On Friday evening, May 26, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta will be hosting Mark Rapp as their final spring performer for their Final Friday Jazz Concert at 7:30 p.m.
Rapp, famous for hosting “ColaJazz” and “Rapp on Jazz” for South Carolina Public Radio, said he looks forward to promoting jazz within the Greater Augusta area.
“Jazz is such an important music; not only historically, but also for us in the present day moving forward, because it’s about community. It’s about bringing diverse people together,” said Rapp. “It’s a music about communication, and always trying to do better and be better. It’s about finding common ground, so it’s vitally important.”
The Mark Rapp Group, which is well-known in Columbia, SC, represents hip, sophisticated and cool jazz, and will perform swing, groove, latin jazz, bebop, funk and more.
“It’s an eclectic program that’s very interesting and exciting. It’s an adventure,” he said. “I hope people are amazed that such jazz talent exists within their immediate neighborhood; [Augusta] does have amazing jazz artists that call this area home … they don’t have to go to New York or wherever to enjoy it – we’ve got it here.”
Like many jazz musicians within the area, Rapp feels concerts such as those promoted by the Universalist Church can help increase Augusta’s lack of jazz events.
“I think Augusta has a fantastic opportunity to explode with jazz music. I mean you’ve got one of the world’s greatest jazz musicians to have ever lived not only living in Augusta, but also teaching at Augusta University – that’s the great Wycliffe Gordon,” he said. “You’ve got really great historical significance to the city, so I think there’s a tremendous opportunity there. These folks at the Unitarian Church are really jumping in and going for it, and I think it’s fantastic.”
Rev. Nic Filzen, event organizer for the church’s concert series, said he wanted to promote music within his community, because he believes jazz can be closely compared to religion.
“There’s a real hunger for jazz concerts here among the congregation … because we feel it’s so related to our concept for how the world is and how the world can be,” said Filzen. “Specifically the notion that creation is happening all the time and that jazz is kind of the perfect symbol of that.”
Filzen also said jazz embodies his church’s belief of constant communication and sharing ideas – so it was only natural for them to host a series of jazz concerts throughout the year.
“It’s something that hasn’t really been in the CSRA; there really isn’t another organization that is doing these ongoing kind of chamber jazz concerts that specifically focuses on the artform,” he said. “So, we’re trying to meet all those symbolic needs all at once.”
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta is located at 3501 Walton Way Ext., Augusta, GA, and tickets are on sale for $20 or $10 for students/active military. For more information or to purchase tickets: https://uuaugusta.org/jazz.
“I hope audiences walk away feeling inspired and that they’ve learned a little something about the jazz tradition,” said Rapp. “I want them to walk away feeling a little bit part of a larger community.”
