The African Jazz-Art Society & Studio was formed in 1956 by a group of young African American artists, designers, musicians, hairdressers, writers, and jazz enthusiasts. It was initially called the Jazz-Art Society and was later remained the African Jazz-Art Society & Studios. Organizers included Elombe Brath, Kwame Brathwaite, Robert Gumbs, Afrank Adu, Chris Asmandeces Hall, David K. Ward, Ernest Baxter, and Jimmy Abu Williams producing jazz concerts, art exhibitions, and cultural events. The concerts featured many artists that later become renowned, such as Lou Donaldson, Jackie McLean, Gigi Gryce, Johnny Griffin, Cannonball Adderley, Hank Mobley, Junior Cook, Art Taylor, Philly Joe Jones, Betty Carter, Leon Thomas, Wilbur Ware, and others. The organization was influenced by Carlos A. Cooks, leader of the African Nationalist Pioneer Movement which developed out of Marcus Garvey's UNIA.
Naturally 62
In January 1962, the African Jazz-Art Society & Studio and the Grandassa models gave a fashion show was in the basement of Harlem night club, Purple Manor, on East 125th street. The show was called "Naturally 62" and one of the first to feature amateur models. In the early sixties, African Americans wore their hair pressed to straighten by a Hot comb whereas the models' hair was natural and they had dark skin. The Naturally shows were created to develop racial pride, African culture, poetry, art, and standards of beauty. AJASS shows traveled to colleges and universities in the United States of America and produced with Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach. They were also a part of the Black Arts Movement, along with Larry Neal, Ed Bullins, and Leroy Jones that created theater in Harlem. The original Grandassa models were Clara Lewis, Black Rose, Helene Nomsa Brath and, Priscilla Bardonille, Mari Toussaint, Esther Davenport, Wanda Sims, Sikolo Braithwaite, Beatrice Cramston, and Ann Tripp. Ann Tripp is the News Director for the Steve Harvey Show and WBLS/WLIB Radio and is quoted as saying "they were forerunners of the natural hair movement... We tried to make black people feel proud of who they were, no matter what complexion or hair type." AJASS continued to hold "Naturally" beautiful shows regularly thru and 1980s, and then ten year anniversaries until 2002. In 1963 AJASS created The Black Standard Publishing Company. They published two booklets; "Naturally '63 Portfolio, and later in 1963 "Color Us Cullud", the AJASS theater company. On September 22, 2018 in Harlem, the Elombe Brath Foundation and the Harlem Arts Alliance presented a tribute to the Grandassa Models, as the pioneers of the "Black is Beautiful" movement.
