An exhibition at the Ohio Historical Society is presenting for the first time in one place the history and contributions of Ohio musicians involved in the development and popularity of jazz.The exhibition “JazzOhio” will kick off Saturday at 1p.m. and will include live music, and features Ohio State Athletic Director Andy Geiger and WBNS 10TV news anchor Dave Kaylor as emcees.”JazzOhio” is a continuation of the Ohio Historical Society’s “All That Jazz,” a year-long jazz celebration which began in January with the opening of “The Jazz Age in Paris, 1914-1940,” an exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. “It’s a great American art form,” Kaylor said, who is also on the board of the Jazz Arts Group. “It’s so important, it’s music that will live on and on. While there are certain aspects of rock that will live and carry on, through historical legs, I don’t think there’s anything like jazz that will do the same,” he said. The exhibition was organized by Columbus musician Arnett Howard and Candy Watkins, project director for “Listen for the Jazz,” a research and documentary project on historical Columbus jazz performers.”JazzOhio is a spin off of that,” Watkins said. “We decided to donate our archives of the jazz history of the city of Columbus to the Historical Society, and that’s how we got involved with them.””JazzOhio” will interest people who know jazz, “and they may get surprised by one or two things,” Watkins said. She also said it will benefit children and others who do not know much about which jazz musicians are from Ohio.”I think it’s quite surprising how many [jazz] people are from Ohio,” Watkins said.”We recognized that it gave us the chance to travel through a time machine,” Howard said. “We would go seek people who hold the key to the time machine,” he said of most of the people in the exhibition. One example was 87-year-old Cleveland saxophonist Andy Anderson, who took them back to Cleveland circa 1925, and “not only told me, but showed me [stories from those times],” he said.The exhibit features historical text platforms with pictures and stories of more than 50 artists who performed in the 1910s through the 1960s. Also, there are many artifacts featured including Springfield native Johnny Lytle’s vibraphone and drum set, two saxophones played by Columbus native Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and even a touring trunk used by Piqua natives, The Mills Brothers. There are unique stories to learn, like in 1920 while traveling with a band, a young Count Basie stopped in a Toledo bar for some smokes, and heard “keyboard monster” Art Tatum. There is also a story of how William Strayhorn made his way as a lyricist and piano player for Duke Ellington’s band. “The 20th century was the most exciting time in the history of the world. We invented the airplane, the automobile, jazz musicians, and all this came to be in about the same decade. This show will give you an opportunity to look at the best of the entire century in regards to jazz and the performing arts,” Howard said. The Ohio Historical Society is located at Interstate 17 and 17th Avenue. Tickets are $5 for adults, $1.25 for children ages 6 – 12, free for children 5 and under.