Jam Session: America's Jazz
Ambassadors Embrace the World
The Kinston Community Council for the Arts is pleased to present this collection of photographs and documents drawn from archives around the country document the tours of jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman as they traveled the globe on behalf of the U.S. State Department.
From the mid-1950s through the 1970s, the American musicians toured through more than 35 foreign countries in 
the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa, playing music and promoting a positive view of the United States in a time when Cold War tensions were at their height. The exhibition educates and enlightens viewers about this important historical initiative, while emphasizing the value of employing the arts to further international and intercultural understanding.
For generations, Kinston has been a hub for innovative musical work in jazz, rhythm and blues, funk, soul and gospel, to name a few. Now, as the only southeastern venue in the U.S. for a phot
ographic exhibition of American jazz musicians, residents and visitors can explore the regional and global impact of America’s musical legacy.
Join us on September 18 for a special reception featuring a performance by the David Leonhardt Jazz Trio of Pennsylvania.
Visitors may purchase a catalogue of the exhibit for $25. The catalogue offers an in depth look at these cultural ambassadors and includes a musical CD.
This exhibit is curated and presented by the Meridian International Center in Washington D.C.
More information
Meridian International Center Article about Jam Session
Meridian International Center - links to press comments about show...
Meridian International Center - slide show from New York Times site
