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Jazzmobile: The Jimmy Heath Big Band

A celebration of The Harlem Renaissance
June 14, 2025, 7:00pm–8:30pm

Jazzmobile is proud to  mark their 60th anniversary season with a celebration of The Harlem Renaissance and National Endowment for the arts Jazz Master Jimmy Heath (1926-2019). Heath worked closely with NEA Jazz Master Dr. Billy Taylor in the creation of Jazzmobile’s SUMMERFEST, NYC’s longest running jazz festival.

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, social, and artistic movement centered in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s and 1930s, celebrating African American culture, music, art, and literature. Jazz, big bands, and swing dancing were central to the Harlem Renaissance. It  brought people together, and helped break racial barriers through music and performance. In the 1940’s  Heath became an important part of the Harlem Jazz scene and was deeply influenced by the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance and artists like Duke Ellington and Lester Young.

Jimmy Heath was, and his music remains,  an important contribution to Harlem’s ongoing jazz legacy! On June 14th Jazzmobile will bring that energy to Bryant Park with the Jimmy Heath Big Band. Everyone is sure to enjoy this evening of hard bop and swing – both, forms of, America’s classical music Jazz -  under the evening sky in Bryant Park!

About Jazzmobile

Jazzmobile's mission is to present, preserve, promote and propagate America's classical music, Jazz. Founded in 1964 by National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, pianist, Dr. Billy Taylor and philanthropist and arts administrator, Ms. Daphne Anstein, Jazzmobile is the first U.S. not-for-profit arts and cultural organization created just for Jazz. Since the beginning, Jazzmobile has been bringing high quality Jazz performances and education programs to area residents, tourists and other visitors, reaching over 4,000,000 people living or visiting New York City. Their national programs have brought them to other cities in the US; and the 'Super Jazz Band' had us touring cities in Europe and Japan. Whether on the street, in a park or at a major concert hall here or abroad, Jazzmobile works in partnership with like-minded organizations to present high quality Jazz performances that enrich the culture and imbue new life into the surrounding area.

ON THE LAWN

Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. The series provides a platform for extraordinary artists and serves as a vital outdoor venue for a wide array of New York’s cultural institutions.