Atlanta Jazz Festival… 1983
Atlanta is no stranger to the heat index and in 1983 on August 20th the thermometer hit 100 degrees just nine days before the opening of the jazz festival. Also that year Georgia was required to pay $3 million dollars to Black workers who were denied promotions at the Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, and The Big Chill which was filmed in Atlanta and starred Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly and JoBeth Williams opened in theaters.
Festival programmer Mark Johnson continues the legacy of jazz under Bureau of Cultural Affairs leader Shirley Cooks by bringing another amazing lineup to Atlanta for the sixth annual festival that included Crescent, Allan Harris, Dexter Wise, Windstorm, Chandra Currelly, Family Jazz Ensemble, Billy Gee, Clark College Jazz Orchestra, James Newton Quartet, Space Shuttle, Dan Wall Quartet, Sil Austin, Joi Tobin, Life Force, Jimmy Smith & Kenny Burrell feturing Mike Baker, Steven Dwiggins, Carol Veto, Glenn Wisenbaker, Ojeda Penn Experience, Jeanne Lee, Pharoah Sanders, Furture Experience, Rod Smith, Paul Perez, Khaleefa Haamid and Miles Davis.
From August 29th – September 1st performances were in Central City Park. The final days of the festival performances from September 2nd to September 5th were held in Piedmont Park.
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