Newark Public Library - Main Branch

Thurs., November 12, 2026 6:30-8pm EST Newark Public Library —Main Branch 5 Washington St. 4th Floor Auditorium





Dinner is served at this event.&nbsp;Please RSVP.



Join us at the Newark Public Library Main Branch at the 4th floor auditorium for a special holiday Our Newark Futures with New Jersey-based musician/composer/ensemble leaders Pheeroan akLaff and Peter Lin. They will be a part of Rutgers University historian Nicole Burrowes’ New Jersey Oral History project she conducting with Nottingham University in England, bringing out voices of cross community relations across the Black and Asian communities here in New Jersey and the UK. We will also hear Pheeroan, Peter and bassist Caylen Bryant play together during the program.

It is hard to categorize akLaff and Lin with the range of their work and the breadth of their musical collaborations. akLaff is a major voice in Jazz in New Jersey with his work with his non-profit organization Seed Artists. He has established a series in New Jersey and New York as well as works globally as an artist, having collaborated extensively with musicians in Asia. Lin is the organizer of the Asian American Jazz Festival in Newark and also bandleader working cross culturally with his Catbus Collective and Asian American Jazz Collective as well as his work abroad in Taiwan. Burrowes will talk about the oral history project and hopes that there may be others who are working across communities that will like to join the project.

Photo of Peter Lin Photo credit Chris Drukker Bios: Pheeroan akLaff is contributing innovative drumming to creative music and interactive arts. His collaborative work with Anthony Braxton, Baikida Carroll, Anthony Davis, Andrew Hill, Oliver Lake, Tom Pierson Orchestra, Liu Sola, Henry Threadgill, Reggie Workman, and Yosuke Yamashita informed his musical vitality and is reflected in his recordings: Sonogram, Global Mantras, Brooklyn Waters, Drums-et Variations, Live in Japan, and the upcoming release Hana Dharma, fusing percussion with the string quintet of Aska Maret. Informed and inspired by his many residencies, research, and tours of Africa and Asia, Pheeroan values the ritual of regeneration in his conduction and live music.&nbsp;Caylen Bryant (she/her)&nbsp;began singing as a child, and at the age of seven, she picked up the cello. Later in her musical journey, she was inspired to migrate to the bass while studying at Oberlin. There, she completed the Double Degree Program and earned her Bachelor’s degrees from the College and the Conservatory. She recently graduated from The Juilliard School with a Master’s in Jazz Bass Performance.
Caylen is a&nbsp;New York based musician and teaching artist and&nbsp;tours nationally and internationally with artist Kandace Springs. Rubén Blades has described Caylen as a wonderful storyteller, remarking on how well she can deliver a story through music.

Nicole Burrowes is a historian of the African Diaspora specializing in twentieth-century Caribbean and African American history. She is an Assistant Professor of History at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, and Associate Director of the Rutgers Advanced Institute for Critical Caribbean Studies. Her book, Seeds of Solidarity: African-Indian Relations and the 1935 Labor Rebellions in British Guiana (Cambridge University Press, 2026), explores the historical possibility of a movement forged by those at the edges of empire in the midst of economic, environmental and political crises. She also serves as Oral History Lead for the New Jersey strand of a British Academy–funded project on Black-Asian relations. Beyond academia, she has over twenty-five years of experience working with communities of color for transformative justice.
Peter Lin is a Taiwanese-American trombonist, producer, and educator in the tri-state area. A graduate from both William Paterson University (undergrad) and Rutgers University (graduate), Peter has performed with jazz luminaries including Slide Hampton, Ron Carter, Winard Harper, Charli Persip, JD Allen, Robin Eubanks, Steve Davis, and Steve Turre. He has also been included in notable ensembles such as the Roy Hargrove Big Band, Jimmy Heath Big Band, and Frank Lacy’s Tromboniverse. With three albums under his name, including his most recent release titled “Identity” on Origin Records under the band AAPI Jazz Collective, he continues to perform prolifically worldwide as both a leader and sideman. In addition to his musical endeavors, he is also the founder of Yardbird Entertainment, a music production company providing audio, video, and livestream services, as well as the producer of AAPI Jazz Fest for three years. He currently teaches at Jazz House Kids and New Jersey Youth Symphony as a trombone instructor and ensemble coach.&nbsp;
<a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peterlinmusic.com%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cac1915%40connect.rutgers.edu%7C59e58dd3b69947ab37cf08df34619999%7Cb92d2b234d35447093ff69aca6632ffe%7C1%7C0%7C639287266021920335%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=iL5vWZJmj6mP6FDQ8sz1BiDeJQBKFrGWvZ0hTadOcm0%3D&amp;reserved=0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.peterlinmusic.com/</a>

