Commence au festival!

“Laissez les bons temps rouler”
-french for “…let the good times roll.”
—It’s back. A cultural landmark for the last three decades, the Central Avenue Jazz Festival is about to make its 29th iteration this month on Saturday, Sept. 21.
A tribute to the area’s rich musical heritage, the free festival was started in 1996 as a nod to the legendary jazz history of Central Avenue. Between 1920 to 1955, the north–south thoroughfare of Central Avenue was the major artery of the African-American community in Los Angeles, but its cultural impact stretched much further. In musical terms it was the west coast equivalent of New York’s 52nd Street.
During the strict segregation of the era, the street was an oasis of diversity, if only for the duration of the performances. Professional musicians of the Caucasian persuasion would readily cross racial barriers to test their mettle against the top instrumentalist of the day. Wealthy White patrons swathed in furs and evening gowns would venture southward to be enthralled by the rhythms and syncopation weaved by these sepia-hued maestros. Humphrey Bogart, Bing Crosby, Ava Gardner, Howard Hughes, and Marilyn Monroe were just a few of the Hollywood bigwigs who would frequent the Club Alabam, the Bird in the Basket, the Downbeat, and especially the Dunbar Hotel.
The Dunbar, financed and built in 1928 entirely by the Black community, served a dual purpose in that it became a social focus for the neighborhood, and provided a sanctuary for out of town celebrities of color not welcome in local White establishments of that era. As basketball icon and lifelong jazz enthusiast Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote in his 2020 exclusive for the Los Angeles Times, the “…Dunbar Hotel was a beacon of African American hope.”
Linking the past, present, and future
“I didn’t know where Sunset Boulevard was when I moved to L.A., but sure I knew Central”
—­from a 2011 quote by Quincy Jones.
Decades after its heyday, the area experienced a resurgence through community leadership as it made its transition into a new millennium. Central to its rebirth were the efforts of interested parties such as native Angelenos choreographer Ron Parker, director of the Central Avenue Dance Ensemble, and jazz pianist, singer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and Grammy-award winner extraordinaire Patrice Rushen. UCLA alumnus Parker is a local homeboy dedicated to educating the community-at-large about the role Central Avenue has had in the development of dance in the African diaspora. A seasoned ballroom dancer and dance historian, he initiated the acclaimed nightclub floor show “A Night at Club Alabam,” which showcased various dance styles popular during that era.
A hometown treasure (Locke High), keyboardist Patrice Rushen has been immersed in virtually every facet of the musical spectrum. The Locke High School alum grew up under the influence of Central Avenue Jazz, and was part of the inaugural committee that launched the present version of what the festival has become. She is also a faculty member at Berklee College of Music and the University of Southern California.
Like everything in Los Angeles, the state of California, and the world, things took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic from January 2020 through May 2023. This break in tradition created an aura of understandable tension among music aficionados, as some were apprehensive about whether this staple on the cultural landscape might continue. Alas, modern progress stepped in to provide a lifeline in preserving this link to the past. The advent of technology afforded it the opportunity to continue online, before its return to live audiences on Sept. 23 of last year.
The term “world music” has gained in popularity over the past 50 years to denote the mishmash of musical influences from non-English-speaking countries. An outstanding example of this hybrid of aural traditions is the group Extra Ancestral featuring Eduardo Palo Cuero, bringing a blend of Afrobeat, reggae, jazz and salsa into the welcoming confines of South Central.
This year’s event is notable for the fact that it comes right before the 30th Anniversary. It will take place at the location where it all began, the fabled Central Avenue corridor, between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Vernon Avenue.
Councilmember Curren D. Price, representative of the Council District 9 where the festival takes place, has been involved with it since assuming office in 2013. He notes that the event has been moved to its current Sept. date back from its original July schedule to offer a respite from the oppressive summer heat.
The centerpiece of the event is, of course the music, unfolding at the landmark Dunbar Hotel, along with two separate stages. The Marlena Shaw Stage is named in honor of the venerated chanteuse who passed on Jan. 24 of this year. Starting her career at a precocious ten years old, she crafted a legacy combining pop standards and straight-ahead jazz tunes, her influence continuing via sampling by rap artists The Game and The Ghetto Boys. The Wayne Shorter Stage is a tribute to the saxophonist who died in 2023. Shorter cut his teeth with Art Blakey, Miles Davis, and Maynard Ferguson before pioneering the jazz fusion genre of the late 20th century with the trailblazing instrumental group, Weather Report.
Councilman Price points to the showcase of up and coming young artists, who will exhibit their talents on the venerated stage of the Dunbar.
Among the seasoned performers slated to grace the stages are a variety of acts representing the melting pot of cultures and ethnicity that exist in this, the city of angels. They include:
—The John Beasley Big Band, led by the eponymous keyboardist whose tenure includes the bands of Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, and Sergio Mendes.
—For the last 15 years, a consortium of the best female musicians in the area has combined to form a platform for Caribbean salsa called Las Chikas. The band comprises three singers fronting a rhythm section and horns exploring all the nuances of Latin music.
—Trumpeter Chief Adjuah draws from the indigenous Indian traditions of his New Orleans. His musical associations include Robert Glasper, Mos Def, Prince, Marcus Miller and McCoy Tyner.
—Songstress Carmen Lundy has been crafting her wide ranging vocal skills for over four decades. The multi-faceted musician is also a gifted arranger, composer, and producer.
—Alto saxophonist Charles McPherson has expanded upon the roots of his be-bop beginnings for six decades. His performance at the festival is slated to include a quartet of Gilbert Castellanos on trumpet, Randy Porter on piano, Mike Gurrola on bass, and Tyler Kreutel on drums. Their set will likely include original material from his latest recording “Reverence.”
This year’s iteration will feature separate pavilions to showcase the positive aspects of a community that noticed its unsavory components. The Arts Pavilion highlights the creative spirit of the neighborhood, while the Health Pavilion will offer COVID and diabetic screenings, along with immunizations and checkups by medical technicians.
A Youth Pavilion will offer games and educational pursuits, along with city programs to empower youngsters. The Business Pavilion will be a conduit for employment opportunities, always a focal point for the community.
Catering to the diversity that is part and parcel to our city, an assortment of booths offering up the flavors of Asia, Latin America, and of course the Soul Food that nurtured the development of Central Avenue. Scores of food trucks will be on hand to satisfy the palates of the various ethnicities expected to come.
More information may be accessed at https://centralavejazzfest.com.