[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 14, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1595]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE SMITHSONIAN JAZZ MASTERWORKS ORCHESTRA: 20 YEARS OF 
                 ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATION, AND EXCELLENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 14, 2010

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, in 1990, the Congress recognized the 
importance of jazz in American culture when it authorized the 
establishment of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra (SJMO).
  As the Nation's jazz orchestra, the SJMO regularly performs the great 
works of jazz. Throughout its 20 years, the orchestra has distinguished 
itself as one of the crown jewels of the Smithsonian--which is itself, 
a pre-eminent national treasure.
  The band has performed for audiences at the Smithsonian Institution, 
Kennedy Center, White House, U.S. Capitol, Harlem's famed Apollo 
Theater, the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and prestigious music 
festivals like Ravinia and the Monterey Jazz Festival. The ensemble has 
traveled prolifically and performed at many American schools and 
colleges, as well as in Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. On a 2008 
State Department-sponsored tour of Egypt, the Orchestra won many new 
friends for the United States. After an outdoor performance at the 
Pyramids and Sphinx, the Cairo Daily News raved, ``The backdrop was 
incredible, the band was superb.''
  Other critical reaction has been enthusiastic. Wrote The New York 
Times: ``Culturally important. . . . spectacular musically. After being 
embalmed on recordings, the music suddenly came alive.'' Syndicated 
columnist David S. Broder wrote, ``The impact of these live 
performances is everything the showmen, scholars, and politicians who 
brought this small miracle to pass imagined it might be. It is 
electrifying. . . .''
  While the SJMO is not the only jazz orchestra in America, it is 
unique. As the only federally-chartered jazz orchestra, it enjoys a 
position of prestige and influence. As the only such ensemble with 
resident status at a museum, it's in a unique position to bring the 
jazz legacy to life.
  The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra educates the public about 
the history and development of jazz as an art form and means of 
entertainment. It promotes a greater appreciation for jazz as a 
valuable American treasure by performing jazz masterworks, and 
presenting educational activities that engage the public with this 
great music.
  Further contributing to its status, the orchestra is led by the 
internationally famous Maestro David Baker--the world's leading jazz 
educator, author of over 70 books and 400 articles, and recent 
recipient of the prestigious American Jazz Masters Award given by the 
National Endowment for the Arts.
  Madam Speaker, the orchestra has special expertise in engaging and 
educating its audiences--young and old--about this vital part of 
American culture. I am pleased to recognize its service and 
accomplishments over the past 20 years.

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