A Moment in Time: Northeast Ohio Jazz Community Gathers for Historic Photo

On April 9, 2014, the Northeast Ohio jazz community created their own version of the iconic “Great Day in Harlem” photograph when 149 jazz musicians, writers, advocates, presenters and broadcasters assembled on the grand staircase of the Palace Theatre lobby. This special gathering wasn’t simply a recreation of Art Kane’s famous 1958 image, but an opportunity to capture a historic moment for the local jazz scene.

Led by Tri-C students and faculty, the project evolved into an emotional reunion celebration marking Tri-C JazzFest’s 35th anniversary. Jonathan Wayne’s photography class from Cuyahoga Community College’s Western Campus captured the beautiful image, with student photographers Jessica Halberg, Taylor Schmidt, Chris Harman, Rebekah Spurlock, Ivana Tousley, Alisha Uguccini and Andrew Cari contributing to the project.

The event was also documented through video, with videographers Adam Smalley, Kathleen Maxwell, Adam Huffman, Brandy Rankins, Thomas Rankins, Lee Bartlett, Kevin Ferguson, Nicholas Roth, Cory Sheldon, Jose Infante and Cigdem Slankard participating. A 10-minute documentary created by Miriam Bennett’s videography students at the Metropolitan Campus complements the historic photograph.

A 10-minute video documentary by Miriam Bennett’s videography students at the Metropolitan Campus can also be seen below.