Exhibit Honoring Indy Jazz Great Opens at Butler University's Irwin Library

Aug. 9, 2010 - PRLog -- Stamford, CT – The Jimmy McDaniels Foundation, Inc. unveils “The Leader of the Band,” a biographical exhibit of 1998 Indy Jazz Foundation Hall of Fame inaugural class inductee, James “Jimmy” McDaniels. The exhibit will be on display at the Irwin Library on the campus of Butler University August 16 until September 30 with an opening reception on Sunday, August 15 from 2-4 PM, where Dr. Bobby Fong, President of Butler University, will deliver welcoming remarks.

The exhibit revisits the life and times of an extraordinary man, known just as much for his humanitarian deeds as for the company he kept, including Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, Rosemary Clooney, Joe Williams and Lionel Hampton, to name a few.  It is organized into four sections of photographic images and text mounted on 35”x48” clear plexiglass panels, designed by Jelise A. Roberts of 7N1 Studio (Reynoldsburg, OH), constructed by Classic Graphics of Stamford, CT and funded by a private donor.  Following the exhibition run at the Irwin Library, the exhibit will tour the country before taking permanent residence at The Carver Theatre, home of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, in Birmingham, AL.

“The exhibit is our primary vehicle to introduce the Foundation’s mission of growing scholarship programs for instrumental musicians at Butler University’s Jordan School of Music and the Miles College Music Program  (Fairfield, AL),” states Marla McDaniels Heath, president. “It is a lasting tribute to a man who gave unselfishly to his profession, his community and his family.  We hope it will inspire the next generation of musical talent to follow in his footsteps.”

Admission to the exhibit is free of charge and open to the public during regular library hours. The Irwin Library is located at 4600 Sunset Avenue in Indianapolis, IN.

The Jimmy McDaniels Foundation is a nonprofit organization formed in 2009 to sustain music higher education opportunities for deserving students. Its motto, “Saving the music in higher education” reflects the importance of post-secondary music education and is a rallying cry to avert what experts predict will be the next economic bubble to burst, higher education. According to the Chronicle for Higher Education, “the ability to sustain private higher education for all but the very well-heeled is questionable.”

For information on or donations to The Jimmy McDaniels Foundation, a 501-C3 nonprofit organization, call 203-253-2907 or log onto http://www.thejimmymcdanielsfoundation.org. For information on the Irwin Library, call 317-940-9227.

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The Jimmy McDaniels Foundation is a national nonprofit organization committed to supporting higher educational opportunities for minority instrumental musicians and raising awareness of the unsung contributions to the history of American music.