Jazz Preservation Society of New Bern

Jazz Preservation Society
of
New Bern

Dedicated to the performance, promotion and preservation of Jazz

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5th Annual Jazz Fest New Bern 300th Anniversary Celebration

Blues Night
April 30, 2010
Blues Bands:
Featured:
Shemekia Copeland
Shemekia's Band Website
Opening:
Cool John Ferguson
Cool John's Band website

Blues Musician Shemika Copeland

Blues Musician Cool_John_Ferguson

Jazz Night
May 1, 2010
Jazz Bands
Featured:
Jann Parker
Jann's Band website
Opening:
Elmer Gibson
Elmer's Band website

Jazz Musician Jann_Parker Elmer_Gibson

History

When New Bern's own Jann White Parker came home to make her New Bern debut in April 2002, the wildly-enthusiastic response set the stage for the launching of the Jazz Preservation Society of New Bern.

For that first concert, Jann performed at the Knights of Columbus Lodge to a welcoming crowd of friends, High School Classmates and most of the congregation of the Clinton Chapel AME Zion church who were sponsoring the concert.

One year later, Jann performed, with great critical acclaim, to a bigger house at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center. Jann's cousin, Maryann Bobbitt, then and now the President of the JPSNB, realized that there was still a huge untapped audience for blues and jazz in and around New Bern and Eastern North Carolina. It was then that the JPSNB Board of Directors was enlarged to include the broader community needed to assure a wider-audience appeal.

After our inaugural, one-night First Annual New Bern Jazz and Blues Fest on October 8, 2004 sold-out to a wildly enthusiastic audience of 850, the JPSNB immediately began plans for a two day Second Annual Fest. Blues was the theme of Friday night, October 21, 2005 with "Canadian Blues Queen", Maria Rolls, opening for the fabulous featured blues guitarist "Cool" John Ferguson. A free jazz concert was offered Saturday afternoon featuring Daysprings Church's gospel/jazz youth band followed by the popular 2nd Marine Air Wing Jazz Band. That evening the incredible Frank and Joe Show opened for featured jazz vocalist Freddy Cole and his band.

In March 2006, The Jazz Preservation Society presented the world famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band performing two sold-out shows in New Bern's Civic Theatre to an enraptured audience. Over $3,000 in proceeds (after expenses), was donated to the New Orleans Jazz Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund and to the Civic Theatre Renovation Fund.

In 2008, we transitioned the annual New Bern Jazz and Blues Fest from its traditional October time frame to a springtime event.

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