Harlem Set To Celebrate The Second Annual Free John Coltrane Jazz Festival

What could make a celebration of jazz giant/saxophonist John Coltrane even better? Throw a FREE concert on his birthday, September 23, add in a salute to the musical genius Miles Davis, and invite music fans throughout the region to celebrate at the second annual John Coltrane Jazz Festival | Miles Ahead at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park, 3:00 - 8:00 pm.

With lead financial support from The Mellon Foundation and Harlem Grown, the producing partners - State Senator Cordell Cleare, Jazzmobile, Harlem Late Night Jazz, NY Jazz Society, New Amsterdam Musical Association, Marcus Garvey Park Alliance, and New Heritage Theatre Group - are coming together with other community organizations to celebrate these two jazz icons.

The festival will feature some of today's greatest performers playing this American music we call jazz, including National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Reggie Workman (bass) and his band, Najee (sax), Norman Connors (drums), T.K. Blue (sax), Al Flythe (sax), Patience Higgins (sax), Bertha Hope (piano), Bill Saxton (sax), Frank Lacy (trombone) and special surprise guests.

In 2022, State Senator Cleare created the first annual Jazz Appreciation Day, and with Dr. Mujib Mannan, founder of the NY Jazz Society as well as the jazz festival honoring the music of John Coltrane, brought together a group of Harlem-based jazz presenters to premiere the John Coltrane Jazz Festival in Marcus Garvey Park. Born in Harlem, Dr. Mannan (aka Dr. John Satchmo Mannan) began his music career inspired by his Jamaican father, Aston McRae, a classical violinist, his first cousin Carmen McRae, the late world-famous jazz singer, and the music of Louis Armstrong. Over 20 years ago, he began doing small John Coltrane festivals in smaller parks in neighborhoods throughout Harlem. His 2022 collaboration with State Senator Cleare and other Harlem-based organizations launched the inaugural John Coltrane Festival in Marcus Garvey Park.

The musical friendship of Davis and Coltrane will be exalted as the all-star musicians re-imagine classic songs from the "Davis Coltrane Songbook," and interpret classic tunes such as "A Love Supreme," "Sonny," "So What" and others that are often recognizable after the first three notes. The audience will be blown away as dynamic musicians put their mark on each tune and bring the music of these legendary American performers to new light.

For more information about the festival, click here.

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