Fred Hughes, director of the New Holland Band (NHB) and founder of the nonprofit Jazz Alive, is a man with a musical mission. "The mission (of Jazz Alive) is dedicated to the preservation of jazz," said Hughes. "That includes community concerts and school residencies and assemblies," he added.

To help support that mission, "An Evening with the Fred Hughes Trio" will be presented in the chapel at Garden Spot Village (GSV), 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland, on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m.

In addition to Hughes on piano, the trio features Philadelphia drummer Dan Monaghan, a musician Hughes has been playing with regularly, and bass player Steve Meashey, whom Hughes has known since 1985. Hughes said the group's repertoire will include pieces from the Great American Songbook. "I like to introduce the music of great piano players, so it will be Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, and some more piano players," noted Hughes.

Hughes' love of jazz grew out of his experience with the First Army Band in Seoul, South Korea. Originally a tuba player, Hughes played the organ as a prelude to the NHB spring concerts. "There were no organs in Korea, so I switched to piano," recalled Hughes, who found himself playing jazz seven nights a week while stationed there. "I could imagine what it felt like for Dizzy Gillespie playing New York City's 52nd Street," recalled Hughes. "The Korean folks loved jazz, and every night the (performance venue) was packed. It was a wonderful situation."

After touring with the Army's Jazz Ambassadors, Hughes formed the Fred Hughes Trio, and in 2019, he began Jazz Alive with a vision for the next generation. "If you go to a jazz concert or a festival, it's a lot of older folks," Hughes pointed out. "I want to make sure in the future, folks want to play the music. It's a big-picture thing." Hughes' Army experience gave him the impetus to move forward with his dream. "When I was in the Jazz Ambassadors, I was the clinic coordinator," explained Hughes. "I saw the need to go into schools ... to augment their programs."

To that end, Jazz Alive representatives have visited schools to perform for students, work with them at their school, and then perform a concert with students in the evening. Hughes pointed out that the program is important to broaden the students' education with exposure to jazz music.

The upcoming GSV concert will be the first since Jazz Alive became a Pennsylvania nonprofit. Hughes sees it as the start of a new chapter for the organization. "I'm hoping this will be the beginning of doing concerts in the region, starting here in Lancaster County," he said.

Readers who would like to learn more about the organization or purchase tickets to the concert may visit http://www.jazz-alive.org. Tickets may also be available at the door prior to the concert.