The Philadelphia Jazz Coalition will present a Town Hall Meeting for Jazz on Tuesday, July 31, 5:30 - 8 p.m. at the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, located at Broad & Fitzwater Streets. The Town Hall Meeting, moderated by former NBC Consumer Reporter Orien Reid, is being held to announce the formation of the Philadelphia Jazz Coalition and to discuss its mission and future in the Philadelphia area jazz community.

"It's basically a fact-finding, 'tell us what you need us to be' kind of thing, and it's just the very beginning of what the Philadelphia Jazz Coalition will be," said Suzanne Cloud, executive director and co-founder of the Jazz Bridge Project. The free community event will feature panel discussions by noteworthy presenters, organizations, City representatives and members of the jazz community.

Describing the Philadelphia Jazz Coalition as an "umbrella" organization, Cloud explained, "The jazz community, historically, has been extremely fragmented, and because of that fragmentation, when the jazz community needs something, they don't have a big voice. We can't roar as easy as the classical community. So this will give us an umbrella group - coalitions that will combine our voices collectively so we can speak to larger things and basically build the city's response to the jazz community, and using the resources of the jazz community in a much more effective way."  

Panelists for the Town Hall Meeting include:

Michael Ricci, founder and publisher of the international website "All About Jazz"  

Warren Oree and Graziella D'Amelio of LifeLine Music Coalition, Inc.

Suzanne Cloud of Jazz Bridge, an arts service organization

Patricia Washington from Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing

Jason Fifield, jazz videographer and CEO of SLife Productions

Bob Perkins, WRTI Jazz host

Howard Mandel, President, Jazz Journalists Assn.

Lovitt Hines, community educator at the Clef Club

Bobby Zankel, saxophonist and leader of the Warriors of the Wonderful Sound      

Megan Fitzgerald, Kimmel Center

In addition to panel discussions, there will be an unveiling of the "Great Day in Philadelphia" photo, which was taken by photographer Elena Bouvier last April in front of the John Coltrane House in West Philadelphia, and is reminiscent of the historic "Great Day in Harlem" photograph.        

Contact Entertainment Reporter Kimberly C. Roberts at (215) 893-5753 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .