Sugar Hill Mornings is a summer musical performance series (May-August) that began in 2018 exhibition as part of programming for the exhibition Jewel Bright: Kaleidoscope of Neighborhood Gems.  Last year we launched this series in collaboration with the Jazz Foundation of America to highlight the legendary talent of neighborhood pianist, Marjorie Eliot. We are partnering with the Jazz Foundation this summer and again celebrating the longstanding history of musical genius inherent to Sugar Hill. This year’s program has been devised to foster intergenerational 
exchange and reiterate themes present in this year's exhibitions, amplifying the power of listening, memory, and the human voice as a tool for societal uplift. 

Ray Mantilla

Ray Mantilla has been a percussionist for over 60 years having  toured the world, notably Cuba with Dizzy Gillespie and Italy annually for the past 35 years.  Mantilla has played with jazz greats like Max Roach, Eartha Kitt, Tito Puente. Ray’s performance at Sugar Hill features his electrifying small ensemble