Smithsonian Exhibition Prompts City-Wide Celebration Of Music

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- The Asbury Park Musical Heritage Steering Committee announced its plans today for a city-wide celebration of Asbury Park's rich musical heritage in conjunction with New Harmonies:  Celebrating American Roots Music, a traveling Smithsonian exhibit.  On display at the Asbury Park Library through April 17, the city is celebrating New Harmonies every weekend with music-themed events and happenings.

The Asbury Park Musical Heritage Steering Committee has programmed the following events from March 18 through April 17:

March 18-20: Folk, Country and Blue Grass Weekend
 March 18 - Spring Fling Square dance at Atonement Lutheran Church, 8:00 p.m.
 March 19 -  Free Sacred Harp Singing Lesson & Demonstration at Convention Hall Grand Arcade, 2:00 p.m.
 March 20 - M Shanghai String Band w/ Allison Williams at the Wonder Bar ,7:30 p.m.

March 25 - 27:  Jazz Weekend
March 26 - Tribute to the late Charlie Rouse Sr. at Chico's House of Jazz, 9:00 p.m.
March 27 - Roots, Rock and Ray at The ShowRoom with Helen Pike and Gary Walker of WBGO, 1:00 p.m.
March 27 - An evening of Blues at the Wonder Bar with Bobby "Blue" Bland, guitarist Sonny Kenn, and university student Jeff Cafone from Outside the Box
March 31 - Music & Film: John Cohen (New Lost City Ramblers) and The Dust Busters at The ShowRoom; An old-time string band concert and screening of John's documentary film, 7 p.m.; tickets $15.

April 1 - 3: New Music in Coordination with the Garden State Film Festival
April 1 - Ken Viola Presents the Sounds of Asbury Park Album Live at the Wonder Bar
April 2 - Author Daniel Wolff and special musical guest talk about American roots music at Stephen Crane House Museum This program is sponsored by the Asbury Park Public Library Board of Trustees
April 2 - Rock & Roll Tour of Asbury Park
April 2 - Nicky Addeo & Friends Celebrate The Music of Asbury Park's Westside at the Wonder Bar

April 8 - 10:  Broadway, Cabaret and Opera
April 8 - Celebrating Broadway Concert at the Paramount Theatre
April 10 - Lecture, Jazz Legends of Asbury Park & Madonna Carter-Jackson book signing at St. Augustine's Church
April 10 - Celebrating Broadway Concert at the Paramount Theatre

April 15-17: Big Band Weekend
April 16 - Big Band Boom at McLoone's Supper Club


Following New Harmonies, The Asbury Park Musical Heritage Steering Committee will use momentum from the national exhibition to launch "Asbury Park:  Where Music Lives," a year-long celebration of music.    Live performances, lectures, rock-and-roll music tours, film, educational programming, book signings and more will help celebrate Asbury Park and the important role music has played throughout the city's history.

New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music is free and open to the public seven days a week through April 17.  It is part of Museum on Main Street, a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation, and local host institutions. To learn more about New Harmonies, visit www.MuseumOnMainstreet.org.

The anthology, "Asbury Park Where Music Lives," created in conjunction with New Harmonies and edited by celebrated author Helen-Chantal Pike, features a series of essays by noted Shore musicians about the genres they know best.  For more information or to purchase the anthology online, please visit www.asburyparkmusic.org.