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Asbury Park African-American Music Project

Celebrating the stories of Springwood Avenue

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The Asbury Park African-American Music Project is excited to partner with Pass It Down, an online digital platform that will help us preserve, collect, and share the stories of Springwood Avenue!

Access our history on your phone, computer, or tablet. Plus, you can contribute YOUR stories and photos to the archive!

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“Down the Avenue: Stories of Springwood Avenue”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au6leagq5Oo&t=81s

 

 

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AP-AMP Inc.
Hilliard “Sweet Pea” Atkinson was born in 9/20 Hilliard “Sweet Pea” Atkinson was born in 9/20/45 in Oberlin, Ohio. He moved to Detroit as a young man where he joined the group Was (Not Was). Performed R&B, Funk and Rock. One solo album “Don’t Walk Away” in 1982. He toured for 10 years with Lyle Lovett, and was also a backup singer for Bob Dylan, Elton John and Willie Nelson. 🎶 — #Blackmusicmonth #musician #rnb #funk #soul #detroit #recordingartist #blackmusic #music #wasnotwas #apamp #artist #rip #sweetpeaatkinson
Cliff Johnson (saxophone) and The Squires of Rhyth Cliff Johnson (saxophone) and The Squires of Rhythm. Cliff began performing on Springwood Avenue in Asbury Park in the 1930s and 40s. -- “I can remember being still in my teens and we were playing in Cuba’s. In Cuba’s, they had a bar in the front and a nightclub in the back. They had Broadway-type shows back there... the kinds of things you would see if you went up to New York. … Back in those days, people who wanted to hear jazz music, people who wanted to have a good time and go to a nightclub, they came from the east side of Asbury Park – with their furs, pulling up with their limousines. Going to the back of Cuba’s. And there were no racial incidents whatsoever. Everyone just melded together.” - Cliff Johnson, in an interview with AP-AMP 🎶 — Photo: courtesy Cliff Johnson. 📷 — #westsidewednesday #springwoodavenue #stories #music #musichistory #apamp #asburypark #historicpreservation #africanamericanhistory #asburyparkhistory #cliffjohnson #squiresofrhythm #jazz #saxophone #sax #drums #bass #blackartist #blackmusicmonth
Betty Wright, born Bessie Regina Norris 12/25/53 i Betty Wright, born Bessie Regina Norris 12/25/53 in Miami, Florida, was best known for recording “Cleanup Woman” and “Tonight Is The Night.” In 1976, she won a Grammy for “Where Is The Love” and was the first woman to win for co-writing the winning song. She was the first black female artist to score a gold album “Mother Wit” on her own label, Ms B Records in 1987. 🎶 — #Blackmusicmonth #musician #songwriter #grammywinner #recordingartist #cleanupwoman #blackmusic #music #singer #apamp #artist #bettywright
Instagram post 17867046259834754 Instagram post 17867046259834754
Did you know that June is African American Music A Did you know that June is African American Music Appreciation Month? Every June since AP-AMP began, we have held events to celebrate this month. Since we can’t host any events right now, we are going to pay tribute every day of June to African American musicians who have passed away in 2020. On Wednesdays, we will honor musicians from our hometown, Asbury Park, NJ. #blackmusicmonth 🎶 — Little Richard, born as Richard Wayne Penniman, from Macon, Georgia, was a musician, singer/songwriter. He’s considered one of the Fathers of Rock n Roll. See the site to find more info and examples of his music. 🎶 . https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/little-richard-dead-48505/ 💡 — #blackmusicmonth #june #blackmusic #music #musician #apamp #artist #singer #rock #littlerichard #guitar
Behind-the-scenes of an AP-AMP interview… sittin Behind-the-scenes of an AP-AMP interview… sitting down with Asbury Park musician Desi Norman last summer. 🎶 — If you'd like to learn more about the people and places of Asbury Park's west side, including Desi, check out our free Digital Museum on our website, asburyamp.org! 🎶 — #westsidewednesday #springwoodavenue #interview #music #musichistory #apamp #asburypark #historicpreservation #africanamericanhistory #asburyparkhistory #behindthescenes
🎶 50 years ago! The Big Memorial Day Weekend at 🎶 50 years ago! The Big Memorial Day Weekend at Wakie’s Show Place in 1970, featuring “music by The Fabulous R.P. and the Soul Rockers, featuring Peaches Simone.” 🎶 — In the early 1970s, Wakie’s Show Place was a music venue on Springwood Avenue, the heart of Asbury Park’s west side. In the 1950s and 60s - before it was Wakie’s - it was called the Turf Club. Today, it’s the last remaining structure on Springwood Avenue that was once a music venue. It now stands across the street from the Asbury Park Senior Center. Stay tuned for how YOU can help give new life to the Turf Club! 🌱 — Photo: @asburyparkpress 📷 — #westsidewednesday #springwoodavenue #wakies #turfclub #music #musichistory #history#apamp #asburypark #historicpreservation #africanamericanhistory #asburyparkhistory #memorialday #soulrockers
