About the Event:

We are thrilled to be able to offer a special opportunity to learn about — and listen to — the remarkable Savory Collection at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem with the museum’s Senior Scholar, Loren Schoenberg, whose 36-year quest led to both the collection’s discovery and its subsequent acquisition by the NJMH in 2010.

The Savory Collection features over 100 hours of live radio broadcasts made between 1935 and 1941 — many of which have never been heard since their initial airing — and includes live performances by such jazz luminaries as Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Fats Waller, Coleman Hawkins, among many more, swinging in their prime and in greater auditory precision than ever thought possible. 

It was created by the brilliant William Alcott Savory (1916–2004), a trained musician and audio engineer who served in the U.S. Navy developing radar technology and flying as a test pilot. First and foremost, though, Savory was a music lover who single-handedly compiled an aural treasure chest by capturing hundreds of hours of top-shelf jazz performances off the radio in the six years preceding America’s entry into World War II. These live nightclub and ballroom shows were both longer and more creatively daring than those on the artists’ recorded albums, as they were freed from the constraints of the conventional studio. 

Packed away for decades and only rumored to exist, Schoenberg’s discovery of the collection made headlines around the world, including the front page of The New York Times, where Ben Ratliff wrote, “Sometimes a recording feels like art history, not just social history…. All that I’ve heard are special.” The NJMH has spent the past seven years lovingly restoring this trove into high–fidelity gems, and the recordings are now ready to be shared with the public.

Join us for this unique listening experience!

About the Presenter:

Loren Schoenberg is a tenor saxophonist, conductor, educator, and jazz historian, and has won two Grammy Awards for Best Album Notes. In the late 1970s, he played professionally with alumni of the Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands, and in 1980 he formed his own big band, which in 1985 became the last Benny Goodman orchestra.

He is the former Executive Director, and current Senior Scholar, of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

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Current Safety Protocols for this Event:

We look forward to having you join us for this in-person event! The health and safety of all attendees is our top priority. ADSNY will continue to monitor and abide by guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), New York State, and New York City.

• VACCINATIONS: Vaccinations are highly recommended. 
• FACE COVERINGS: Face masks are recommended, but not required. 
• SOCIAL DISTANCING: Attendees must be respectful of each other’s personal space and distance themselves where appropriate.
• IF YOU ARE UNWELL: Stay home if you are feeling sick or symptomatic. If you have been in contact with someone with related symptoms, or who has tested positive within the last 14 days, also stay home.
• COVID RISK: Though positivity rates are declining, an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public space where people are present. Those joining ADSNY’S in-person programming do so at their own risk to such exposure.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out at info@artdeco.org.

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