While organizing East Coast Jazz Revue’s spring concert, Larry Turner learned of the U.S. Postal Service’s newest commemorative series “Jazz” stamp and hoped it could be unveiled at ECJR’s concert, “A Tribute to Mothers” on May 7.

The president and founder of ECJR, Turner believed that this would be a historic moment, reads an ECJR news release.

“What a prestigious unveiling for this audience of jazz lovers and students alike as well as for the City of Washington, N.C., and all of eastern North Carolina,” he said.

According to the Postal Service, the stamp features the work of a California artist, Paul Rogers, who was approached by the Postal Service art director Howard Paine to design the stamp.

In the past, jazz greats Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and others have been honored with stamps, but there has never been a single stamp in honor of jazz — America’s original art form.

“It’s always an honor to design a postage stamp,” Rogers said on his website, “and because I love jazz and have great respect for the history of the music, this one was very special to me.”

Rogers’ inspiration was the cover art from vintage jazz record albums, work that captured the music’s improvisational quality while built on a clear understanding of its underlying structure.

Prior to the concert, Turner, working with the postmaster in Washington, Myra Lynn, was introduced to Carl Walton, Postal Service communications specialist for the Greensboro District.

Turner thanked him for allowing the unveiling to take place during the East Coast Jazz Revue’s concert at the Turnage Theater, and the conversation touched on the ECJR’s master class for music students and jazz lovers that would take place on the same day of the concert.

Impressed by the mission of East Coast Jazz Revue, Walton said, “I know a little about jazz, my father is Cedar Walton.”

Turner’s first reaction was, “What did you say? Did I hear you correctly? Cedar Walton, famous American hard bop (jazz) pianist, is your father?”

Turner said he was surprised by this discovery and equally excited by the historic importance that this moment was going to have at the concert.

Jazz drummer-icon and concert headliner, Roger Humphries, knows Cedar Walton personally and performed with him during a tribute to jazz great Horace Silver some years ago.

Present for the unveiling was Archie Jennings, mayor of Washington, and two mayors from neighboring cities, Mayor James Mobley of Chocowinity and Mayor Pat Dunn of Greenville.

Students from Washington’s P.S. Jones Middle School Jazz Band were in the audience along with area jazz lovers to witness history in the making.

The middle school jazz band had performed prior to Humphries, his All Stars and international jazz vocalist Spanky Wilson.

Mayor Jennings’ remarks during the stamp unveiling echoed Turner’s own vision of bringing communities together — blacks, whites, Latinos, young and old.

Turner summed it up by saying, “I know that the unveiling of the newest U.S. postal jazz stamp at the East Coast Jazz Revue’s spring concert signals the continued development of East Coast Jazz Revue and its prominence as a resource for jazz education and performances in this part of the state.”

For more information, contact Turner at 1-866-936-6176.