Local Festival Celebrates Harlem's Contribution to Global Jazz

Composers, journalists, and scholars from more than 16 countries join to celebrate Harlem’s role in the international jazz community for the 10-day Columbia/Harlem Festival of Global Jazz this week.

The new festival takes over the Harlem jazz scene this week, offering performances as well as film screenings and symposia (one co-sponsored by the World Leaders Forum) until the 29th. Topics include the role of Harlem, jazz, and improvisation in a globalizing world.

A festival of this kind is a rare find in the United States, according to George E. Lewis, director of the Columbia Center for Jazz Studies. “Outside of the U.S. these festivals are more routine. Things I’ve seen in this festival I see much more often when I travel to other [countries]. But the U.S. is ... not paying enough attention to the global dimensions of jazz,” he said.

Sponsored by the Columbia Center for Jazz Studies, Jazzmobile, and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Corporation, the festival aims to educate the public about Harlem’s role in global jazz.

“I don’t think people realize that there are all these international jazz artists with a base in Harlem. Artists around the world look to Harlem for their inspiration,” said Daniel Beaudoin, program officer for the Columbia Center for Jazz Studies.

The Upper Manhattan Zone Corporation hopes that the festival will also aid Harlem economically, according to Marcia Sells of Columbia Government and Community Affairs. “UMEZ’s purpose was to have a festival that helps with economic development in Harlem by bringing more people from all over to the Harlem Area, to their jazz clubs and restaurants.”

Part of the festival’s purpose is to make jazz more accessible to the community. “[We wanted to] bring music to underserved communities like Harlem,” Lewis said. “Last night at the Creole bar people were listening to [musician] David Murray, sitting on the floor. It was a huge success.” The festival was able to bring in artists who would have otherwise been too expensive for the Harlem venues. “Monty Alexander hadn’t played here for 20 years. We brought him back,” Sells said.

Participants in the festival include jazz musicians and academics from Mexico, Turkey, and France, to Japan, Switzerland, China, Russia, the Netherlands, South Africa, and more. Singer Cynthia Scott of the Cynthia Scott Quartet, born in Arkansas, performed last Saturday night at local jazz venue Showman’s. “I think it [the festival] has been good on both ends; for us to introduce a new music to the audience, and for them to know I exist,” Scott said.

Public reaction was positive despite the fact that the festival’s publicity made it harder to get into neighborhood jazz clubs this week. “Creole, Lenox [Lounge], they’re all so crowded! But I like the global concept. I’m seeing a whole lot of new faces around here,” said Harlem resident Ingrid Doyle.

Jamaican-born Richard Kane, 37, came down from the Bronx for the festival. “I love how it’s bringing color to the city. It’s an excellent endeavor on Columbia’s part.”

Sara Maria Hasbun can be reached at sara.maria.hasbun@columbiaspectator.com