Got the Blues? C.B. Nuckolls Community Center and Black History Museum to Host an Evening of Jazz

Got the Blues?

C.B. Nuckolls Community Center and

Black History Museum to Host an Evening of Jazz

Gwen Akers

The Ashland Beacon

    As Ashland slides into fall, there is no better way to celebrate than by listening to the smooth notes of jazz music. Next weekend, on October 17 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the C.B. Nuckolls Community Center and Black History Museum will host an Evening of Jazz at the Bellefonte Country Club.

    “It's an evening of jazz,” explained museum founder Darrell Smith. “I've got a live band that is going to be playing, [led by] Wes McDowell, and I'll also have someone singing as well.”

    The event is a fundraiser for the C.B. Nuckolls Community Center and Black History Museum, which is currently located on Kilgore Drive. The funds raised from this event will go toward its operations and exhibits as it continues to preserve, document, and study Black history in Ashland and across America.

    Proceeds will also go toward the museum’s long-term goal of relocating to downtown Ashland and expanding its reach. The generous sponsorship of Dr. Charles and Mrs. Dorothy Rhodes has helped bring this event to fruition.

    “Every dime is going right back into the museum,” commented Smith. “We want to stay active in the community.”

    Entertainment for the evening will be provided by Wes McDowell and his jazz quartet. McDowell, a native of Huntington, West Virginia, is currently an adjunct professor of jazz at Marshall University. As a highly decorated percussionist, McDowell prides himself on his work in composing and performing, especially as he passes his love of music on to his students.

    “We are doing a quartet model. I’ve got a trumpet player, a saxophonist, and a bass player that are going with me,” detailed McDowell. “It’s nice to just have community like this. In the times we live in, it's nice to get out of the house and spend a few hours with people you enjoy being around, listening to music, and just having a good time.”

    When he was a student at Marshall, McDowell first started doing these “society” or community gigs and has been performing professionally since 2020. Now, he has the opportunity to provide his students with this same experience. His quartet, which includes some of his current students, will play a mixture of classic jazz charts by Duke Ellington and Roy Hargrove, original compositions, and more. The group will also perform with a surprise vocalist who will be revealed at the event!

    The country club will provide food, and the event will also feature signed jazz prints framed by Darrell Smith.

    This event is just another example of the great work the C.B. Nuckolls Museum does for the community. The museum has a long history of supporting and uplifting the people of Ashland, whether through America 250 exhibits and events or by hosting schoolchildren and community members year-round.

    Although tickets are selling fast, they can still be purchased on the C.B. Nuckolls Community Center and Black History Museum’s website at ashlandblackhistory.com. The evening will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.