Join us Thursday, December 1, for An Evening of Jazz and Healing, a one night event produced by artist and former owner and programmer of the Coolidge, Justin Freed.
As an event in our OnStage at the Coolidge series, the evening will include live jazz music, photography, drawings, projections, and film. The evening will begin with a solo performance from celebrated pianist and composer Donal Fox, followed by a screening of Justin Freed’s visual memoir Jazz Saved My Life, a film that depicts a crucially important friendship with composer and activist Maria Schneider, whose story of her own bravery is woven into the film. Schneider will also appear at the event to talk about her journey of healing through music and nature. The evening will conclude with a performance by members of the Maria Schneider Orchestra that will include pieces from the GRAMMY-winning Classical album “Winter Morning Walks.”
“This Evening of Arts and Healing is an affirmation of the power of beauty and connection to help us overcome the difficulties of being a human being,” explains Justin Freed. “I want this event to be balm for the distressed.”
“The Coolidge has served as a place of community gathering and engagement from its birth as a church in 1906 with a [grand organ], and since 1933, an Art Deco cinema,” said Katherine Tallman, Executive Director and CEO of the Coolidge. “This special event will meld music, visual images and sharing in a beautiful space with premium sound and projection and the gestalt of a very long history of shared experiences. We are honored to present this event with Justin Freed, whose curated programming continues to inspire the Coolidge today, and are grateful to Justin, Donal Fox, Maria Schneider and all who will join together to create a uniquely fulfilling experience.”
Left: Donal Fox (Credit: Frank Stewart). Right: Maria Schneider.
Full Schedule
- Performance with Donal Fox
- Screening of Jazz Saved My Life – film features music by Maria Schneider, Guillermo Nojechowicz, (El Eco) and Donal Fox, among others
- Maria Schneider Intro & Performance with Maria Schneider Orchestra – quartet featuring Scott Robinson, woodwinds; Gary Versace, piano; Jay Anderson, bass; Johnathan Blake, drums (there will be projections of nature created by Justin Freed)
- Closing Remarks and Musical Performance with Justin Freed
