POSTPONED: In concern for the health and safety of our audience, this event will be rescheduled at a later time. In the meantime, copies of our book are available on Amazon.com. After years of research, writing, layout and editing, our book “Springwood Avenue Harmony: The Unique Music Legacy of Asbury Park’s West Side, Volume 1 (1871 – 1945) is finally published and available to the public. We’ll be holding a multimedia presentation and book signing event at 11 AM on March 28 at St. Augustine Episcopal Church. 155 Prospect Avenue in Asbury Park, NJ. The event is FREE to attend. The 45-minute multimedia presentation will feature some great stories from the book (and some music clips from the artists covered). You be able to purchase our book at a discounted price (much lower than Amazon.com) and get it autographed by us. For those unable to attend, our book is also available on Amazon.com. Just click Springwood Avenue Harmony. There you can see excerpts of it by clicking “Look Inside”
Book Summary: Since just after its founding in 1871, Asbury Park, New Jersey, has been a “music city”. Yet, through much of its history, Asbury Park has been segregated. While much is known about the musicians who played the seaside resort’s beachfront venues, until now, little has been written about the music of the shadow city just across the railroad tracks. Springwood Avenue Harmony details the history of music from Asbury Park’s predominantly African American West Side from 1871 through 1945. It includes the genres of Spirituals, Ragtime, Stride Piano, Jazz, Black Vaudeville, Blues, Big Band, Gospel and Pop music. The book examines the social, political, economic and racial climates under which the music developed and evolved. The lives of West Side singers and musicians long forgotten are finally given recognition. Also covered are the churches, theaters, nightclubs and entertainment venues that made up the music scene along Springwood Avenue. The book has close to 200 rare photos/flyers and is drawn from more than 700 documented news clippings, journals, books and interviews. It is fully indexed and contains an extensive bibliography.
