Johnson's Happy Pals (Photo courtesy Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia)
The contributions of Virginia artists to jazz music are recalled in “Virginia Jazz: The Early Years,” a multimedia exhibition at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia.
Created by the Richmond Jazz Society, the exhibit features images and information about jazzy Virginians such as Ella Fitzgerald, Lonnie Liston Smith, Pearl Bailey and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, names that are known far beyond the commonwealth’s boundaries. They are also joined by lesser-known acts such as Roy Johnson’s Happy Pals and songwriter Henry Sterling Creamer.
A version of this exhibition appeared at The Valentine in 2017, but the current incarnation has been expanded and remixed and continues through June. The museum is open Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m to 5 p.m. $6 to $10.
