Prez Fest
A Program To Celebrate Past And Future
Prez Fest seeks to further the jazz idiom, while keeping the contributions of a late musician alive in another generation of musicians and lovers of jazz. The festival explores the roots and the fruits of a particular musician’s entire life’s work in detail, and in various formats: workshops, lectures, a large concert. The way in which Prez Fest simultaneously remembers and looks forward is an important contribution to the ongoing vitality of jazz.
Story
Originally begun after the death of Lester Young, Prez Fest, aptly named, explored his unique and influential approach to playing the saxophone. In a way, a memorial turned into an annual celebration held near the anniversary of his death (March 15, 1959). To this day, Saint Peter’s Church continues the tradition of celebrating the contributions of jazz musicians who have died, keeping their music and their musical contributions alive and flowing into another generation of musicians.
Musicians highlighted at Prez Fest have included Lester Young’s musical partner and friend, Billie Holiday, to whom he gave the name “Lady Day.” Owning to the fact that Prez Fest is a living tradition, a recent celebration of Gill Evans included a premier of a never-before-performed piece. In remembering Billy Strayhorn, Prez Fest guests heard the piano on which he composed so many great tunes, which remains in residence at the church today.
What to expect
The festival includes lectures and panel discussions with musicians, producers and others aimed at being both an introduction to a particular musician, and a means to probe more deeply the person’s contributions to jazz. For the festival, Saint Peter’s Church’s regular 5:00 P.M. Sunday Jazz Vespers liturgy highlights the same. Prez Fest concludes with a highly-regarded concert featuring some of the finest musicians in jazz, as well as, in the festival’s educational/inspirational spirit, emerging musicians.