Middle Church celebrates the arts as an integral part of its mission. Our building dates from 1892, but we celebrate a progressive spirituality that fits within our East Village location. “Jazz on High” is a weekly musical celebration with a splash of spirituality. Come enjoy free jazz in a friendly and beautiful location featuring an eclectic range of jazz musicians and styles.
New York's Liberty Bell, the very one which once heralded the news of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, hangs in the belfry of the Middle Collegiate Church on Second Avenue between Sixth and Seventh Streets. Founded in 1628, the Collegiate Church of New York is the oldest Protestant church in the United States. And now for nearly two years, every Sunday from behind its Gothic facade, in a handsome sanctuary graced with more than ten enormous original Tiffany stained glass windows, the sounds of an hour-long, free program of live jazz, “Jazz on High,” can be heard.
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Middle Church celebrates the arts as an integral part of its mission. Our building dates from 1892, but we celebrate a progressive spirituality that fits within our East Village location. “Jazz on High” is a weekly musical celebration with a splash of spirituality. Come enjoy free jazz in a friendly and beautiful location featuring an eclectic range of jazz musicians and styles.
New York's Liberty Bell, the very one which once heralded the news of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, hangs in the belfry of the Middle Collegiate Church on Second Avenue between Sixth and Seventh Streets. Founded in 1628, the Collegiate Church of New York is the oldest Protestant church in the United States. And now for nearly two years, every Sunday from behind its Gothic facade, in a handsome sanctuary graced with more than ten enormous original Tiffany stained glass windows, the sounds of an hour-long, free program of live jazz, “Jazz on High,” can be heard.
The Director of Communication, Scott Cocking, a self-described “lite jazz listener,” speaks of the church as “a place of goodness” which has always looked to the arts as a way to reach out to people. “We wanted to reach out to an audience that might not come into services on Sunday morning.” Speaking of “Jazz on High” as “jazz with a splash of spirituality,” he observes, “It's also a venue to honor the [jazz] community and a genre of music that is traditionally underserved and sometimes underappreciated. ...It's a way to use music and what I call the word to feed your whole soul. ...People seem to be really moved by it.”
Booking the artists is done by Jonathan Dudley, a former opera conductor and the church's longtime Director of Music. As a young classical student, Dudley recalls being “a big jazz fan who idolized Marian McPartland and Teddy Wilson.” He speaks with pride of the church's “fully professional gospel choir,” of organist Cameron Carpenter who has just been nominated for a Grammy and of their virtual pipe organ which has “all the sounds of a huge pipe organ, Wurlitzer organ and Hammond B3.” Of Middle he enthuses, “This church is wildly diverse [including] race, age, social status, money. ...You know, in the '60s, people didn't cross over [musically]. The organist we just hired is phenomenal. He can play the Bach Toccata in D minor fugue or a piece of hiphop that he heard somewhere last night.”
Dudley reports “Jazz on High” has “bloomed musically. ...We started in January 2007 with crowds of 60 to 80 and were real pleased. ...Every September we do a big Coltrane birthday bash. That's our major project at the moment other than our regular Sunday evenings.” Dudley is particularly excited about an Apr. 5th date when re-emerging legendary bass player Henry Grimes is scheduled. Among others performing recently were Joe Locke, Francois Moutin, Louie Belogenis, Sunny Murray and Andrew Bemkey.
Bassist Hilliard Greene says he has been performing and attending performances at the church since 1997. “It was there I had my CD release for my solo bass recording. I love the way the room sounds and how it enhances the sound of acoustic instruments. ...The room has a nice feeling. An open and big feeling but at the same time you can establish a strong connection with the audience, even those that are sitting at the back of the hall.”
Middle Board member and Chair of the Financial Committee Danita Branam speaks of having especially enjoyed Andrew Bemkey, whose music was new to her. “His piano playing included classical music, primitive, jazz, gospel, spiritual and blues. In one selection you could get all of that and where his spirit goes. ...There was a group...called Bridges. It is a four-part harmony group . They did an excellent job of mixing jazz and secular music, something on the order of Manhattan Transfer type of harmony.”
Asked what makes “Jazz on High” special, Branam says, “It's an opportunity to experience and appreciate spirituality in a different frame for both the musician as the giver and the audience as the receiver. What we're trying to do is to create an environment that will allow people to open themselves up, in a short amount of time.”
Middle's senior pastor, Jacqui Lewis, who speaks of her “giant love of jazz” that ranges from Earl Grant and Yusef Lateef to naming Nancy Wilson one of her heroes, assigns the speakers for the word portion of the evenings. “...It isn't work when I come to 'Jazz on High.' I love it. I love the music, I rock, I love the people and the homily is easy to do. ...It's a quiet, gentle place. ...How spiritual jazz is. It's a deeply spiritual genre of American classical music. I love it and I love having it in the church.”
~ Andrew Velez
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