Jazz celebrates 60 years at Saint Peter’s with the Keep Swinging Social

May 18

Following vespers, many filtered into the Living Room for the Keep Swinging Social. This special ticketed event brought together individuals who have shaped and sustained Jazz at Saint Peter’s throughout its six-decade history. The Manhattan School of Music Jazz Combo provided live music as guests danced, reconnected, and celebrated the occasion. Toasts were shared honoring and celebrating the ways in which jazz has been a mainstay in the community here.

Joe Petrucelli, executive director of the Jazz Foundation of America, stated: The Jazz Foundation of America has worked with Saint Peter’s to produce many of the hundreds of jazz memorials hosted at the church over the past decades. The comfort to loved ones and fans conferred by holding these memorials in this iconic space is immeasurable.

In recent years, when the church was closed to the public due to the pandemic and a flood, we were reminded just how important and central Saint Peter’s is to the music. The resilience of the church, its pervasive spirit of hope, and its commitment to the community during this period were inspiring.

When the church reopened to the jazz world with a celebration of the life of Barry Harris—whose own compositions had been components of memorials for so many years—we felt a profound sense of homecoming and an uplifting sense of fellowship. Saint Peter’s has not only been a site for acknowledging the contributions of historic musical figures but a place where jazz history itself has been made. It abounds with meaning and plays a unique role in the international cultural ecosystem.

We are proud and grateful to partner with St. Peter's in celebrating this music and the musicians who create it.