Jazz keyboard artist Gap Mangione will create the mood and music of the '50s jazz scene in an intimate setting for listening and dancing from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, at the University of Rochester.
Rush Rhees Library will host Rochester native Mangione and his trio to celebrate the 30th Birthday of the Friends of the University of Rochester Libraries. Just an earshot away, photographs of the jazz musicians who inspired Mangione and his older brother, Chuck, will be on display.
The new exhibition, "Mid-Century Jazz in Rochester, 1955-1962: Photographic Prints from the Paul Hoeffler Archive," brings together classic portraits, such as that of an engaging Billie Holiday, with never-seen shots of jazz artists at rehearsals, with admiring fans, and in quiet moments of thinking and writing music. Chuck Mangione on trumpet was photographed by Hoeffler and is one of those on exhibit.
While a college student in Rochester, Hoeffler photographed those who were-or would become-masters of the musical era, such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Sonny Rollins. More than 130 Hoeffler images are now in the University's collection.
Tickets for Le Jazz Hot Club with music, art, and refreshments start at $20. Proceeds benefit the University of Rochester Libraries. Reservations can be made by calling (585) 275-4461.
This fundraising event precedes the annual Rochester Book Fair, which is sponsored by the Friends of the University of Rochester Libraries. The book fair, also in its 30th year, will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at St. John Fisher College. It is the oldest regional book fair in the United States.