NYC Parks Arts, Culture & Fun Presents Concert: Bethune Big Band

NYC Parks Arts, Culture, and Fun Presents

Concert: Bethune Big Band

Charles Lonny West was the director of the Bethune Senior Center in Harlem from 1973 until 2003. He became aware that some of the men who frequented the center having lunch, shooting pool, and hanging out were retired jazz musicians, who had played with the great swing bands of the Big Band Era. Lonny West got these men together and formed the Bethune Big Band. Over time, the band performed at many senior centers across the New York City area. Lonny appointed his brother, Paul, a jazz bassist well known for his work with Dizzy Gillespie and Le Morgan, to conduct the Bethune Big Band from 2003 to the present. Lonny passed away in 2018; in tribute to him, Paul West continues to keep the band playing. We urge you to come out, bring a friend and experience the music and legacy of the Bethune Big Band.

In partnership with the Jazz Foundation of America. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the Howard Gilman Foundation.

Saturday, May 20, 2023 | 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Pelham Fritz Recreation Center | (212) 860 - 1373

18 Mt Morris Park W., New York, N.Y. 10027

This event is FREE and open to the public. For more information visit nyc.gov/parks or call 311. Contact [email protected] or (212) 360-1430 for more information regarding accessibility.

Host or Publisher NYC Parks