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The widely acclaimed Roy Hargrove Quintet inaugurated the 2012 Ertegun Jazz Series at the Turkish Embassy Residence in Washington DC. The event celebrated "African-American History Month" by honoring the Smithsonian's National Museum of African-American History. A collaboration between the Turkish Embassy and Jazz at Lincoln Center, the series is sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company.

By becoming a safe haven and a place for promotion for jazz musicians in the 1940's when segregation reached a height in the U.S., Turkey's Washington Embassy has become a part of American jazz history. The Ertegün Jazz Series, held to commemorate Turkey's Washington Ambassador at the time Mehmet Münir Ertegün and mark the legacy of his sons Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegün, began last year. Two brothers later founded Atlantic Records, one of the biggest record companies in the U.S. This year marks the second Ertegün Jazz Series and the first performance of the series was held on February15 by the Roy Hargrove Quintet.

The crowd that came out to watch the performance included U.S. Congress members John Conyers, Jim McDermott and Maxine Waters, U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom as well as a number of foreign mission chiefs.

The evening began with an opening address by Turkey's Washington Ambassador Namık Tan, followed by Lonnie Bunch the director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture, who expressed how honored he felt to be able to attend such a meaningful concert during Africa-American History Month.

Larry Clothier, the manager of Roy Hargrove Quintet, Cat Henry, director of Concert Administration of Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Roy Hargrove expressed their feelings about Ertegun Jazz Series for this special video.

Produced by Media Art LLC
Videography and video editing: Ibrahim Turk

© 2012 Media Art LLC