The Central Avenue Jazz Festival makes its return this Saturday, Sept. 19. The event is located along Central Avenue between Martin Luther King Boulevard and Vernon Avenue. The festival is a cultural celebration that honors the elaborate West Coast jazz scene of the 1920s and 1950s in Los Angeles, exemplifying the roots of Black cultural identity and music. Latin artists were also on the scene during that time period and performed at clubs such as the Historic Dunbar Hotel and the Lincoln Theatre.
“Central Avenue was the heartbeat of West Coast jazz in the ’30s and ’40s. The clubs up and down the avenue, and the businesses that grew around them, created a rich musical legacy. The exciting thing about this festival is that it highlights those jazz roots — not just what’s new or popular — because what started here decades ago is still important today,” said Councilmember Curren D. Price of the Ninth District.
“It’s not just about music. We have pavilions focused on youth, health, business, and the arts, and we’re sharing information from public agencies and nonprofits that serve this community. It’s a very positive, family-friendly, free community event that welcomes a variety of cultures to celebrate Central Avenue and its unique jazz history and legacy — not just for the Ninth District or South L.A., but for the entire city.”
Curren D. Price has been integral to keeping the festival going for the neighborhood.
“There are lots of festivals this time of year that say they’re jazz festivals, but we’re really a true jazz festival — and it’s a free public event. We encourage families and friends to come out, celebrate the music, eat some great food, get information, and have a wonderful afternoon,” he said.
Performers at this year’s festival include: Jason Marsalis Quartet ft. Vanisha Gould, Sheila E. Fresha, Tatiana Tate, Endea Owens & The Cookout, the USC Jazz Ensemble, Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center Jazz Band, JazzAmerica, Top Shelf Brass Band, Alfredo Rodriguez Band Feat. Pedrito Martinez and more.
“The jazz festival has a goal of including the Latino community, so we include Latin jazz now. We have a couple of different acts, including Sheila E, and we’re also introducing younger people to jazz music. We want the jazz traditions to continue and to get more people interested in jazz,” said Bryce Rosario, Central Avenue Jazz Festival Director for Councilmember Curren Price.
“This will be the third year the USC Jazz Ensemble has performed. They do the closing set on the Dunbar stage from 3:15 to 5 p.m., and they really bring out a younger crowd. We saw that more last year, especially with people creating reels and TikToks from the festival and talking about their experiences. It was great to see all the different posts the next day,” she said.
Community programming is also a key focal point for the festival as four pavilions will be available that focus on areas such as art, youth, public resources and health and wellness. The community partners who are powering the pavilions include La Mancha, St. Johns Community Health and more.
“At the Health Pavilion this year, we have two outstanding participants: the Ostro School of Dentistry from USC, which will provide dental services, and St. John’s, which will be doing basic medical checks. In addition to those providers doing on-site care, we have the South Central Health Foundation, which will set up a booth to talk about services available for low-income families. People might not be aware of what they can receive at their facility just down the street,” said Rosario.
“The Secretary of State’s office will be present. Typically, they do voter registration on site and talk to people about voting, since it is an election year. It’ll be Secretary of State Shirley Weber’s staff here locally in Los Angeles,” she said. “We’re really excited for the 31st year. This is the council member’s final year, and he has grown the festival significantly. He grew it from one stage to three stages, and he was the one who came up with all of the pavilions. Those were his brainchild—these different activations.”
Councilmember Curren Price further added, “We feature students, amateur, and professional artists. We’re not limiting it — we’re opening it up so people can really appreciate the stages and the venue at the Dunbar, a very unique setting where we present jazz in a way that reflects the history and legacy of the avenue.”