New Life for the Turf Club... “the Heart of the New Life for the Turf Club... “the Heart of the Avenue!” ♥️ — “There was a big disco ball… right in the middle of the bar [at the Turf Club]. They had stage lights, professional lighting. It was a wonderful place to play. The bands could see you from the stage and from wherever you were in the Turf Club, you could see the bands. The way it was made, you can hear the music outside, but you couldn't hear the outside noise. A fire engine could ride by while the band's playing and you couldn't hear them. It was a very unique place.” 🎶 — “There's a curtain… that's in the back of the stage and there's a wall behind the curtain. Behind that wall was a walkway that you can go from the package goods to the supply room. The curtain [was] a burnt orange or a dark sienna with sequins. If you had a banner for your band, you can pin it up to the curtain. [When] the air conditioner was on, the curtain used to shimmer.” - Al Holmes, local musician (interview with AP-AMP, September 2019) ♥️ — Stay tuned for how YOU can help give new life to the Turf Club! ♥️ — Photo: @asburyparkpress March 17, 1973. 📷 — #westsidewednesday #springwoodavenue #turfclub #music #musichistory #apamp #asburypark #nj #historicpreservation #africanamericanhistory #asburyparkhistory
“Irene Reid, one of Count Basie’s former vocal “Irene Reid, one of Count Basie’s former vocalists, performs at Wakie’s Show Place (formerly Leo’s Turf Club), Springwood Ave., Asbury Park, while the club’s new owner, Wayland (Wakie) Goldston (left) looks on and guitarist Paul Perez plays.” 🎸 — We submitted our grant proposal this week to @savingplaces, the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Fingers crossed for “New Life for the Turf Club!” 🎶 — Photo: @asburyparkpress, April 3, 1970. 📷 — #westsidewednesday #springwoodavenue #turfclub #wakies #music #musichistory #apamp #asburypark #jazz #guitar #historicpreservation #africanamericanhistory #asburyparkhistory
New Life for the Turf Club! 🌱 — “My first n New Life for the Turf Club! 🌱 — “My first night out of the service, I went into the Turf Club... Our main place was the Turf. They had some great bands, good musicians came in there, from all over. That's the one thing about Asbury too: they used to bring people in from all over the world.” - JT Bowen (Interview with AP-AMP, May 2018) 🎶 — Stay tuned for how YOU can help give new life to the Turf Club! 🎶 — Photo: inside the former Turf Club in September 2019. This would have been the view from the stage, looking towards the audience and main entrance (right). 📷 — #westsidewednesday #springwoodavenue #turfclub #music #musichistory #apamp #asburypark #historicpreservation #africanamericanhistory #asburyparkhistory
🎶 New Life for the Turf Club! 🎶 — “Peopl 🎶 New Life for the Turf Club! 🎶 — “People that walk by Springwood and Memorial Drive, they don't know that The Orchid was on that corner. When they go down further, they don't know Madonna's was across the street. They don't know a little ways further there was Pat's Bar. They don't know what The Turf even was. They see The Turf, they see the fancy sign, they figure, 'Well, it must have been a club.' And it was more than a club. It was all these clubs, even all the way down to The Little Elks, to Big Bill's.” 🎶 — “All of these clubs were meeting places not only for musicians, for families. During holidays, people used to go from club to club. It was a place where people made a living, it was a place where people could enjoy themselves, it was a place where people could go if they needed someone to talk to. It was a place to go if you just wanted to be by yourself!” - Al Holmes, local musician (interview with AP-AMP, September 2019) 🎶 — Stay tuned for how YOU can help give new life to the Turf Club! 🎶 — Photo: Entrance to the Turf Club (February 2019) 📷 — #westsidewednesday #springwoodavenue #turfclub #music #musichistory #apamp #asburypark #historicpreservation #africanamericanhistory #asburyparkhistory
Out of over 550 applications submitted to the Nati Out of over 550 applications submitted to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (@savingplaces), we are honored to be one of 58 selected to submit a full proposal! 💫 — Our proposal, “New Life for the Turf Club,” is dedicated to preserving the last standing music club on Springwood Avenue! It was once one of the most popular jazz clubs on Asbury Park’s west side. Please join us in on our efforts! We need volunteers, donations, and fingers crossed for this super competitive grant process! 🎹 — 📷 left, cred. Asbury Park Historical Society/Asbury Park Press @asburyparkpress , ca. 1960s. 📷 right, 2017. 🎶 — #westsidewednesday #apamp #asburypark #historicpreservation #savingplaces #tellthefullstory #springwoodavenue #nj #jazz #music #turfclub
