LGBT Jazz featured last Sunday at UU church in East Mt. Airy

Last Sunday night, LGBT jazz was featured at the Unitarian Universalist Jazz Vesper series. Pluto is a Planet was a musical experience, experimenting with everything from jazz standards to electronica, to original music. The quartet includes cellist and bassist Gina Renee Fontana; Harry Schonlieber; Marty Gottlieb-Hollis; and trumpet player, Ian Harwell.

The group played jazz standards, including standards by LGBT jazz greats, as well as original compositions. One LGBT jazz great whose work they played was Billy Strayhorn.

Strayhorn, 1915 - 1927, was best known for his collaborations with Duke Ellington. According to LGBT History Month dot com, Strayhorn was openly gay. There has been speculation that his sexual orientation prompted him to avoid the spotlight. He was active in the U.S. civil rights movement. He composed the popular standard “Take the A Train.”

“Although Strayhorn and Ellington collaborated on numerous piece, Strayhorn remained fairly anonymous and was rarely credited or compensated for his work,” according to LGBTHistory.com.

Jazz Vespers are held at 4:30 pm on the third Sunday of each month at 4:30 pm. The Caribbean Jazz Band is featured March 15th. There is a ten dollar donation requested and a reception afterward with light refreshments. Restoration Church is located at 6900 Stenton Avenue (at the corner of Gorgas Lane) in Philadelphia. For more information, email: uucr-jazzvespers@verizon.net. For more information, visit http://www.uurestoration.us/newsletter.php

To view more photos, visit Janet Mason’s blog post about LGBT history month here.