New Brunswick Jazz Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting world class jazz performances in downtown New Brunswick & other Central Jersey venues. Since its inception in 2010 NBJP has gone from presenting two jazz performances a month, to offering FREE year around shows, four nights every week. The Jazz Project has successfully fostered a supportive environment for regular live jazz performance in New Brunswick and has presented more than 1800 events featuring over 1200 acclaimed national and international jazz leaders, sidemen and special guests, including among many others: Arturo O’Farrill, John Lee, Ed Cherry, Dave Stryker, Akiko Tsuruga, Roseanna Vitro, Mimi Jones, Jerry Weldon, Rudy Royston, Virginia Mayhew, Luis Perdomo, Dezron Douglas, Joe Magnarelli, Ralph Peterson, Steve Williams, Kenny Davis, Tia Fuller, Orrin Evans, Jared Gold, Tim Ries, Victor Lewis, Conrad Herwig, and Ravi Coltrane.
NBJP has also developed supportive, wide-reaching relationships with musicians who understand that the Project’s mission is to keep the only original American art form, jazz a vital part of the places where it began—in local communities. “Jazz shouldn’t only be found in New York, New Orleans and Kansas City or at annual festivals. The music should be everywhere–all the time.” New Brunswick is ranked #6 on a list from Movoto.com of the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America with live music being cited as one of the deciding factors.
In 2013, The New Brunswick Jazz Project collaborated with the five year old Somerville Jazz Festival to form two day The Central Jersey Jazz Festival. In 2014, the Festival, which takes place the second weekend in September added the township of Flemington and now the three day, three city, FREE musical event draws approximately 12,000 jazz lovers to the region.
In 2023, we help create The Middlesex County Jazz Festival. This jazz festival was created to expand jazz in our state. It takes place the last weekend in September and includes Edison, Woodbridge, Perth Amboy, Metuchen, and New Brunswick. This FREE event was so successful that Carteret was added to the festival in 2024 and now the event is in 6 Towns over 5 nights.
NBJP also regularly partners with the New Brunswick Public Schools and the Hub Teen Center to provide after-school enrichment programming in the form of jazz performances with student participation and talk backs.
Mike, Virginia, Jimmy
New Brunswick Jazz Project founders Jimmy Lenihan, Virginia DeBerry and Michael Tublin are longtime friends who wanted to add to the cultural offerings in their already arts rich community. NBJP has created a real jazz scene and now brings guests from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania to the New Brunswick area multiple nights each week to enjoy this quintessential, uniquely American music.
The New Brunswick Jazz Project is a recognized tax exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Karim Bukhadurov from Great.com interviewed New Brunswick Jazz Project as part of their ‘Great.com Talks With…‘ podcast. This series is an antidote to negative news stories that aims to shed light on organizations and experts whose work is making a positive impact on the world.
How New Brunswick Became a Hub for Jazz Music
The city of New Brunswick boasts a rich theatre scene, as well as restaurants and galleries. However, for music lovers—especially jazz enthusiasts—there was nowhere to go to enjoy the delights of bebop or swing. That is, until the New Brunswick Jazz Project took matters into their own hands. Virginia DeBerry, from New Brunswick Jazz Project (NBJP), details their passion in bringing the joys of jazz music to the local community.
Great.com interviews New Brunswick Jazz Project about the joys of jazz in bringing people together
Founder’s Bios
Mission Statement
The New Brunswick Jazz NPO is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to celebrating the legacy of Jazz, America’s original music and one of its most popular international exports, on a local level. We seek to enrich and enhance the lives of residents of our Central New Jersey community and beyond, through presenting regular Jazz performances featuring international, national, regional, local and student musicians and offering youth educational programs and performances. By further expanding the knowledge and reach of Jazz, the New Brunswick Jazz Project cultivates an interest in Jazz and nurtures and encourages current and future generations of Jazz musicians and enthusiasts.
Organization
The New Brunswick Jazz Project is managed by an Executive Board which reports to the Board of Trustees.
| Executive Board |
|---|
| James Lenihan – Chief Executive Officer |
| Michael S. Tublin – Chief Financial Officer |
| Virginia DeBerry – Chief Operating Officer |
| Adjunct Board Member |
|---|
| Ariana Sowa – Rutgers/Mason Gross Student Musician Liaison |
| Emeritus Board Member |
|---|
| Ronald F. Henry – Chief of Police South Bound Brook, NJ, Retired, City Councilman South Bound Brook, NJ, Retired |
| Posthumous Emeritus Board Member |
|---|
| Stephen K. Jones, FACHE – was the former President and CEO of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and RWJBarnabas Health Chief Academic Officer. Jones was most recently an Executive in Residence in the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, where he taught courses in healthcare management. |
| Board of Trustees |
|---|
| Joseph A. Bahgat – Media, Entertainment, internet & Privacy, Cybercrime Defense, Business Law, IP Litigation Attorney – The Privacy Firm |
| Virginia DeBerry – Author, Principal/Founder SOMEO/Social Media Optimization & Content Management Consultants, New Brunswick Jazz Project – Founder |
| Chris DeVito – Jazz Pianist/Senior Director International Taxation-Johnson & Johnson |
| Rida Hasan – is an educator and a dedicated jazz enthusiast and supporter |
| James Lenihan – President Gemco Valve, New Brunswick Jazz Project – Founder |
| Michael S. Tublin – Director of International Programs City of New Brunswick, New Brunswick Jazz Project – Founder |
| Jerry Weldon – Veteran tennor saxphonist, recording artist and bandleader. |