Helping Haiti through an evening of Jazz

West Milford - Jazz up your spring and enjoy the music of local musicians all while contributing to a great cause. Join the West Milford Presbyterian Church for a unique Jazz Vespers worship service on May 23 at 7:30 p.m. “Jazz in Church?” you may be asking. Churches have been trying to reach out and incorporate the music of our times in a variety of ways. For four years the Presbyterian Church has done a Jazz Vespers service in the spring and around Christmas. The proceeds will go to help children in Haiti. This uniquely American music style incorporates the rhythms that live in our soul. It has the power to heal and inspire, as it captures our hope as it seeks to give voice to the hopes, dreams, frustrations and pain that are an integral part of the human experience. Jazz is the musical incense that collects and carries the prayers of a people. The creative collaboration between liturgist and jazz artist come together seeking reconciliation. Jazz reminds us who we are and where we have come from, while inspiring us into the reality of who we can become in God. Vespers is an early evening prayer service. It is a time to set aside the tasks of the day and come into God’s presence. Music has always played a significant role in Vespers services, as it is often through the music that we learn to relax and give voice to our prayers. West Milford is fortunate to have some very talented jazz musicians who live in the community. So come, hear local artists Mitch Schecter, a consummate jazz pianist with a long-established teaching practice, Rick Savage on trumpet, who has played with a variety of groups and composed for television and movies, Eric Goletz, a jazz trombonist who played with Dizzy Gillespie, and Bob Magnuson, who has played saxophone on the sound tracks of hundreds of records and commercials. Vocalist Jackie Jones, who has opened for Lou Rawls, will be featured. There will be a free will offering to off set the cost of the musicians and support recovery work in Haiti. The church has already sent $3,000 to Haiti and 100 hygiene kits as it responds to the needs of earthquake victims. Rev. Janet Macgregor-Williams will be going to Haiti to explore more ways the church and the community can respond to the need, in the near future. The worship service is informal. Family, friends and neighbors are all invited. The focus will be on the gift of God’s Spirit, as it is Pentecost, so all are encouraged to wear red. For more information, call the church office at 973-728-3081. The church is located at 1452 Union Valley Road in West Milford.