All That Jazz | Monmouth Arts

Gala 2021

Thank you for joining us at All That Jazz! It was the perfect evening with amazing performances by the Ocean Avenue Stompers, Chris Pinnella, and the jazz band Gatsby Now, accompanied by the Gatsby Dancers. Special thanks to Craig Kiely Designs for donating the beautiful flower arrangements, Hatteras for donating the ad journals, Monmouth Arts Board Members, volunteers, and everyone else who made it a successful night. We look forward to more events with you in the near future! Click the button below to view photos from the evening.

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All That Jazz Honorees

Honorees

Chris Pinnella

Artistic Achievement Award

Born and raised in New Jersey, Chris began his professional career at the age of 16 after auditioning for Maestro Fr. Alphonse Stephenson & the Orchestra of St. Peter. He went on to pursue music and received his degree from Marymount Manhattan College in NYC. After graduating Chris was heavily involved in NYC’s theatre scene, auditioning for Broadway plays, performing in off-Broadway productions, and working alongside Dame Julie Andrews, Tony nominees John Bucchino & Marcia Milgrom Dodge and Oscar / Emmy Winner Ian Fraser. Since then the seasoned performer has built his brand as a bandleader, performing with symphony orchestras around the country, leading his own combos of anywhere from 8 to 15 players or (for several tours of North America and Europe) lending his finely honed skills to the prog-rock / crossover locomotive known as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Currently, he is working on writing and arranging his debut EP, which is set to drop in 2022.

T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center Co-Founded by Gilda Rogers

Community Service Award

Wearing the hat of historian, Gilda Rogers is Co-Chair of the T. Thomas Fortune Foundation Board. She led the grassroots organization to save and preserve the T. Thomas Fortune House, the National Historic Landmark home of T. Thomas Fortune—leading African American journalist, author, orator, and civil rights activist of the 19th and early 20th centuries—located in Red Bank, New Jersey. Now the house operates as a Cultural Center run by the T. Thomas Fortune Foundation and partners with schools and other organizations to promote Fortune's legacy of social justice advocacy to further racial equity. Gilda is also an award-winning journalist and the author of three books, the most recent one, Out of the Ashes Came Hope; a director and producer of the short documentary A Man and His Music; and one of the playwrights of Supernatural: The Play. She currently teaches history as an adjunct professor at Brookdale Community College.

Monmouth University Center for the Arts Directed by Vaune Peck

Excellence in the Arts Award

Vaune Peck’s career spans more than 35 years in arts administration and most notably, as the founding Director of Monmouth University’s Center for the Arts, she created a comprehensive performing arts and cultural events program that now presents well over 150 events annually. A strong advocate for the arts, her roles include artist/agent relations, programming, strategic planning, grant writing, fundraising, public relations, community outreach, marketing, curating, and much more. Her own strong artistic and creative abilities (as an exhibiting painter and sculptor) aid in her understanding of what artists need to confidently perform or exhibit their work at the university. A few of her notable past and present professional affiliations include Monmouth Arts Trustee, Long Branch Arts Council Trustee, Long Branch Poetry Festival Co-Founder, and Founder of the Association of Independent Art Galleries (AIAG).

Gabriel Chajnik
Artistic Achievement Award

Gabriel Chajnik is a passionate dance educator, choreographer, and dancer. Born and raised in Argentina, Gabriel has danced professionally with the American Repertory Ballet and has performed nationally and internationally, taking on roles in full-length classics and in an extensive range of works by classical, modern, and contemporary choreographers. His own experience as a choreographer began at Juilliard, where he collaborated with renowned violinist Niv Ashkenazi and the Visions of Hope Foundation to create the Holocaust Awareness outreach performance “G*D.” After teaching at various dance schools throughout South America, Europe, and the United States, Gabriel created the Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theatre (AXCBT) in 2018 with hopes of cultivating an environment rooted in diversity, inspiration, encouragement, and equality, and using his company’s presence to expand creativity and appreciation for the arts throughout New Jersey.

Entertainment

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Gatsby Now & Gatsby Dancers

Gatsby Now is an energetic mélange of Prohibition-era jazz, French/Italian swing-waltz, and vintage pop. Renditions of Great American Jazz standards, Italian & French classics, and current hits are made anew by the band's arresting arrangements. Accompanying the band is the Gatsby Dancers, who specialize exclusively in swing, the Charleston, and authentic dances of the Jazz Age. Watch a performance by Gatsby Now here and check out the Gatsby Dancers here.

Ocean Avenue Stompers

The Ocean Avenue Stompers is a Nola-influenced brass band with the sounds of Jersey Shore rock 'n roll, Philly soul, and NYC's finest. Founded by Ian Gray, the Ocean Avenue Stompers are comprised of a rotating cast of musicians so they have a new face every time they play. This adds to the magic of providing the audience with a truly unique experience at every performance. Learn more about the Ocean Avenue Stompers here.

Thank you to our sponsors!