Our Story

About Cross-Cultural Connection

A nonprofit rooted in Peekskill, and working in the greater New York region and beyond — dedicated to keeping jazz alive through education, performance, and community since 2006.

Our Mission

Jazz as a Bridge

Cross-Cultural Connection, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in Peekskill, NY in 2006. Our mission is to promote jazz as a living art form — one that educates, uplifts, and unites communities of every background.

We believe jazz is more than music. It is a cultural force, a language of improvisation and dialogue that speaks across generations and walks of life.

Through free public concerts, hands-on school programs, and scholarships for young musicians, we work to ensure that jazz remains vibrant and accessible in our region — and beyond.

2006
Year founded
20+
Years of programming
1000+
Audience Reached yearly
The CCC Ensemble performing live at Jazz at Ray Blue Way

In Memoriam · 1950 – 2025

Ray Blue
Founder & Executive Director

Ray Blue performing on stage

"Jazz is how we find each other across every divide that the world puts between us."

Ray Blue founded Cross-Cultural Connection in 2006 with a simple conviction: that jazz — America's original art form — had the power to connect people across every cultural and generational divide. Over more than three decades, he built an organization that embodied that belief in every program, every performance, and every young musician he mentored.

As a band leader and featured artist, Ray performed at major festivals across four continents, released seven albums, and received numerous awards and proclamations.

As a musician, educator, and community leader, Ray was beloved by students, colleagues, and audiences throughout the Hudson Valley. His warmth, his humor, and his unshakable commitment to the music inspired everyone around him.

Ray passed in 2025, but the mission he built carries forward. Cross-Cultural Connection continues — honoring his legacy by doing exactly what he set out to do: spreading the joy of jazz, one community at a time.

The Ray Blue Memorial Fund was established in his honor in 2025, ensuring that his commitment to the next generation of jazz musicians lives on.

Learn About the Scholarship

What Drives Us

Our Values

01

Access

Jazz belongs to everyone. Every concert we produce is free. Every workshop is open. We remove barriers — not build them.

02

Education

The jazz tradition is passed person to person, mentor to student. We carry that forward in every school we enter and every young musician we work with.

03

Community

We are rooted in Peekskill, and working in the greater New York region and beyond. Our work strengthens the neighborhoods we belong to, not just the audiences we perform for.

04

Tradition

Jazz is a living art form with deep roots. We honor where it came from while celebrating where it's going — through every generation of players we support.

Be Part of the Mission

Support CCC

Your gift funds free concerts, student scholarships, and school programs that make jazz accessible to every corner of our community.

Make a Donation