Saxophonist and Englewood Jazz Festival founder Ernest Dawkins wants people who attend the festival to be assured: “The music is in good hands and the legacy continues.”
It's in that spirit that the festival will make its return to Hamilton Park from Thursday to Saturday. The 27th annual festival will feature performances honoring the legacies of Oscar Brown Jr., John Coltrane and Miles Davis while also celebrating the next generation of musicians.
Some backstory: Dawkins, who grew up in Washington Park, recalled listening to his father’s extensive record collection as a child and going with his father to see jazz pianists Count Basie and Duke Ellington perform. “I saw the passing of the old guard, in terms of all the clubs, when I was young,” Dawkins said. “I would see a lot of the old clubs on 47th Street, 43rd Street, 63rd Street, and then the Regal was still going on, so there was music all in the community. I saw all of that when I was coming up.” Since starting the Englewood Jazz Festival in 1999, Dawkins said there’s been an increase in arts and cultural programming in the neighborhood. “It’s been instrumental in reawakening the artistic renaissance in the community,” Dawkins said. Dawkins is executive director of the Spirit Residency, which produces the festival and has a program for young jazz musicians to receive mentorship and opportunities to produce, perform and record their own compositions.
Want to attend? The free festival comprises nine sets across three days, with performances happening indoors and outdoors. Some seating will be provided, but attendees are recommended to bring their own chairs, blankets and picnics. The festival features all original compositions. View the full schedule and lineup here.
