SUMMARY

The 80th Anniversary of D-Day and the Liberation of France was celebrated again on June 6 with an old-timey Jazz Ball at the Maison Française of the Embassy of France. The evening began with a dynamic reenactment of the Normandy landings, with the help of talented actors and the Smithsonian Institute. Then, a Jazz Ball, reminiscent of ones held in French villages, followed, with musicians from the D.C.-based band Veronneau, featuring award-winning vocalist Lynn Veronneau, guitarist Ken Avis, and guitarist Michael Joseph Harris of Baltimore’s Hot Club. Attendees enjoyed American swing, French classics, and “jazz manouche,” along with wartime and post-war songs. During the intermission, documentary filmmaker and Smithsonian lecturer Paul Glenshaw spoke about the history of Jazz in France and how it had flourished in the country for over 100 years.

We would like to thank the following companies for their support: Saint-Gobain, Engie, Delta, GE Aerospace, Arianespace, Airbus, Thales, BNP Paribas, Orano, Michelin, Schneider, Alstom, Total Energies, Safran.