25th anniversary of Chicago's Englewood Jazz Fest is Saturday
CHICAGO (CBS) — Ernest Dawkins and a slew of outstanding homegrown musical talent take the stage this weekend for the silver anniversary of the Englewood Jazz Festival, and the event's creator has a lot to celebrate.
"It's cool. It's very rewarding. It's very exciting," Dawkins said, whose event is nestled in a lush, shady park where, for years, people have been bringing their lawn chairs to enjoy great jazz.
Dawkins, a Chicago composer and saxophonist, started the festival with a grant. When the grant ended, he took his own money to find a way to bring talent on stage for people to enjoy.
"I looked at this as a partnership with the artists, even though they may not have known it," Dawkins said. "I tried to pay them a fee. But, you know, they took into account that we were attempting to establish the institution."
Part of Dawkins' work includes the Live the Spirit Residency, a 501c3 organization set up to promote and nurture new Chicago jazz artists. Over the years, a tidal wave of talent emerged from the musicians who came through it.
"We had a big band, so we pull people out of the big band, and they've gone on to do various different things," Dawkins said. "Everyone out of that big band: Nicole Mitchell, Marquis Hill, Maurice Brown, Greg Ward, Isaiah Collier, Junius Paul, Corey Wilkes, all those people in our world are now renowned musicians."
Dawkins grew up in Washington Park, Englewood, and Chatham. He played bass and percussion as a kid before picking up the saxophone when he graduated high school, but he said music was everywhere when he was growing up.
"My father had an extensive record collection, so I knew the music. We listened to WLS and WVON. So we listened to rock, we listened to pop, we listened to R&B, we listened to jazz, we listened to gospel," Dawkins said. "It's like Duke Ellington said, there are two kinds of music, it's good or it's bad."
Along with being a musician, Dawkins now shepherds young musicians as they grow as composers and players.
"I didn't plan it. The first person that I could say that fell into my lap was Jeff Parker because he was a young guy. He came here from Boston. And I heard him play, so I put him in my group. And the rest is kind of history," Dawkins said.
What sets Chicago artists apart from others?
"I think it's creativity, ingenuity, persistence, and individualism because everyone is individual and has an individual approach here, and that's a good thing...We still have that in Chicago," Dawkins said.
Dawkins could host the show in any part of the city but keeps the festival in a small park on the South Side for a few reasons.
"At heart, I'm a I'm a city kid, but I'm a country boy. I like greenery," Dawkins said. "In terms of doing this festival, I would serve the community of Englewood. And Englewood is a more intimate, quaint kind of situation for what we want to do," Dawkins said.
During previous festivals, Dawkins usually played his own set or sat in with other artists. Because this is the 25th anniversary, he won't be playing as much because there's a lot to do behind the scenes. In the past, national artists such as Kenny Garrett and Donald Harrison headlined, but this year, he wants to celebrate the local talent coming through his programs.
"It's fulfilling your prophecy. Because of institution building, you have to pass it on to the next generation. Then, in turn, they have to pass it on to the generation after them." Dawkins said.
The schedule for the Englewood Jazz Festival events begins with events on Thursday at Hamilton Park, 513 W 72nd Street.
Thursday, September 19, 2024 (indoors - Fieldhouse)
6:00 pm: Junius Paul
7:00 pm: Jahari Stampley
Friday, September 20, 2024 (indoors - Fieldhouse)
6:00 pm: Jeremiah Collier
7:00 pm: Nicole Mitchell
Saturday, September 21, 2023 (outdoors)
12:00 to 1:00 pm: Panel Discussion: Black South Side Jazz Presenters
1:00 to 2:00 pm: The Young Masters, under the direction of Ernest Dawkins
2:15 to 3:15 pm: Cory Wilkes
3:30 to 4:30 pm: Greg Ward
4:30 pm: Spirit of Jazz Award
4:45 to 6:00 pm: Encore of Paul Robeson: Man of the People
