In the early 2000s, St. Ambrose’s newly installed rector, the Rev. Dr. Michael Battle, requested a grant from Trinity Church, Wall Street, NYC to start a Jazz Mass. A Jazz Mass is a worship service with service music and hymns played in a Jazz genre. The instrumental voices of saxophone, piano, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, and drums made up the Jazz Mass. The purpose was to offer a new worship service at St. Ambrose to appeal to a younger demographic with hopes of growing the congregation. St. Ambrose received a $25,000 grant for one year. The church leadership invited a Jazz Group called Moment’s Notice, named after the Duke Ellington Jazz standard. Moment’s Notice was led by Bobby Moody. From 2001 until 2018, the Jazz Mass was a Sunday morning fixture during the 9:15am hour.
UNC-TV Video
Advent Evening of Jazz, December 2012
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