5 minute read
17th Annual Gardena Jazz Festival
Rep. Maxine Waters with Sen. Steven Bradford at a prior Gardena Jazz Festival
Russell Westbrook (Long Beach, California, native, and an eight-time NBA All-Star who was recently traded to the Houston Rockets) with Sen. Steven Bradford GARDENA, CALIFORNIA • AUG. 25
Photos: Castro Studios
By Quinci LeGardye
one of the most divisive political climates of our lifetime, a politician is uniting citizens through music. Steven Bradford was a City Council member when he launched the Gardena Jazz Festival as a free
event for residents. Seventeen years later, it has become Gardena’s premier arts event and a destination for genre enthusiasts nationwide, dignitaries and celebrities, and Bradford is now a California state senator. “We added this jazz festival in 2002 when many cities were cutting back on key programs, and it was our way to show our support and give our thanks to a community that has suffered through tough economic times,” said Bradford, who grew up in Gardena, a midsize suburb in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County, where he still resides and continues to serve as the festival’s chair.
Held in Rowley Memorial Park, the event features 10 acts on two stages, including headliners Stanley Clarke and Jazz Funk Soul (Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp and Paul Jackson Jr.). Jazz in Pink, an all-female ensemble led by keyboardist Gail Jhonson, is also on the lineup, as well as a variety of other acts scheduled to perform over eight hours for nearly 8,000 guests. With an emphasis on making jazz music available to everyone, general Longtime festival patrons Ernie Worthy and admission lawn seating is offered at Vickie Greenwood dancing in the VIP section $25 per person. If general admission isn’t your style, other ticket options include $60 for a chair in the box section (10 seats per box) and $85 for VIP seating in front of the stage (which includes a meal and nonalcoholic beverages). Plus, there will be a table for artists to sell and sign their CDs, as well as 16 food and beverage booths serving fried chicken and fish, fruit cobbler, funnel cakes, kettle corn, ribs, jambalaya, gumbo, Italian ices, lemonade and nonalcoholic* drinks; and
Photo: Castro Studios
50 craft vendors selling clothing and accessories. (*Alcohol is prohibited at this event.) Unlike most festivals, this is a nonprofit event produced by city government. All ticket sales and sponsorships are used solely to fund it, with any profits remaining in the account for the following year’s event. “The city [of Gardena] makes not one dime out of this,” Bradford explained. Corporate sponsors that understand the festival’s commitment to its community roots contribute greatly to its success. “This event would not be possible if it wasn’t for the corporations who’ve embraced this, like [former] vice president [at U.S. Bank] Darrell Brown,” said Bradford. “He was a guest of mine seven years ago at the festival, and halfway through the show he just got up and said, ‘I want to be a part of this.’ The next year, unsolicited, he sent a $5,000 sponsorship. He’s been sponsoring it every year.” Bradford deeply values the support from these companies. “They’re all sponsors of this event because they know it’s a good community event, and anyone would want to be a part of it.” Although the festival has brought in big name headliners in recent years, Bradford’s favorite acts are the openers. He’s excited for the youth performers, the children of the Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center. He feels a special kinship with festivalgoers who make sure to see the opening acts. “Many times, people are concerned about the headliner, a big name. But, if you’re a true music fan, you take great delight in seeing these young folks. Since we started the show, we’ve made it a habit of always opening up with, if not kids, some undiscovered artist from the community or local surrounding area.” Another highlight is “The Next Big Thing,” a contest for up-andcoming artists where the grand prize is performing on the festival’s second stage. The contestants are all unsigned jazz artists who have posted videos to the festival’s social media accounts. Whoever gets the most likes on the festival’s Facebook and Instagram pages, wins. Bradford said the contest was inspired by “discovery shows for unsigned, undiscovered talent from ‘America’s Got Talent’ to ‘The Voice.’” The organizers have always valued the festival’s original purpose. While Bradford praises the whole community for taking great pride in this event, he also shares stories highlighting individual relationships within the history of the festival. “I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the name Rod Jones. We met in 1969 in Gardena, and he was on the committee when we started this in 2002. We lost Rod Jones in November of 2011, but we wouldn’t have this jazz festival if it wasn’t for him. He pushed me to do this. “The great thing is being able to see his mother at the show last year, and recognize her. Despite losing her son eight years ago, she was there at the jazz festival and wanted to be a part of it. So, it’s things like that that are special.” Bradford loves jazz and seeing his neighbors and constituents gather to appreciate this music every year. However, as the festival grows, it never loses the feel of a gathering founded by Gardena, for Gardena, out of their appreciation of jazz and love of the city.
Special thanks to Evette Benjamin, City of Gardena employee, who contributed information for this story.
Photo: Bobby Quillard
Everette Harp, Paul Jackson Jr. & Jeff Lorber performing as Jazz Funk Soul
When
Sunday, Aug. 25 (gates open at 10 a.m.)
Where
Rowley Memorial Park, 13220 S. Van Ness Ave., Gardena, California
Getting there
Flights are available into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), approximately 7 miles from the venue
Tickets and information
Main stage
Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center Youth Jazz Band ..........................................................11:15 a.m. Corney Mims & tHE-KNOW-IT-ALLz............................ 12:30 p.m. Jazz in Pink featuring Gail Jhonson, Robin Bramlett, D Love, Tomoka and Dee Simone.................................. 1:40 p.m. Marcus Johnson............................................................ 3:10 p.m. Stanley Clarke............................................................... 4:30 p.m. Jazz Funk Soul featuring Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp & Paul Jackson Jr.......................................................... 6:20 p.m.
Second stage
Supa Lowery Brothers..................................................10:30 a.m. The Wyldebunch ..................................................................noon The Wyldebunch ...........................................................1:15 p.m. El Camino College Studio Jazz Big Band under the direction of David Sills................................... 2:55 p.m. The F.E.R.M................................................................... 4:10 p.m. The F.E.R.M................................................................... 5:50 p.m.
