Friday night jazz is returning to Cedar Park next week, with free outdoor performances by the area’s finest jazz musicians and bands. The annual series, presented by Cedar Park Neighbors and sponsored by local businesses and individual donations from neighborhood residents, kicks off Friday, June 7, at 49th and Baltimore.

Shows will take place every Friday from 6-8 p.m. (weather permitting) in June and July, plus an additional “rain date” performance on August 2nd.

Here’s this year’s schedule:

June 7: Rich Tucker & The Universal Music Koncept
June 14: Weez The People Collective
June 21: Rayburn Wright’s Jazz Lab  Continue Reading

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Saxophonist, educator and composer Tim Warfield will headline the 2018 Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival, which will get underway in Penn Presbyterian Medical Center’s Saunders Park Greene, 39th and Powelton Avenue on Saturday, July 21, beginning at noon.

Hosted by People’s Emergency Center (PEC) and PEC Community Development Corporation (PECCDC), this marks the 12th year that this annual event has taken place. This year the FREE Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival offers a family-friendly jazz showcase featuring the best of Philadelphia and beyond. In addition to headliner Tim Warfield with his Organ Band featuring Terell Stafford, there is an exceptional lineup of jazz musicians curated by the Producer’s Guild of Philadelphia.  Continue Reading

Another great West Philly summer tradition, Jazz Heritage Series, will kick off this Thursday (May 24) at Malcolm X Park at 52nd and Pine. The series, presented by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and co-hosted by the Friends of Malcolm X Park and Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, will feature free live performances by well-known Philadelphia area musicians every other Thursday (weather permitted) at 7 p.m. through September 13. Here’s the full lineup:

May 24 – Keni Jackson, Experience
June 7 – Keyboardist Glenn Bryan & Friends
June 21 – The Budesa Brothers
July 5 – Drummer Carlos DeVaughn & The All-Stars
July 19 – Vocalist Shirley Lites
Aug. 2 – Bassist Tony (TNT) Jones & Beyond The Dream
Aug. 16 – The Barbara Walker Story
Aug. 30 – The Clef Club Student Ensemble
Sept. 13 – The Sam Reed Band

Just a reminder that Cedar Park Jazz series will also return this summer. The first performance is next Friday, June 1, at 6 p.m.

A great Cedar Park summer tradition – Cedar Park Jazz Series – is returning June 1st to 49th and Baltimore! The series, presented by Cedar Park Neighbors, will run through July 27th with performances every Friday, from 6-8 p.m. (weather permitting).

The series kicks off with a performance by pianist and composer Alfred “Alfie” Pollitt. Here’s a lineup of this year’s performances:

As always, all performances are free and open to the public. Just bring your lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy the music.

For updates, please check the Cedar Park Neighbors Facebook page.

Jaleel Shaw’s Band performed at the 11th Annual Lancaster Ave Jazz & Arts Festival in July 2017. (Photo by Kevin Smith)

Come July, the Lancaster Avenue Jazz and Arts Festival, a great summer tradition in the Powelton neighborhood, will return to Saunders Park. The National Endowment for the Arts has recently announced that it will support this year’s festival with a Challenge America grant of $10,000.

The NEA has approved more than $25 million in grants as part of its first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018. The Challenge America category features NEA support for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations – those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability, according to the announcement.  Continue Reading

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One of the biggest local events of the year, the Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival, will return on Saturday, July 15 from noon to 7 p.m. to Saunders Park Greene at 39th and Powelton. The 11th edition of the festival, which has grown from a few hundred attendees to more than 3,000, will feature the “New Wave of Jazz.” Philadelphia saxophonist Jaleel Shaw will be headlining the event.

This year, the FREE festival offers a family-friendly event showcasing the best of Philadelphia: a mix of up and coming young artists who are shaping the future of jazz, a diverse gathering of people, a view of the city and a chance to enjoy a neighborhood that is rich in arts and culture.

Artisans and vendors along with a variety of specialty food trucks will be on site. Activities such as a moon bounce, face painting, community resources and digital pop-up computer lab will be available for everyone’s enjoyment. Free parking is available one block away at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center’s lot at Powelton Avenue and State Street.  Continue Reading