Watch Video Showing RIVAA Gallery "The Sound Of Jazz Guitar"Jam Session And Fascinating History Lesson Too - You Can Help Continue The Jazz Tradition At RIVAA Gallery

Roosevelt Island's RIVAA Gallery presented "The Sound of the Jazz Guitar" jam session organized by local musician Susheel Kurien last Saturday afternoon March 18.

Before the jam session began musician Andrew Baird gave the audience a brief history of the Jazz Guitar.

According to Mr Baird: 

What happened is jazz, along with a lot of musicians and people were moving North during the Great Migration from New Orleans to Chicago. ... a blues musician from New Orleans named Lonnie Johnson moved up to Chicago and started hearing the sounds of jazz and the bands started getting bigger and louder.

Another musician who was actually from Pennsylvania named Eddie Lane who was an Italian-American came over to Chicago and started hearing bands and playing and they formed a Duo. They were actually the first group to popularize jazz guitar with two guitars together on a recording and that was from 1928.... 

... Charlie Christian, and if you've never heard that name I would say go check him out and listen to him. He's one of the most important figures in jazz for a lot of reasons but primarily being he was the first lead guitar player in a Jazz Ensemble big band setting to be featured as a soloist...

After the jazz guitar history lesson, the duo of Susheel Kurien and Andrew Baird gave a wonderful performance. Here's a sample.

Susheel Kurien adds:

Following the guitar duo, the program continued with a range of jazz standards that were representative of different genres of jazz...and with the addition of the bass player Bruno Razafindrakoto,and Jeff Brown on drums

RIVAA Gallery has been a focal presence for jazz on Roosevelt Island for over 10 years . What began as a residents voluntary effort has become a much appreciated and looked forward to series of events at the Gallery. 

Any residents or friends of Roosevelt Island who would like to help with ensuring that the RIVAA Gallery can continue to share America's original and classical music with the community will be welcomed. 

Most importantly, the gallery seeks sponsors who might wish to host 1 or more jazz events and keep this tradition alive. 

Please contact gallery president Sandra Gavelyte at s.gavelyte@rivaagallery.org with your thoughts on how you might help keep bringing jazz to Roosevelt Island. 

Stay tune for future Jazz events at RIVAA Gallery.

Here's more on jazz guitarist Charlie Christian.