Central Avenue Jazz Festival
Encyclopedia
The Central Avenue Jazz Festival is a yearly free jazz
festival
that takes place the last weekend of July in the South Central
section of Los Angeles
, which is the historical predominantly African-American area of the City.
Central Avenue
, after which the area is named, was in the 1930s and 1940s a vibrant center for jazz. At this time the infamous covenant line
along Washington Boulevard
demarcated the areas where blacks were allowed to live. Even the giants of jazz music, such as Duke Ellington
were allowed to play in Hollywood and other areas, but they could not stay there. They often stayed at the now-historic Dunbar Hotel
. The Dunbar Hotel featured a nightclub called the Club Alabam, where the jazz greats would play after hours. All around the hotel there were numerous other clubs featuring jazz and blues, which were the launching point for the careers of many well-known musicians. One of the aims of the festival is to raise funds for the preservation of the Dunbar Hotel.
The festival takes place on several blocks of Central Avenue, south of Martin Luther King Boulevard, which includes the Dunbar Hotel. There are many booths with food, arts and crafts, as well as community outreach programs. The festival is free of charge, and in previous years has included free secure parking at a local school.
The festival was started in 1996 and has regularly featured a number of prominent jazz, blues, and Latin Jazz
musicians who got their start in the area, such as Teddy Edwards
, Gerald Wilson
, Arthur Blythe
and Ernie Andrews
. A strong component of the festival's format has been to spotlight young Los Angeles musicians, such as Kamasi Washington, and Kalil Wilson
, as well as talent from the neighborhood's high school bands and choirs.
The festival distinguishes itself in that it is a thoroughly non-commercial event. There is no over-bearing corporate sponsorship and there are no concessions made to commercialism.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
that takes place the last weekend of July in the South Central
South Central
South Central may refer to:* South Los Angeles , an area in Los Angeles, California* South Central Alaska, a region containing Anchorage metropolitan area* South Central Railway Zone , a part of Indian Railways...
section of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, which is the historical predominantly African-American area of the City.
Central Avenue
Central Avenue
Central Avenue is an often used road name. Major thoroughfares with this name include:Canada* Central Avenue India* Chittaranjan Avenue, in Kolkata, IndiaUnited States* Central Avenue Corridor in Phoenix, Arizona...
, after which the area is named, was in the 1930s and 1940s a vibrant center for jazz. At this time the infamous covenant line
Restrictive covenant
A restrictive covenant is a type of real covenant, a legal obligation imposed in a deed by the seller upon the buyer of real estate to do or not to do something. Such restrictions frequently "run with the land" and are enforceable on subsequent buyers of the property...
along Washington Boulevard
Washington Boulevard
Washington Boulevard may refer to the following roads or neighborhoods in the United States:*Washington Boulevard , California*Washington Boulevard , California*Washington Boulevard , Maryland...
demarcated the areas where blacks were allowed to live. Even the giants of jazz music, such as Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
were allowed to play in Hollywood and other areas, but they could not stay there. They often stayed at the now-historic Dunbar Hotel
Dunbar Hotel
The Dunbar Hotel, originally known as the Hotel Somerville, was the focal point of the Central Avenue African-American community in Los Angeles, California during the 1930s and 1940s. Built in 1928, it was known for its first year as the Hotel Somerville...
. The Dunbar Hotel featured a nightclub called the Club Alabam, where the jazz greats would play after hours. All around the hotel there were numerous other clubs featuring jazz and blues, which were the launching point for the careers of many well-known musicians. One of the aims of the festival is to raise funds for the preservation of the Dunbar Hotel.
The festival takes place on several blocks of Central Avenue, south of Martin Luther King Boulevard, which includes the Dunbar Hotel. There are many booths with food, arts and crafts, as well as community outreach programs. The festival is free of charge, and in previous years has included free secure parking at a local school.
The festival was started in 1996 and has regularly featured a number of prominent jazz, blues, and Latin Jazz
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is the general term given to jazz with Latin American rhythms.The three main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian, Cuban and Puerto Rican:# Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova...
musicians who got their start in the area, such as Teddy Edwards
Teddy Edwards
Theodore Marcus "Teddy" Edwards was an American jazz tenor saxophonist based on the West Coast of the US. Some consider him to be one of the most influential jazz saxophonists.-Biography:...
, Gerald Wilson
Gerald Wilson
Gerald Stanley Wilson is an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer/arranger, 8 time Grammy nominee, and educator. He has been based in Los Angeles since the early 1940s....
, Arthur Blythe
Arthur Blythe
Arthur Blythe is an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer. His stylistic voice has a distinct vibrato and he plays within the post-bop subgenre of jazz.- Biography :...
and Ernie Andrews
Ernie Andrews
Ernie Andrews is an American jazz, blues, and pop singer. He grew up in Los Angeles, California, and one of his first jobs was with the Harry James orchestra. He went on to be recorded by Columbia Records and others...
. A strong component of the festival's format has been to spotlight young Los Angeles musicians, such as Kamasi Washington, and Kalil Wilson
Kalil Wilson
Kalil Amar Wilson is an American jazz, R&B, and classical vocalist and vocal coach.Wilson was born in Oakland, California and attended the Oakland Youth Chorus, and UC Berkeley's Young Musicians Program, before moving to Los Angeles in 2000 to attend UCLA. In 2006 he received his B.A...
, as well as talent from the neighborhood's high school bands and choirs.
The festival distinguishes itself in that it is a thoroughly non-commercial event. There is no over-bearing corporate sponsorship and there are no concessions made to commercialism.