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Ron Ancrum

About Me

Avid jazz fan, former musician, after years of working in Boston, retired and moved to Charlotte, NVC.

Ron is an expert in nonprofit management and organizational development. His professional career includes college admissions officer, professor, consultant, nonprofit executive, philanthropist, and musician. Ron is a graduate of the University of Connecticut (Music), an MS in Public Affairs from UMass McCormack Institute, and an IEL Education Policy Institute certificate. In 1981, he released a jazz album with his band Quintessence. It was released in the European market by Mad About Music in 2024. He has provided consulting services to more than 50 organizations and has built networking relationships across many levels, from college presidents to community organizers. He has years of board service and is a founding member of several organizations. He is a former trustee of The Boston Conservatory, Mass Advocates for Children, founding member and steering committee for Leadership Pioneer Valley (MA) and Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, and Associate Professor for Macro Practice at Boston College School of Social Work. Ron is now retired and stays active with various projects, such as founder of Charlotte Jazz Buzz, the Chambers-McCain Foundation, New Generation of African American Philanthropists, and a member of AAHGS-Charlotte. Since retiring he has written a brief biography of his mother, “We Call Her Clifford”, a memoir “Keep on Moving – My Journey in the Fourth Quarter” and a novel “A Time for Mo.” He has been engaged in genealogy research since 2018. Born in Stamford, Connecticut, he moved to Charlotte from Boston, MA in 2016.

Favorite Musicians / Bands

Ben Williams

Carmen Lundy

Emmet Cohen

Etienne Charles

Joel Ross

Sullivan Fortner

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because... I was first exposed to jazz... as a young n=kid listening to my uncle's records and trying to play along on my trumpet I met [musician name]...Duke Ellington and Bennie Goodman. I was brought back stage by George T Simons, NYT Jazz writer. The best show I ever attended was...Wynton Marsalis performing with his early band, his brother, Kirkland, on a ship in the Boston Harbor on a clear night. The first jazz record I bought was... My advice to new listeners... Or whatever else you have in mind.

My House Concert Story

I hosted several concerts. In 2019 I brought Gregory Groover, Jr, from Boston and violinist, Kersten Stevens from Connecticut to Charlotte to play with a local trio led by Lovell Bradford for a Gospel and Jazz show. In 2024, I produced a concert with Donal Fox, solo piano to perform in the Pianodrome ( an amphitheater made by upcycling old pianos, that was installed in the historic AME Zion Church. Boston events were nearly sold out.

Favorite Places to See Jazz

Bechtler Museum Of Modern Art

Jazzarts Charlotte

John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival

Journey Of Jazz Cruise

Middle C Jazz Club

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Beyond All About Jazz: Sharing Jazz Across the Web
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