Universal Temple of the Arts to Present Staten Island JAZZ Festival

Universal Temple of the Arts will celebrate the life of Sajda Musawwir Ladner, Executive and Artistic Director and the founder of the Staten Island JAZZ Festival on Saturday, March 12, 2022, from 5pm-9pm at the historic St. George Theatre in her beloved community of Staten Island. Scheduled during Women's History Month, the festival, hosted by Sheila E. Anderson, Author and On-Air Personality, WBGO, 88.3 FM, is an auspicious occasion to present live jazz tribute performances by returning favorites, Winard Harper & Jeli Posse; The Leopoldo F. Fleming Afro Caribbean Ensemble; Danny Mixon Quartet featuring vocalist, Antoinette Montague; the UTA Jazz Ensemble and exciting performances by newcomers to the festival stage - Bria Skonberg, Nikara Warren Presents...Black Wall Street, and the Dal Segno Trio featuring Michael Morreale and Houston Person.

For over three decades, under Ms. Ladner's direction, the Staten Island JAZZ Festival has featured treasured performances by NEA Jazz Masters, such as the recently departed great Barry Harris, Afrofuturism pioneer band Sun Ra Arkestra, traditional, contemporary, emerging, local talent, and young lions from the pantheon of jazz. Not only did Ms. Ladner make it possible for lovers of jazz to experience quality, live performances on Staten Island stages, but she also firmly believed that audiences of all ages should experience everything, and anything related to jazz by presenting educational workshops and forums taught by prominent scholars, visual artists, dancers, poets, etc. Her wisdom and love of the art form brought critical acclaim to the event making it the longest running community festival in New York City.

Noteworthy is that for many years, Universal Temple of the Arts has promoted the Staten Island JAZZ Festival with images by Romare Bearden, America's preeminent African American visual artist, signifying the special relationship between Universal Temple of the Arts with iconic cultural creators and innovators since its inception in 1967 as an art, cultural and educational nonprofit organization.

Sajda Musawwir Ladner is revered within the arts community; her spirit lives on forever through the annual Staten Island JAZZ Festival and the organization's mission of "quickening the creative spirit in the individual and community and fostering brotherly love." To honor her legacy, we request your support of the JAZZ Festival - purchase a ticket and please share the event on social media. All proceeds from the festival support Universal Temple of the Arts' FREE year-round arts and educational programs.

"As we enter our third decade as Staten Island's oldest continuously run jazz festival, we remain committed to presenting iconic and popular jazz artists as well showcasing Staten Island performers who stand tall delivering their understanding of this world-wide, cherished music called jazz. Like New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz and gumbo, the Staten Island JAZZ Festival cooks with jazz music, dance, song and spoken word. Universal Temple of the Arts thinks of JAZZ in all capital letters. We explore every aspect of the art form."