FREDERIKSTED – The rain came down on Eddie Russell and his Quelbe Jazz Band, but rain alone could not dampen the spirit of Emancipation Day. After a brief interruption, the band played on…
The Jazz in the Park Emancipation Day Commemoration concert was livestreamed on Friday, July 3, from the new Frederiksted Pier.
Trumpet legend Eddie Russell was backed by his Quelbe Jazz Band of exemplary musicians, including Mario Thomas on bass, Lennox Joseph on guitar, Kenneth “Afra” Dailey on drums, Ray Isles on congas, and David Bess on percussion.
The concert was punctuated by moving performances from Ras Iyame the Dub Poet, recounting the tale of emancipation in the territory.
Community Music Inc. thanks WTJX Channel 12 for livestreaming the performance, the Virgin Islands Port Authority for allowing the use of the Frederiksted Pier, and AARP of the Virgin Islands for its financial contribution.
This concert was funded in part by Virgin Islands Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. To volunteer or make a tax-deductible donation to support future free Jazz in the Park events, email donate@communitymusicinc.org.
Click the video above to view the full concert.