This July, more than 1,000 community members braved the sweltering heat to celebrate the 13th Annual Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival at Saunders Park Greene. This yearly festival is sponsored by Presby and hosted by the People’s Emergency Center and their Community Development Corporation (PECCDC), an organization that strives to improve West Philadelphia residents’ quality of life by connecting them with employment and housing opportunities and links to educational and cultural resources.
Attendees engaged with local community groups, participated in family-friendly activities, and visited tables covered with local artists’ handmade clothing, jewelry, and crafts for sale, while dozens of vendors kept everyone cool with snacks like water ice and ice cream. The main attraction, though, was the live jazz music showcase that kept spirits high, toes tapping, and minds off the heatwave.
The full-day lineup featured headliners Bootsie Barnes and Sam Reed, as well as Penn’s own excellent keyboardist, Glenn Bryan, MSW, assistant vice president of Community Relations at the University of Pennsylvania, jazz orchestra Jamal Jones & the Bureau of Sonic Wonderland, vocalist Geri Oliver, saxophonist Chris Oatts, and bassist Jonathan Michel. The Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble also took the stage again this year, and students who participate in the Kimmel Center’s Neighborhood Jams Program were invited to show off their talents. Finally, after the sets had concluded, two longtime community advocates — councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and Carolyn Faulkner — received awards in recognition of their service and commitment to promoting accessible music and arts education.
“This year’s theme was ‘Hometown Philly Sound,’ and each performer shared their own unique interpretation of our vibrant jazz roots. This festival celebrates Philadelphia’s history of jazz and passes that exposure and appreciation onto young people — including those who may never had the opportunity to pick up an instrument before,” said Gary K. Ginsberg, assistant executive director of Facilities and member of the festival planning committee. “I think it says a lot about the community’s investment in the event that even as the temperatures rose, people still came out in support and made it a great success.”