Thankful for the gift of music to bring us joy thr Thankful for the gift of music to bring us joy through these difficult days. ❤️ — “Dorian Parreott and Friends" performing at the AP-AMP Launch Event at the @transparentclinch last summer. 🎶 — Dorian Parreott (saxes), Mark Cohn (Keyboard), Jimmy Givens (Drummer), Fred King (Trumpet), Sandy Sasso (Vocalist), Desi Norman (steel drum), Karen Lee (sax) 🎶 — #westsidewednesday #apamp #asburypark #nj #jazz #sax #horn #trumpet #drums #piano #steeldrums #music #jazzband #dannyclinchgallery #springwoodavenue
In her interview with AP-AMP, musician and educato In her interview with AP-AMP, musician and educator Karen Lee Schwarz shares how she met Dolores ("Dee") Holland. Karen has been the music teacher at several Asbury Park schools, including Bradley Elementary, Asbury Park High School, and now at Barack Obama Elementary. 🎹 — Dee is a jazz piano player from Asbury Park who is often described as having a "wicked left hand." Dee started gigging in Asbury Park in the 1930s, and one of her last professional performances was with Karen at Restaurant Plan B in Asbury Park on New Years Eve in the early 2000s. We are lucky to have interviewed Dee, too! 🎹 — #westsidewednesday #apamp #springwoodavenue #newjersey #jersey #history #music #musician #femalemusicians #musicteacher #jazz #piano #locallegends #asburypark
Sammy Pugh, left, and Clarence Pinckney at the Lit Sammy Pugh, left, and Clarence Pinckney at the Little Elks (on Springwood Avenue in Asbury Park) in 1956 (@asburyparkpress) 🎹 . Don’t forget to check out our ever-growing Digital Museum, dedicated to the people, places, history, and music of Springwood Avenue! Link is in our bio! 🎶 — #westsidewednesday #apamp #asburypark #nj #newjersey #music #musicians #piano #digitalmuseum #history #musichistory #jazz #dog #collie #springwoodavenue
In these uncertain times, music is something that In these uncertain times, music is something that can bring us joy and a sense of community. Check out our Digital Museum, which centers around the musicians and venues of Springwood Avenue. You will find troves of information on many different places and people that once graced the streets of Asbury's west side. 🎶 — Link to our Digital Museum in bio ↖️ — 🎵 Music: "You'll Never Walk Alone", featuring Asbury Park's own Al Griffin on drums. Other musicians include Dayton Selby (organ) and Eddie Chamblee (saxophone) 🖤 — #westsidewednesday #apamp #asburypark #nj #digitalmuseum #jazz #drums #saxophone #organ #music #musician #band #history #springwoodavenue #passitdown @pass_it_down
Thank you @wejanetv! We love every opportunity to Thank you @wejanetv! We love every opportunity to highlight Springwood Ave. history and we had so much fun talking with you, @ilsyjhoo & @bethtancredi 🎶 . Link to full interview in bio! ⬆️ — #repost • @wejanetv The latest episode of #WeJaneTV on @nj_on_air is here! Http://www.njonair.com/videos/talk/asbury-park-African-American-music-program At the close of #BlackHistoryMonth, we had the opportunity to interview @asbury_amp to celebrate the rich stories, culture and music that was born out of #SpringwoodAvenue in #AsburyPark. @ilsyjhoo @bethtancredi @jwsouder #music #gospel #jazz #apamp #nj #history #musichistory
We were so happy to get visibility for AP-AMP and We were so happy to get visibility for AP-AMP and the stories of Springwood Avenue, and participate in the Asbury Park St. Patrick’s Day parade last weekend!! Thank you to @springwoodavenuerising for partnering with us on this — teamwork is everything!! 💚 — #westsidewednesday #apamp #asburypark #apnj #nj #newjersey #springwoodavenue #springwoodavenuerising #stpatricksday #parade #teamwork
AP-AMP is excited to announce a grant from the Mon AP-AMP is excited to announce a grant from the Monmouth County Historical Commission (through funding from the New Jersey Historical Commission and the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders) to support our efforts to celebrate the stories of Springwood Ave! THANK YOU!! ✨ — #westsidewednesday #apamp #asburypark #springwoodavenue #monmouthhistoricalcommission #monmouth #nj #grateful
Thank you to @wejanetv for interviewing us yesterd Thank you to @wejanetv for interviewing us yesterday! We had a great time talking about the music of Springwood Avenue and our organization’s current projects. 🎵🖤 — #repost • @wejanetv WeJane TV is back with New Episodes! We are ending Black History Month with an amazing interview with the African American Music Project. Tune into our FB page at @wejanetv to watch us live tonight at 6:30PM. If you miss the live feed, the episode will be on NJ On Air next week! — #apamp #asburypark #interview #nonprofit #wejanetv #njonair #springwoodavenue #nj
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