Justo Almario’s Afro-Colombian Ensemble performs at the 2024 Leimert Park Jazz Festival. The sixth annual festival will take place Aug. 30 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. See story on page 2.
Courtesy photo
By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
LEIMERT PARK — The sixth annual Leimert Park Jazz Festival, taking place Aug. 30 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, combines a celebration of music with community and cultural heritage.
Launched six years ago by Diane Robertson, an entertainment lawyer, the festival, produced in association with the World Stage, brings together talented jazz musicians for a day of memorable performances.
“I really believe in what we are doing, and what we offer to the community in terms of quality, and accessible arts programming focused on jazz,” said Robertson, the festival’s executive director. “I’m committed to that and keeping the platform alive. Music is healing. What we do creates community. I think it shines a spotlight on our beautiful South Los Angeles community.”
Robertson said, “Over the years, it has been satisfying when people tell me the festival is on their calendar each year.”
“I get so giddy and grateful,” she said. “It was not my plan to be a jazz festival producer. This evolved out of wanting to bring my neighbors together.”
What began as a community block party that Robertson would host once a year at her Leimert Park home, has grown into one of the area’s premier musical events.
The event, produced in collaboration with World Stage Executive Director Dwight Trible, was eventually rebranded as the Leimert Park Jazz Festival in 2020.
With a mission to build and strengthen the community while celebrating and showcasing the artistic and cultural spirit of the historic Leimert Park neighborhood, the jazz festival has become a highly anticipated summer event.
Robertson launched the festival to “positively impact the community by providing access to quality jazz programming that is free of charge.”
She said this year’s festival features both up-and-coming artists and established jazz veterans.
This year’s lineup includes the Dee Dee Bridgewater Quartet, the World Stage Big Band, Dayren Santamaria + Made in Cuba, the Melanin Horns, the S.H.I.N.E. Mawusi Women’s African Drum Circle featuring Poet V. Kali, and composer and award-winning vibraphonist Sasha Berliner, who is making her Leimert Park Jazz Festival debut.
“I’ve heard about the festival for some time,” said Berliner, a San Francisco native. “I was attracted to the festival because I like the representation and diversity of the artists. The festival is based on representation.
“I think it’s amazing. Gender and race — it’s all diverse. It’s about who is active on the jazz scene today. That’s beautiful. I’m inspired by the artists I’ve seen there. It’s all about community.”
Berliner, 27, whose latest album is called ‘Fantôme,’ began her musical journey playing the drums at the age of 9.
“I was interested in the harmonic aspects of music,” said Berliner, who has played with Christian McBride, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Tyshawn Sorey, Marcus Gilmore, Justin Brown, Nicholas Payton, and Quincy Davis. “These people are like the modern-day masters of jazz. They all have different voices. It’s so special to be a part of it.”
Early in her musical quest, Berliner went to the Oakland School for the Arts with the desire to play drums. She was told they already had enough drummers and was offered the vibraphone instead.
“I didn’t even know what it was, really,” said Berliner, a faculty member at UC Irvine and a frequent lecturing guest at the California Institute for the Arts. “I knew what a xylophone was, but not a vibraphone. Turns out, it has a beautiful, singing, resonant quality. It’s fun to play and has a percussive element to it. It can be soft or hard. You can play it a bunch of different ways.”
Berliner turned her interest in music from funk to jazz.
“I wanted to learn how to improvise,” said Berliner, who plays seven or eight domestic and international music festivals a year. “That’s one of the reasons why I turned to jazz. I like the Wayne Shorter quote, ‘Jazz means, I dare you.’
“It’s a lot about freedom. Freedom of expression. That’s central to how I play. I’m trying to create a balanced performance. At the festival, I’m going to do some original compositions and some arrangements of artists I love.”
Throughout the day, the free festival will be a testament to the power of music to bring people together and transcend differences.
The crowd, which last year topped 3,000, is, once again, expected to be diverse and enthusiastic, with people of all ages and backgrounds coming together to celebrate the beauty and richness of jazz.
The Leimert Park Jazz Festival is more than just a concert series – it’s a celebration of the neighborhood’s rich history and heritage.
By bringing together local musicians, artists, and community members, the festival fosters a sense of unity and pride.
Robertson said, it’s a reminder that jazz is not just a genre of music, but a way of life that values creativity, improvisation and community.
This year’s co-emcees are Rhonda Hamilton, an internationally known radio broadcaster, including KJazz 88.1, and trailblazing KJazz 88.1 broadcaster Jose Rizo.
While the music is the highlight, there also will be retail pop-ups, including retailers from the mall, a wine and beer lounge, a food court with food vendors, a kids’ zone, and more.
The companion Leimert Park Jazz Festival art competition provides a platform for South L.A.-based visual artists.
The winner of this year’s festival’s annual art competition is Miela Foster (“blue notes). Second place went to Debbie Pinker (“Heart of the Village”), and third place went to Deserai Davis for (“Cultural Flow of Music”). “blue notes” is this year’s official commemorative poster and is available for purchase at the festival.
Robertson said both the art competition and the jazz festival are “Labors of love.”
“This whole thing has now evolved into a big celebration,” said Robertson, who wants to become an arts organization that supports jazz. “We are enriching our community through accessible, high-quality programming. We want to nurture this art form. We are poised to become a cultural treasure in our community.”
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
