Why This Is Awesome: To quote Shakespeare, “if music be the food of love, play on!” That was my exact sentiment as I walked through the Institute of Jazz Studies @50 exhibit at the Paul Robeson Galleries last Wednesday. Along with saxophones from jazz greats like Ben Webster and Lester “Prez” Young, a gown worn by Ella Fitzgerald, sheet music marked by the hands of Charlie “Bird” Parker, pages from Louis Armstrong’s autobiography manuscript, and other countless hard-to-find pieces of memorabilia that defined the world of 20th-century jazz, you can find this beauty — a victrola from the 1920s that’s handcrafted with the same level of care, artistry and devotion to music as any other precious song, instrument and record in the room.
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