Local Event: Black and Asian Cross Convergences: Music in New Jersey and Beyond

Essex County

Newark

New Jersey

Black and Asian Cross Convergences: Music in...

Thurs., November 12, 2026 6:30-8pm EST Newark Public Library —Main Branch 5 Washington St. 4th Floor Auditorium





Dinner is...

Black and Asian Cross Convergences: Music in New Jersey and Beyond

Alexandra Chang

Eric Kiefer

New York City Metropolitan Area

Jamie Gatlin

South Orange

Maplewood

West Orange

Bloomfield

Belleville-Nutley

Hudson County

Caren Lissner

Jersey City

Millburn-Short Hills

Union County

Springfield

Cranford

Montclair

Newark, NJ

Newark nonprofit leaders and their teams are invited to join the Newark Nonprofit Leadership Resilience Fund (<a href="https://www.nnlrf.org/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">NNLRF</a>) on Friday, November 13, for an interactive workshop focused on the financial decisions that sustain their organizations and missions.
Led by <a href="https://www.bdo.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">BDO</a>’s Hilda Polanco, <a href="https://resilienceinpracticeNNLRF.eventbrite.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Financial Management in Uncertain Times</a> provides an opportunity to work with your organization’s financial information, ask questions, and build a shared understanding of the decisions ahead.
Bring members of your leadership team, your current budget, and your most recent audit or Form 990. The session is designed to connect learning to your organization’s circumstances and support practical next steps.

Local Event: Resilience In Practice: Financial Management In Uncertain Times

Resilience In Practice: Financial Management In...

Newark nonprofit leaders and their teams are invited to join the Newark Nonprofit Leadership Resilience Fund (NNLRF) on Friday,...

Resilience In Practice: Financial Management In Uncertain Times

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)

NJPAC seeks vendors for its 2026 Holiday Market by Nov. 13. The market runs Dec. 10–20 on Chambers Plaza at NJPAC, 1 Center St., Newark, and will feature independent artisans, makers and small businesses selling unique holiday gifts. Vendors may choose which market dates they want to participate in. Applicants must submit a product description, up to three photos of their goods, business name, contact name, phone number, and product category at <a href="https://www.njpac.org/holiday-market-vendors/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.njpac.org/holiday-market-vendors/</a>.

Local Event: NJPAC Seeks Vendors for 2026 Holiday Market

NJPAC Seeks Vendors for 2026 Holiday Market

NJPAC seeks vendors for its 2026 Holiday Market by Nov. 13. The market runs Dec. 10–20 on Chambers Plaza at NJPAC, 1 Center...

Nearby Communities

State Edition

National Edition

Alexandra Chang, Neighbor

Posting Activity

Black and Asian Cross Convergences: Music in New Jersey and Beyond

NOV

12

6:30 PM

Newark Public Library - Main Branch, 5 Washington St, Newark, NJ

Black and Asian Cross Convergences: Music in New Jersey and Beyond

Resilience In Practice: Financial Management In Uncertain Times

NJPAC Seeks Vendors for 2026 Holiday Market