Huntsville dropped the lineup Thursday for the 10th annual Jazz in the Park, which is set for September at Big Spring Park West with new partner Downtown Huntsville, Inc.
Why it matters: A staple since its 2015 debut, the free concert series is among the most-anticipated of the year, and coincides with Huntsville Music Month.
- On Mondays following concerts, musicians will head to local schools to teach students about jazz.
Zoom out: “We think that’s a big win for our community,” said Kenny Anderson, the now-retired former director of the city’s Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
- Anderson helped establish Jazz in the Park with the late Bernard Lockhart, who founded Birmingham’s Jazz in the Park.
- “You can only imagine how thrilled I am to see the sustainability of an event and a product that has had such a profound impact on our community and has brought some amazing people to the platform,” he said.
What they’re saying: “Jazz in the Park is more than just a concert series,” Randy Barbour, director of Huntsville’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, said Thursday. “It’s a platform for culture, connection and community.”
- “It’s a way for us to honor a genre born from resilience, struggle and creative freedom, one that has given voice to so many stories, generations and icons,” he said.
📢 Here’s the lineup, with Anderson’s input from the announcement:…