The Toledo Jazz Society has revamped not only their name, but their mission as well. As of Sept. 9, The Art Tatum Jazz Heritage Foundation is the new moniker that the nearly 30-year-old jazz organization will be known as.
“This allows us to expand our image worldwide,” said Jeff Jaffe, president of the transformed jazz foundation. Jaffe said he is excited about the future and said the changes are necessary.
“We will become more diverse in the jazz styles displayed,” said Jaffe. “With a broader scope of jazz, we will be able to introduce the music to a younger audience and really show what’s available.”
The name for the foundation was inspired from the famed jazz piano player Art Tatum.
Tatum was born in Toledo in 1909 and while only living for 47 years; he left his influential mark on music history.
Along with the new name, the foundation is kicking off a monumental promotion to share jazz with the community and nation at large.
Inspired by the legacy of Art Tatum and his Toledo roots, ”Pianos for Art” is a project including over three-dozen donated pianos and world-renowned artists.
The pianos have been donated by people throughout the community and will be painted and decorated by artists such as Leslie Adams, Phil Hazard, John Rockwood and even the Toledo Zoo elephants.
The idea for “Pianos for Art” came from a similar promotion that was done in London earlier this year.
Set to officially begin at 5 p.m. Sept. 16 in UT’s Student Union Building, Toledo’s own jazz legend Jon Hendricks’ will perform while celebrating his 88th birthday.
Individuals throughout the community have donated the nearly 40 pianos to the jazz foundation, making it possible for such a project.
“One of the most interesting aspects of this effort is that it is interactive,” said Kay Elliot of the Art Tatum Jazz Heritage Foundation. She has led the project from its beginnings.
“The public will be able to actually watch as the pianos are being painted at their designated locations,” said Elliot.
The pianos will be placed
in public settings throughout September and October and provide people with the opportunity to sit down and play the pieces of art for themselves.
Just a few places to expect to find a jazz inspired piano in the near future would be the Toledo Zoo, the Toledo Museum of Art, UT’s Student Union and the Toledo-Lucas county Public Library.
The Art Tatum Jazz Foundation will also be organizing a “Piano idol” competition and “Tatum Tot” program focused at encouraging a younger crowd to become interested.
“The project has taken on a life of its own,” said Elliot. “So many people have expressed great interest and are involved in so many ways.”
Among the many painted pianos will be a pink piano for ‘Race for the Cure,’ a piano painted by the Toledo Walleye hockey team on Oct. 4, the new arena, and the elephants from the Toledo Zoo will participate in painting.
In the next few weeks, jazz events will be very common around the Toledo area. Outside the new Lucas County Arena on Friday, The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo will be hosting a sculpture dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. for the “Art Tatum Celebration Column.”
Also, Jon Hendricks will be celebrating his 88th birthday a few days early by singing at Murphy’s Place on Monday. Performing with the Grammy award-winning artist will be the UT faculty Jazz Group.
Hendricks was one of seven jazz legends added to the ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame this summer. Among the other great musicians added to the Wall of Fame were Annie Ross, Johnny Mandel, and John Coltrane.
There is a lot to expect for jazz lovers this fall with many concerts, events, and celebrations.
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