Ambassador Adam Sterling hosted a reception on April 20 to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) and introduce his new Art in Embassies (AIE) collection. Art in Embassies is a program that was established in 1963 by the U.S. Department of State to showcase American art at official residences overseas. The jazz performance and reception was a perfect venue for unveiling the collection, which includes photographs of legendary jazz musicians Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Frank Sinatra, and Art Tatum from the 1940s by William Gottlieb and Gjon Mili. The Embassy also invited Slovak vocal-instrumental jazz ensemble Paper Moon Trio to perform a mix of American and Czech/Slovak jazz numbers. Their performance supported this year’s JAM theme –Women in Jazz – and the centennial of Ella Fitzgerald. Both Fitzgerald and Paper Moon Trio drew inspiration from the 1930s American jazz trio The Boswell Sisters. The audience, which included art and music lovers, appreciated the chance to hear great jazz music performed by Slovak musicians and view the artwork.
