Meridian Joins The U.S. Consulate in Shanghai to Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month
To celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month (April) in China, the U.S. Consulate exhibited Meridian’s Jam Session – America’s Jazz Ambassadors Embrace the World – a collection of photos featuring 20th-century jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington – at the hip, space-age venue, Shanghai Culture Square. The exhibition complemented other jazz-related events at the Culture Center in April 2013, which included youth workshops, film screenings of jazz documentaries, roundtable discussions, as well as an outdoor concert with the Anne Evenou Quartet. The Jazz Festival at Shanghai Culture Square concluded on April 30 with a full program of events throughout the afternoon and evening to celebrate UNESCO International Jazz Day.
Meridian’s Senior Vice President for the Arts, Dr. Curtis Sandberg, joined a press event on April 11, which announced the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai’s participation in the Jazz Festival at the Shanghai Culture Square. He delivered a talk on U.S. jazz diplomacy from the 1950s to 1970s to journalists from Chinese media outlets. After the press event, the U.S. Consulate’s Public Affairs Section Chief Dale Largent commented, “ [Sandberg’s] participation has sharpened the impact of our cultural diplomacy efforts and helped us show how the iconic American jazz artists of the mid-20th century contributed to strengthening American diplomacy during that era.”
Jam Session chronicles the international tours of legendary jazz musicians selected by the U.S. Department of State to serve as roving cultural “ambassadors” from the 1950’s through the 1970’s. Over 100 compelling images, together with posters and other materials, portray the journeys of music greats such as Dave Brubeck, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Benny Carter, and Sarah Vaughan. The exhibition, which has been on display in more than thirty five countries and viewed by millions of people, demonstrates the richness of American cultural heritage and serves as a powerful public diplomacy tool.
All That Jazz - Consulate General of the United States