Jazz artists trumpet the Foundation

A showcase of Philadelphia's top jazz artists too the stage Friday at the group's official premiere. While The Foundation has been putting on shows since October, on Friday night the group established itself as a campus music and arts promoter with its official "Grand Opening" jazz concert at the Rotunda. More than 100 people were treated to a showcase of Philadelphia's best jazz artists. The band Fortune Vinson Cruse provided all of the smooth jazz and mind-blowing solos that one crowd could handle, featuring the vocals of Brenda Smith on some of their best numbers. Along with host Earl Brown, of 90.1 FM -- the oldest jazz station in Philadelphia -- they kept the crowd captivated from start to finish. Opening act Jazz Explosion, a local band, preceded the main act. But jazz wasn't the only feature of the grand opening. Foundation members used the event as a means to open connections with the community. Fran Aulston, president of the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, was another of the many influential figures that attended the event. And Pete Vinson, a member of Fortune Vinson Cruse spoke about Philadelphia's rich jazz history Among the famous jazz venues Vinson mentioned are Natalie's, Ortlieb's, Zanzibar Blue and the Uptown Club. The Foundation describes itself as "a community gathering place for the promotion of arts and culture" and its emphasis is on experimentation. It offers multiple free concerts every week with performances including everything from hip-hop to electronic music to poetry to experimental rock. "It's a different world every week," said Social Planning and Events Committee Co-Chairperson Jonathan Herrmann, a Wharton senior. Foundation President Andrew Zitcer said students shouldn't be afraid to check out a Foundation performance just because it doesn't feature the music that they normally listen to. "If you've never heard of it before, come out and give it a try," the College senior said. The Foundation's diversity doesn't end with the music that it presents. Its target audience reaches far beyond just Penn students, spreading into the faculty and out into Philadelphia. In fact, Penn Accounting Professor Nick Gonedes was the soundperson for last Friday's performance. "Everyone should feel like they own this place," Zitcer said. With Friday's Grand Opening, Foundation members took pride in being able to push forward the relationship between West Philadelphia and Penn. Brown referred to the organization as a link that is connecting Philadelphia's community to the University. Next year, The Foundation has plans to expand into Philadelphia to provide after-school programs and art workshops. Anyone interested in becoming a part of The Foundation can attend one of their weekly meetings, held at 8 p.m. Monday nights at Chats.