CENTER FOR JAZZ ARTS EXHIBITION DOCUMENTS DEFINING CAREER IN AMERICAN TELEVISION September 7, 2005 Los Angeles --- Bringing to light never-before-seen, studio photos capturing a vanished era in American life, and often providing the viewer with a fascinating perspective from directly within the orchestra of a network television program, the latest Center for Jazz Arts, online exhibition documents numerous, endearing moments from throughout the Hollywood career of musician and composer William "Buddy" Collette, and chronicles a groundbreaking, personal journey through the American social experience. "It is impossible to fully measure the transformative impact of an artist such as Buddy Collette," stated Guy DeFazio, president and chairman of the Center for Jazz Arts. "We're both thrilled and honored that he has allowed us to share many of his personal memories through this latest exhibition, and look forward to continuing what has now become a wonderful new relationship with him." Revealing rare, behind-the-scenes photos from within the earliest, Hollywood studios of each of the major broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS), including timeless, candid images of such beloved figures as Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Rose Marie, and numerous others, the featured exhibition "Television's New Voice" offers a unique window into the American music and television industries. Regularly performing as a featured member of the studio orchestras of such familiar, weekly broadcasts as The Groucho Marx Show ("You Bet Your Life"), The Danny Kaye Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Tonight Show, The Jonathan Winters Show, The Sammy Davis Show, and countless other televised specials, the assembled images provide a priceless glimpse into the life of an artist whose commitments to both his craft and the community around him would bring about extraordinary advances. Since the time of his earliest achievement as the first-ever, African-American musician hired to a Hollywood studio orchestra (Groucho Marx Show, 1949), and extending beyond his landmark performance as a member of the first Academy Awards Show orchestra ever to involve the participation of African-American musicians (1964), Buddy Collette's long and distinguished career has served as a beacon of hope for countless others to follow, and has continuously provided a unifying, new voice throughout the formative years of American television broadcast. About the CJA: Established in 2004, the Center for Jazz Arts is an international institution devoted to the study and advancement of American jazz culture throughout the visual, literary, and classical arts, around the world. Through its primary operations in Los Angeles, it is building a prominent new platform of engagement for students, artists, educators, and the broader public, from every generation. To contact the CJA: Public Relations Center for Jazz Arts (866) 950-5200 info@centerforjazzarts.com [ back to top ]