FunTimes Magazine, ‘Culture + Entertainment’ column. Week of April 8, 2024.
“Love is supreme and unconditional; like is nice but limited.”
– Duke Ellington
Ok, you can put your sporty solar-eclipse eyeglasses down. Music is in the air. April signals the start of spring and swing. It’s prime time to celebrate the steep tradition of jazz and the legends from Philadelphia who created this rich legacy of timeless music. The local legacy-makers are long: Benny Golson, Sun Ra, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Lee Morgan, Trudy Pitts, Billie Holiday, Philly Joe Jones, Ted Curson, Grover Washington, Jr., Dizzy Gillespie, and more. Let’s be-bop into Jazz Appreciation Month and National Jazz Heritage Month in the United States — observances that link the musical strings of the past to the present. Get jazzed with more than 100 events locally during Philly Celebrates Jazz 2024. Visit the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy’s Arts Access Calendar (creativephl.org) to groove on an extensive calendar of free or at-cost jazz programs. Read on for low-cost, or free events focusing on music, fashion, art, and health.
Neighborhood concerts swing Latin-style
Friday, April 12 & Saturday, April 13, 2024.Check out AMLA Presents Concert & Open House, two days of local musicians and neighborhood concerts hosted by Artists & Musicians of Latin America (AMLA). Listen to rising Latin artists as they innovatively create the future of jazz in an intimate café-style environment. As the promotional material suggests: “From soulful melodies to infectious rhythms, each performance promises to captivate and inspire.” Also, take part in AMLA’s open-house event; and tour its rehearsal rooms and recording studios. Free, 6 p.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST. AMLA at Esperanza, 4261 N. 5th St. 215-324-0746 (Ext. 246) or creativephl.org or amla.org.
The neighborhoods are jazzy
Saturday, April 13, Tuesday, April 16, 2024 & Saturday, April 20, 2024. Vibe to the bop of jazz at a new Neighborhood Concert Series in Germantown and in East Falls — as Jazz Bridge hosts concerts in April to mark Philly Celebrates Jazz 2024 citywide. The Wissahickon Brewery Company, 3705 W. School House Ln., on Saturday, April 13, 2024, from 1 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST, will feature saxophonist Victor North and his band. It’s a perfect venue for indoor and outdoor entertainment in scenic Fairmount Park in East Falls. 215-483-8833 or wissahickonbrew.com. The Settlement Music School Germantown Branch, 6128 Germantown Ave., 6:30 p.m. EST to 8:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, will showcase drummer Byron Landham and his group. It will kick off the Germantown Neighborhood Concert Series held on the third Tuesday monthly. 215-320-2610 or settlementmusic.org. The Fallser Club, 3721 Midvale Ave. in East Falls, 1 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST on Saturday, April 20, 2024. will headline vocalist CiBon and friends. Free admission to these venues. Email: director@thefallserclub.com or thefallserclub.com.
Do the INSIDE HUSTLE….
Saturday, April 13, 2024. Registration is open for INSIDE HUSTLE Spring 2024, an event produced by WXPN Radio and Philly Music Fest. The networking event is designed for emerging artists, aspiring music industry professionals, and those looking to be more involved in the Philly music scene. It will feature industry music business representatives including booking agents, studio producers, managers, label reps, experts in public relations and digital marketing, radio programmers, and musicians offering advice and information to local artists. The event will open with a panel on music-industry topics, led by Raina Douris, host of the World Cafe, from NPR Music. Free but pre-register, noon to 3 p.m. EST. REC PHILLY, 901 Market St., Suite 2120. xpn.org or RSVP HERE.
Strike a pose!
Sunday, April 14, 2024. It will be held on a Sunday, but any day is a great day to vogue! Get lost in the wild world of Philadelphia House and Ballroom at Cultural Collision, where classical and ball art forms unite in the harmony of dance and music. Celebrate the art of voguing, beauty, and the runway. Meet the stars of the Ensemble Arts Runway. After the show, a reception will follow. Cultural Collision is presented by the POSSE Project Community Advisory Board and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Adolescent Initiative. Free, 5 p.m. EST. Kimmel Center/ Commonwealth Plaza, 300 S. Broad St., 215-790-5800 or ensembleartsphilly.org.
Fundraising musical takes aim at guns
Monday, April 15, 2024. YO! PUT THE GUN DOWN! (A Hip Hop Symphony) will strike a nerve in the community. The musical theater performance and fundraiser by John Graves, Douglas Rucker and Jon Savant will focus on combating youth gun violence. The proceeds will benefit the Laron “LJ” Williams Youth Center, a proposed community facility, at 5653 Chew Avenue, that will be named after the 12-year-old Williams who was slain. Williams was killed on his birthday last June in Germantown, one of a total of more than 150 victims of gun violence in the city in 2023. $10 (for students) to $35 (for adults), 7 p.m. EST. Dan Rodden Theatre, La Salle University, 1900 West Olney Ave. Email: butlers13@lasalle.edu or 267-778-8009, or www.lasallenonprofitcenter.org.
The tools for good mental health
Saturday, April 13, 2024. The nonprofit Community Hero Action Group (CHAG) will host its fourth annualPennsylvania Black Health Matters Conference. The four-day virtual and in-person gathering will feature entertainment, dancing, food, giveaways, health demos, and a voting lounge. It will include prominent speakers such as
Pennsylvania Senator Art Haywood, Philadelphia City Commissioner Omar Sabir, and Keisha Hudson, Philadelphia Chief Defender. Topics range from health policy to chronic disease. The event’s theme is “Release and Restore,” focusing on a holistic approach to mental wellness. Learn techniques for letting go and finding inner peace through workshops, discussions, and educational resources. Community Hero Action Group fosters healthy mindsets and lifestyle changes in the African-American community in Pennsylvania. Free, noon to 4 p.m. EST. Vernon Park, 5800 Germantown Ave. Email: contaftus@communityheropa.org, https://events.ringcentral.com/events/release-and-restore-2024 or communityheropa.org.
Budding artists can create masterpieces that may someday wind up in art galleries like the one pictured here called The Color Fields exhibit. It features the work of painters Chris Cox and Zifeng Zang at InLiquid Galley,121 North 2nd St. in Philadelphia.
Submit your masterpiece to student-art contest
Through Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Calling all high school artists in the 3rd Congressional District. Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of the Congressional Art Competition sponsored by U.S. Congressman Dwight Evans. The winning artwork will be exhibited for one year in the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., along with winning artwork from high schoolers in other congressional districts in the United States The artwork also will be featured on House.gov’s Congressional Art Competition page. Eligible local students would live in the following areas: The Northern border, Cheltenham west of Broad to Center City (West Philly, Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, Germantown, West Oak Lane). The deadline to submit your artwork is Tuesday, April 23, 2024. E-mail: kiera.jaha@mail.house.gov, 215-276-0340 or https://evans.house.gov/services/art-competition.
