Steve Rudolph
Spring. Flowers. Easter. April is a month for being outdoors, warming up and preparing for the summer ahead.
Perhaps lesser known, it’s also a good month to listen to some great music. April is Jazz Appreciation Month, and there may be no better way to celebrate in Harrisburg than with a “Taste of Jazz.”
Sponsored by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, this event features the sounds of vocalist Diane Wilson Bedford, the Steve Rudolph Trio and the Break from Blue Collar Barbershop Quartet. That’s the jazz part. The “taste” part comes thanks to the Cajun cuisine of Crawdaddy’s, where the event takes place.
But it’s not just cool jazz and spicy food. “Taste of Jazz” also serves as a fundraiser, supporting and highlighting the work of the church.
“It will create a sense of family and community, understanding of the programs and mission of church, as jazz is multicultural, which highlights the theme of the church, and is a day of celebration,” said Sarah Weedon, senior warden of St. Paul’s Vestry.
Diversity, Empowerment
Event organizers expect more than 150 people to attend the event, given the popularity of the performers and the restaurant.
Steve Rudolph is a prominent fixture in Harrisburg’s jazz scene, keeping the movement alive and going. He is currently the executive director of Central PA Friends of Jazz.
Harrisburg native Diane Wilson Bedford is a well-known vocalist locally and performs both regionally and nationally. Break from Blue Collar is a barbershop quartet comprised of classically trained singers.
“They will provide an added dimension to the event displaying tight harmony to the jazz standards they will perform,” explained Christyan Seay, the musical coordinator of the event, member of St. Paul’s and participant in the choir.
Given the multicultural nature of jazz, the event fits well into the mission of St. Paul’s, which ministers to a diverse congregation and neighborhood in Uptown Harrisburg.
The church has been at the corner of Green and Seneca streets since 1993, though it first came together as a Mission Sunday School at St. Stephen’s in November 1857. Due to floods, fires and economic spirals, St. Paul’s has switched building locations throughout Harrisburg over the past 150 years.
In addition to worship services, St. Paul’s oversees several important community programs. In partnership with St. Barnabas, a youth center that is located at St. Paul’s, the church runs a summer program for about 60 Uptown neighborhood children. Meals, educational activities and field trips, including theaters and amusement parks, are incorporated in this child-focused ministry.
A newer ministry, which just launched on March 3, is the Beacon Clinic for Health and Hope. This health clinic is targeted to those in the community who are uninsured and underserved in the Dauphin County area. Volunteer doctors and nurses supply a holistic treatment in caring for these people.
“[St. Paul’s] is about empowering people to do God’s work in the church and the community,” said St. Paul’s member Kara Beem.
To continue its ministries, St. Paul’s relies largely on congregational donations and community fundraisers. Much has gone into “Taste of Jazz,” as it is the first fundraiser of its kind for the church, and the event planning committee has been hard at work since last summer, carefully fine-tuning the details.
“[The goal of ‘Taste of Jazz’] is for everyone to have a good time, acquire a sense of breadth with what St. Paul’s is about, which is love of God and neighbor, an appreciation of community, to know more, meet people and enjoy fellowship,” said the Rev. Canon Katherine Harrigan, the rector of the church.
“Taste of Jazz” takes place April 12, 2 to 5 p.m., at Crawdaddy’s, 1500 N. 6th St., Harrisburg. The cost is $45 per person. For more information and to order tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/a-taste-of-jazz-tickets-15485657017?aff=eac2.
