JAZZ IT UP IN BROOKLYN: THE ANNUAL CENTRAL BROOKLYN JAZZ FESTIVAL
Are you a jazz enthusiast? Do you enjoy the works of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and/or Carmen McRae? Do you miss live music? Then I have some great news for you. The Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium (CBJC) will be hosting their annual Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival from April 16 to April 30 this year. This festival is NYC's longest continuously running music series dedicated to Jazz, and this year will be the 22nd annual festival. Performances will be hosted by restaurants and cultural institutions all over Brooklyn, from Bedford-Stuyvesant to Gowanus.
The Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1999 by American educator and jazz program promoter Jitu Weusi as well as other supporters, for the sole purpose of jazz appreciation. The organization is most well known for its festival dedicated to jazz that happens annually around Brooklyn in April. It was also the catalyst for the creation of the Brooklyn Jazz Hall of Fame and Museum, which immortalizes people who have made immeasurable contributions to the art of jazz, specifically in and around Brooklyn and NYC.
Though it may seem like surprising news that this festival is still being hosted given the current pandemic, the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium has made it its mission to promote jazz and jazz performance even during the thick of this pandemic, having hosted other jazz events over the past few months. Back in June 2020 from June 11 to June 30, the CBJC hosted a Tele-Jazz Festival, which featured musical performances, panel discussions with female jazz enthusiasts, youth performances and a Hall of Fame presentation. All of the events were hosted virtually on YouTube. The CBJC also hosted a festival, the One Brooklyn Jazz Festival, back in December 2020 when indoor dining was first brought back and prior to the second wave that hit NYC. The One Brooklyn Jazz Festival is meant to prioritize celebrating Brooklyn's diversity through jazz. According to CBJC chairman Clarence Mosley Jr., the CBJC continues to expand its outreach and audience while always adhering to mandates social guidelines.
The festival coming up in April will feature programs that are open, accessible and adhere to mandated guidelines. It will also specifically feature restaurants of varying ethnic background as the festival encourages people to indulge not only in diverse jazz music, but also diverse dishes people may have never tried before. Chairman Mosley states that the festival is meant to benefit the community both socially and economically. It encourages dining at local businesses as well as interactions of different ethnic groups under the roof of jazz. Like many musical events that are occurring nowadays, the event will be a blend of in-person performances and online presence via livestreams and pre-recorded music.
So if you're going to be in the NYC/Brooklyn area in April, I highly recommend checking this out. The music is free, the only thing you'll be paying for is the reservation, but that's completely overshadowed by the experience new food with great music. You'll be supporting both local small business and local talent, its a win-win! If you won't be in the area, that won't be an issue at all since you'll be able to check out livestreams. If you want to learn more about the event and the organization that heads it, you can check out their website here. The CBJC also holds smaller jazz events that you can feel free to check out on their website as well. New York is springing with music once again!