Jazz Power Initiative Presents: Freedom and Improvisation w/ Charenee Wade and the Freedom Collective

Immerse yourself in an evening of improvisation, soulful melodies, and lyrical mastery. Together, we’ll embark on a captivating journey through sound, where the spirit of jazz sets our minds and hearts free. Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration of liberation through music!

Doors open: 3:45 p.m

Performance: 4-6 p.m.

 

Artist Bio:
Jazz Power Initiative’s 2025 Community Artist-In-Residence Charenee Wade is an award winning singer, bandleader, recording artist and educator from New York City. Known for expert vocal improvisational ability and her seriously swinging groove, Wade evokes a classic jazz sound akin to Betty Carter and Sarah Vaughan, two of her musical touchstones. With her Motéma records debut, Offering: The Music of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, she paid tribute to another inspiration, the socially conscious poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron, and confirms that she too uses her artist platform thoughtfully. A native of Brooklyn, Ms. Wade began singing at age 12 and fell under the spell of Sarah Vaughan. She attended LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music and now serves on the faculty of the Juilliard School and Peabody Conservatory. One of four artists selected for the Dianne Reeves Young Artist workshop at Carnegie Hall, she was first runner-up at the 2010 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Vocals Competition. The entire jazz industry has passionately embraced Wade including Wynton Marsalis, who features her regularly at Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC); Christian McBride, who mentored her at his Jazz Aspen Academy; and labelmate Rufus Reid, who selected her for his Grammy-nominated album, Quiet Pride: The Elizabeth Catlett Project. Wade has performed with Bobby Sanabria, Aaron Diehl, Oran Etkin, Robert Glasper and MacArthur Fellow and choreographers Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Kyle Abraham at venues and festivals worldwide including Montreux, Bard and Spoleto. Ms. Wade also toured Guatemala with the Eli Yamin Blues Band as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. Department of State and helped launch Jazz Power Initiative’s vocal training program in 2014.

About Jazz Power Initiative:
Jazz Power Initiative is a community-based non-profit organization with the mission of Jazz Power Initiative (JPI) is to transform lives through jazz arts education and performance. Jazz Power serves thousands of New Yorkers and visitors annually – students, teachers, artists, seniors and general audiences, ages 8-80+, to promote youth development, and build more creative and inclusive communities through jazz music, theater and dance education and performance. One of the ways we do this is through our Intergenerational Jazz Power Jam series, of which you are part of today, presenting world-class musicians in a family-friendly setting. You are now part of this journey, and I want to thank you for being here with us.

Intergenerational Jazz Power Jam is produced by Jazz Power Initiative, a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) organization founded in 2003, is made possible in part by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; the Howard Gilman Foundation; the Hispanic Federation; the National Jazz Museum in Harlem; Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center with Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New York and the New York City Department of Youth & Community Development; the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, and our individual donors. Thank you for your support!

Sat, Dec 14
4:00 pm

National Jazz Museum in Harlem

RSVP - Free

Other Events

Intersections: Jazz and 9/11
Wed, Dec 11
6:00 pm
Jazz & Harlem: Harlem's Creative Pulse - A Photographic and Musical Journey
Thu, Dec 12
6:00 pm

Want to host an event?

We are your go-to venue for off-site meetings, receptions, film screenings, workshops, networking events, socials and more. Located in the heart of Central Harlem’s thriving culinary and entertainment district, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem is the perfect place to hold your next gathering.

Rent Our Space

About Events Collections Group Visits Support Visit Shop