Newark New Jersey’s ‘Best Kept Secret’ No More! A Recap Of Gospel In The Park

The 15th Anniversary Lincoln Park Music Festival, Newark NJ’s “best kept secret” kicked off its week of free outdoor concert series with “Gospel In The Park” featuring Provenance Music Group who stunned the crowd with a surprise pop up from Grammy nominated R&B legend Valerie Simpson of the supergroup Ashford & Simpson, formed with her late husband Nick Ashford.

As one-half of American husband-and-wife songwriting-production team and recording duo of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson (“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “You’re All I Need To Get By”, “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing”, “Found A Cure”, “Solid”, “Is It Still Good To Ya?”), Valerie Simpson was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002 and, with Nick Ashford, recipient of The Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Award, ASCAP’s Founder Award, and the Grammy Trustee Award.  Provenance Music Group is an internationally renowned gospel music ensemble that has  shared the stage with a myriad of noted performers and with rising celerity and captivated live audiences through their nationally broadcasted television appearances in Newark, NJ; London, UK; Barbados; Japan; and Bobby Jones Gospel In DC.  

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Provenance Music Group with Valerie Simpson at the 15th Anniversary Lincoln Park Music Festival
Gospel In The Park, July 27, 2022
Photos courtesy of Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District

The 15th Anniversary Lincoln Park Music Festival’s “Gospel In The Park” night was hosted by Rev. Kevin E. Taylor, of Unity Fellowship Church NewArk and former BET Networks producer/showrunner (Lyrically Speaking, Access Granted and Notarized: Top 100 Videos of the 20th Century) and recently elected City of Newark NJ Councilwoman At Large Rev. Louise Scott-Rountree, daughter of renown entrepreneur Louise Scott. Councilwoman At Large Rev. Louise Scott-Rountree grew up in Newark’s landmarked and historic Krueger-Scott mansion. 

The annual Lincoln Park Music Festival (LPMF) is the largest music experience rooted in traditions of the African American and Afro Caribbean diaspora in the tri-state region.  LPMF has expanded into an audience of 50,000-60,000 international attendees that comes together, over two weekends, to experience multiple genres of music including Gospel, Jazz, House, Hip-Hop, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae, Dancehall, Soca, Kompa and of the Latinx/Hispanic diaspora, as well as film, tech and music business education.

Left to right: Councilwoman at Large Rev. Louise Scott-Rountree and Rev. Kevin E. Taylor
at the 15th Anniversary Lincoln Park Music Festival
Gospel In The Park, July 27, 2022
Photos courtesy of Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District

The Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District, Inc. (LPCCD) is a non-profit organization actively engaged in the practice of economic development through Creative Placemaking. Its mission to plan, design and develop a comprehensive arts and cultural district in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of downtown Newark.  LPCCD’s main arts & culture programs are the annual Lincoln Park Music Festival, Lincoln Park Music Speaks citywide humanities initiative, the Lincoln Park Jazzy Soul music series, the Lincoln Park Sustainable Living Community Podcast and the public art initiative Lincoln Park Gallery Without Walls.

Photos courtesy of Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District