Dancin In The Streets: Jazz Fest Supports CMC Museum
The crowd at the second annual Queen City Jazz Fest grew steadily throughout the day, as the sun receded behind City Hall, casting long, cool shadows upon the hot pavement. By nightfall, when the last notes were being tickled on the ivories, the street was fully alive with jazz enthusiasts and supporters of the fledgling Michigan Avenue Corridor.
The impressive, and diverse, turnout speaks to the vast and growing interest in the Colored Musicians Club, host of the event, and its surrounding neighborhood. Tour groups from across the country visit the area to see history first hand -- from the Underground Railroad to the Civil Rights Movement to the Golden Age of Jazz.
The Michigan Avenue Corridor was recently the recipient of an influx of city money, which will help to fix up and market the CMC, the Michigan Avenue Baptist Church, and the Jesse Nash House as national heritage and tourism destinations.
The CMC is now looking to further celebrate the impressive heritage of the club, and all those who have passed through it, by creating a museum on its first floor. The museum will display vintage instruments, band uniforms, letters and telegrams from old musicians and their families. A letter from Louis Armstrong's wife apologizes for being late with her dues, $35 that the family continues to pay each year.
"Back in the day, the slogan was basically, come down to the club, you never know who you'll see," explained George Scott, club president. The walls of 145 Broadway have certainly borne witness to some of the greatest jam sessions ever seen in this city. From the sharp trumpet wails of Dizzy Gillespie to the soaring vocals of Ella Fitzgerald, scores of world renowned artists made the CMC a necessary stopping point whenever they came to town.
The museum will hopefully drive people, from near and far, to visit the club -- which hosts weekly open jams (Sunday), band rehearsals and kids music lessons -- and learn more about its rich history. "We want people to know that we still exist," Scott said. "We're still here, and everyone's welcome to come by and indulge in some good jazz."
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chrish
This is a remarkably savvy strategy for the Colored Musicians Club and it's helped create momentum for both the museum and the Broadway/Michigan neighborhood that is reemerging. Festivals are remarkable at reinforcing a sense of placehood that is good for both investment and creating interest in a neighborhood. It's a wonder there is not yet a Larkin Festival or a Black Rock Lock Festival to bring attention to those areas. Would Allentown be as well known without the Allentown Art Festival, or Hertel Avenue without the Italian Festival? Social gatherings like these become cultural institutions over time that reinforce investment patterns. It's all about the marketing.
Hopefully the Queen City Jazz Festival will become a cultural institution over time and we get to enjoy this great event every year.. and perhaps take a look at some of those new apartments popping up nearby now that we know they're there.
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LindaP
Um, just picked up a copy of the "new" "magazine". Too bad I already read all of it LAST MONTH online!
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BuffaloUP
I had no idea that was going on this weekend, I'd like to make a suggestion to Buffalo Rising to add a "this weeks events" section to advertise all the great events that occur in Buffalo
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AuburnAve
BRO likes to report after things happen it seems, or the day its happening.
I agree with the "This weeks events" section.
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rocketgirl
BuffaloUP, there's a whole events channel on the site (the third tab in the nav bar, http://buffalorising.com/event). all the events are listed right there.
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