Cheekwood exhibit showcases pictures of jazz greats

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Here in Music City, we do love a little bit of music historical past. This piece of historical past is coming to us from an surprising place, but it surely’s very a lot part of the American story.

Cheekwood Estate & Gardens has this new exhibit. It’s pictures giving glimpses into the jazz age and the a long time that adopted. There are acquainted faces. Billie Holiday. Eartha Kitt. Louis Armstrong.

Each image tells a narrative. There’s additionally a narrative of why the photographs are right here now.

“It’s from the Bank of America Art in our Communities collection,” mentioned Heather Vincent, Nashville native market government for Bank of America.

Vincent defined they’re made up of many pre-existing banks, and people may return so far as 200 years.

“At one time, banks and bankers really collected art,” she mentioned. “As we have grown as a company, we have come to have this amazing collection of art. We don’t want it sitting in a warehouse. We want to have it in our communities.”

The pictures owned by Bank of America has been damaged into roughly a dozen touring classes together with Jazz Greats. Each class is loaned out to museum companions which embody Cheekwood.

The photos have a tendency to present the vibe of a spot like Manhattan way back. Of course, jazz connections aren’t restricted to anyone place. Thinking of the Black artists who performed Nashville within the Sixties and earlier, we regularly consider rock and R&B artists. However, these well-known jazz artists additionally appeared in native venues. One of them was known as The Silver Streak. It was a ballroom simply off Jefferson Street that performed host to lots of the greats together with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Cab Calloway.

“It’s part of the American story,” mentioned Sarah Sperling, Senior Vice President of External Relations and Museum Affairs at Cheekwood.

Sperling mentioned there’s another excuse why these photos have a connection to this place.

“We’re here in the Cheek Mansion, and this was completed in 1932, which was also the 1930s, the height of the jazz movement in America,” she defined.

33 images by 15 photographers are on show via October 5.

“Jazz music has had such an impact on our culture,” mentioned Vincent. “When you look at these photos, you feel like you’re there.”

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