Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Hosts 'Jazz Fest for Peace'

Headlined by local musicians Gerald Veasley and Bill Jolly, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church is hosting a jazz festival this weekend to raise money for a faith-based gun control group.

On Saturday, the "Jazz Fest for Peace" will kick off at 6 p.m. with a dinner and jazz ensemble performance by a group of student musicians from Philadelphia's Girard Academic Music Program. Tickets for the meal and show cost $20 for adults and $10 for children.

At 8 p.m. that evening, Veasley—a Philadelphia-based bassist who has played on a number of Grammy-nominated albums—will perform for the crowd. A general admission ticket for the concert costs $30, while preferred seating runs at $50.

The grand finale of the event is a 1 pm. Sunday concert by Bill Jolly, a keyboardist and composer who's written for numerous films, television shows, and commercials. Ticket's for the Sunday show cost $30 for general admission and $50 for preferred seating. 

All proceeds from the event will benefit Heeding God's Call, a grassroots, interfaith group that works to reduce gun violence.

In the run up to the festival, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian has displayed a memorial in the lawn of its property. 288 T-shirts are planted in the grass, each one representing a Philadelphia who was killed with an illegally-owned hand gun in 2012. The display was erected on April 26, and will remain through the middle of May.

All events will take place at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian, 625 Montgomery Avenue, Bryn Mawr. Tickets are available for purchase at www.bmpc.com.