Monmouth County - Elberon - "Jazz on Park Avenue”
Jazz fundraiser hits all the right notes
Elberon---"Jazz on Park Avenue”, a musical event, will be held at the Elberon Memorial Church, 70 Park Avenue, on Saturday, August 24, at 5:00 p.m.
The program features a mix of swing, bop, and standards, including blues and tunes from the American songbook performed by the John Gronert Trio. The Trio includes John (drums), Bob Marriner (bass guitar) and Tim Broege (keyboard), joined by Greg Grispart (sax/clarinet). Broege, an accomplished pianist, harpsichordist, and internationally renowned composer, has served 19 seasons as Elberon Memorial’s organist.
As a special treat, the church’s vintage Hilborne Roosevelt organ will be featured in a unique way. Made in 1885 by a cousin of President Teddy Roosevelt, it was renovated and cleaned last year and sounds just as magnificent now as it did more than a century ago. Broege plans to “pull out all the stops”, with some popular early 1900’s tunes on this rare instrument.
The church was built in 1886 as a memorial for Moses B. Taylor, whose family summered at a nearby house on Ocean Avenue. Taylor, a prominent and immensely wealthy figure on the American scene during the 19th Century, had an illustrious career as a merchant, financier, and investor. During a 45-year span, he served as director, and later, president of the National City Bank (now Citibank).
In the first year of the Civil War, Taylor worked with other eastern industrialists to raise a $150 million-dollar loan for the war effort. And throughout the Civil War, he headed a group of bankers who backed the U.S. Treasury with huge loans.
In 1864 he was appointed chairman of the campaign committee of the Union Republican Party formed to campaign for President Lincoln’s reelection.
Befitting such a renowned man, the memorial church’s Gothic Revival style is breathtaking. Stunning stained-glass windows, including a magnificent Tiffany circular design, adorn the structure.
However breathtaking, being situated just a block from the ocean, time, and the elements have taken their toll on the church. And, although lovingly cared for by its Board of Trustees, maintaining a building of this importance is very costly.
According to Trustee Sharon Lees, “The building is reaching the age where careful and loving conservation is needed to keep this grand space gifted to us by Moses B. Taylor’s widow, Catherine. Funds raised from the event will be used to maintain this unique treasure chest of beauty from our shared Victorian past.”
So, if you’re a vintage organ enthusiast, fan of jazz, history buff, or lover of architecture, this event is sure to cap off your summer with a delight for your ears and eyes.
General admission tickets for the fundraiser are $20. A limited number of tickets at $50 include priority seating and a post-concert reception with wine and hors d’oeuvres, and must be bought by August 18. Tickets can be purchased online at elberonmemorialchurch.com or purchase tickets immediately after the 11 a.m. services beginning June 30. Only General Admission tickets will be available at the door the evening of the performance.
