Kickstarter

"Jazz wipes away this dust of everyday life."- Art Blakey

The Idea: On April 28, the Center City Jazz Festival is set to showcase great new music in an exciting, youthful, energetic environment, and introduce a new crop of the Philadelphia-area's best up-and-coming artists to both the aficionados and the curious.  We're going to take jazz out of concert halls and put it into a number of Center City's best new restaurants/bars and familiar music venues clustered around Broad Street, all within easy walking distance of each other.  The music will range from hard-bop to groove and from sultry songstresses to dance inducing Latin jazz -- so organize a group of your friends, catch a show or two or TEN, have a drink, and enjoy some of the best music you haven't yet heard.

The Reason: Philadelphia has a great jazz history and a bright jazz future.  It's up to us to showcase the talent that we have here and bring the simmer to a boil. We will also like to have an impact on the future generation of jazz artists and will be giving up to 200 TICKETS away FREE to local high school musicians.

Logistics: 16 bands will perform at multiple eclectic venues, including Chris' Jazz Cafe and Time Midtown, between 1pm and 8pm, and a headlining act will perform at 8pm. Normal festival tickets entitle their holders to all-you-can-listen access to all events before 8pm and first-come, first-served access to the headlining show.  VIP tickets entitle their holders to guaranteed admission to the headlining show and access to the artists' hospitality suite during the festival.  The festival will feature the music of some of the brightest musicians on the jazz scenes in Philadelphia and surrounding areas, including NYC. The festival is being presented with an emphasis on the quality of its music and not simply on the names of its participants.

Your pledges will go towards: artists fees, sound system/equipment rental, marketing materials, advertisements, and instrument (drums & pianos) rentals.