institute. Our "Celebration of the Blues" program
for kids engaged the imaginations of over 3,000 children and
introduced them to the exciting sounds of jazz. We staged over
30 concerts at the Playhouse Balcony Theatre and provided music
for the first annual Northwest Renaissance in December. We were
grateful to see more than 17 newspaper articles about the Institute
and its activities during the past year.
These are great
accomplishments for any organization but when you consider the
Pasadena Jazz Institute is only one year old, it has been a remarkable
year. We thank each of you for helping to make 2001 such a resounding
success!
A Great
Day in Pasadena
 Inspired by the famous
1958 photo A Great Day in Harlem in which photographer Art Kane captured
57 of the most prominent jazz musicians of his time, the Pasadena
Jazz Institute sponsored A Great Day in Pasadena in late 2001, picturing
more than 60 musicians who participated in the Institute's concert
series at the Playhouse Balcony Theatre.
11 Concerts
in Tribute to the Masters
In July through December, 2001, the Institute presented eleven
concerts in tribute to the great masters of jazz at the Playhouse Balcony Theatre in
Pasadena. These unforgettable evenings were hosted by James Janisse
of America's jazz station, KLON 88.1 FM.
Descarga!
In October, 2001 the Institute presented Descarga - Jazz Goes Latin,
an evening of Afro-Cuban Latin jazz at the Playhouse Balcony
Theatre.
The Jeff
Hamilton Trio
In December, 2001 the Institute hosted versatile drummer Jeff Hamilton on and his trio at the
Playhouse Balcony Theatre. Members of the trio also play with
the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra which appears regularly at
the Hollywood Bowl.
December
Swings Concerts
Pasadena went singing and swinging into the 2001 holiday season
as the Institute staged four exciting jazz concerts in its December Swings series at the Playhouse
Balcony Theatre. The music of George Gershwin, Miles Davis, Dave
Brubeck and the great female jazz vocalists from Sara Vaughan
to Ella Fitzgerald rose to the rafters of the downtown theatre.
Jazz Goes to Church
The Pasadena Jazz Institute presented a special concert, featuring Barbara
Morrison, at the Pasadena Presbyterian Church as part of a Fine
Arts Festival.
Portraits in Jazz
In celebration of Black History Month, we presented a series of live television
programs in collaboration with Charter Communications. These
programs featured jazz performances by some of the area's finest
jazz talent.
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