The Atlanta Jazz Festival, one of the largest music festivals in the southeast, will kick off on Friday, May 26th, with a production from The Apollo Theater celebrating the 60th anniversary, “The Blues and Its People: Negro Music in White America by Amiri Baraka.” Featuring Blues, Jazz, and Gospel music performed by Russell Gunn and his 26-piece Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra. The special guest included is like a who’s who of famous artists, including Jazzmeia Horn and jessica Care moore. Camille Love, the Executive Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of Atlanta, saw the production a the Apollo Theatre in New York.
I asked Love how she came to see the production and what she felt causing her to bring the production to Atlanta. She speaks about Leatrice Ellzey and the opportunity to showcase one of our own. She shares that the production was a non-stop celebration and tells a history lesson of our music.
I thought the Atlanta Jazz Festival lineup in 2022 was fantastic, but this year’s lineup is even better. After so many years of curating the Atlanta Jazz Festival, I asked Love how she does it. Creating a bigger and better event each year. She explains that she has always avoided the “canned” jazz festival tropes with the same artist touring from place to place. Instead, the Atlanta Jazz Festival is a cultural experience. New talent and local artists have always been included. When Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra were available, they were booked. Love speaks about emerging artists who are participating under the auspices of the French Consulate.
For more information on the Atlanta Jazz Festival
For more information on Blues and Its People production
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