The Berks Jazz Fest, held each year in Reading, PA and surrounding Berks County venues, has become one of the premiere international jazz events and among the top five jazz festivals in the country. It is presented by the Berks Arts Council and sponsored by Boscov’s and many others.

The Berks Jazz Fest began in 1991 as a weekend event featuring Wynton Marsalis, Poncho Sanchez and Diane Schuur and has grown to a ten-day festival with 140 events in 51 venues, drawing 40,000 persons from around the country and Europe.

I have been associated with the Berks Jazz Fest since its inception, serving seven years as a festival chairman. At John’s United Church of Christ in Kutztown and at Christ Church United Church of Christ in Temple, we have hosted an annual Jazz Worship Service as part of the Berks Jazz Fest, as well as a Dixieland Jazz Service on All Saints Sunday. On these pages are a collection of photos with many of the featured artists, as well as some of the sermons that I preached at the jazz services.