Martin Ludlow - The Birth of the LA Jazz Festival

JAZZ & LA

‍Los Angeles has over a century of Black music history that most people don't know about.

‍Jazz arrived in Los Angeles on the Union Pacific rail line, straight from New Orleans into Watts, as Creole musicians came to Los Angeles in the early 1900s seeking to escape Jim Crow, drawn west by the booming entertainment industry, vaudeville touring circuits, and the promise of a more racially tolerant society. 

‍Jazz filled the supper clubs of Central Avenue, scored Hollywood films, and raised artists who changed music forever — shaping the sound of this city from the inside out.

Martin Ludlow chats to Rob Cope about creating a festival befitting of this great city. 

https://www.lajazzfestival.com/

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