Atlanta Jazz Festival… 1991

The year was 1991. The baton of Program Director was passed from Rob Gibson to John Armwood, who had previously worked as the coordinator of the festival’s education component. He was instrumental in maintaining classical mainstream jazz in the parks while newer venues hosted smooth jazz, set up jam sessions at the Penta Hotel, established a jazz dance contest with improvisational dancing to improvisational music, and facilitated WLCK 91.9FM radio The Jazz of the City broadcasting the festival live from Grant Park.

Over the Memorial Day weekend performances and workshops and lectures were held on May 31st at Center Stage, Chastain Park Amphitheater, with a late night jam session at Club 590 West/Atlanta Penta Hotel. June 1st, 2nd held at High Museum of Art-Hill Auditorium and Grant Park with more late night jam session at Club 590 West/Atlanta Penta Hotel. On June 3rd-7th the Brown Bag Concerts were performed in Woodruff Park again ending the night with a late night jam session at Club 590 West/Atlanta Penta Hotel and on June 8th & 9th the festival closed out with performances in Grant Park.

Performing this year were Sonny Rollins, Spyro Gyra, Bob James, Rick Bell quintet, Joe Jennings and Life Force, Cecil Bridgewater, Arthur Blythe Quintet, Jackie McLean Quintet featuring Rene McLean, Ojeda Penn Experience, Bobby Hutcherson, The Harper Brothers, Charles Earland, David “Fathead” Newman, Grant Reed Quartet, Simone & Company, Mark Maxwell Band, Audrey Shakir Company, Eddie Davis Quintet and Johnny O’Neal, Olu Dara, Okra Orchestra, Azanyah, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, Dameronia, Abbey Lincoln, Fusai Abdul-Khaliq Ensemble, Dvae Holland Quartet, Don Pullen Trio and the David Murray Octet.

As well as being on the main stage Joe Jennings & Howard Nicholson, The Harper Brothers also led the nightly Jam Sessions. Critic and editorialist Stanley Crouch hosted a lecture and film presentation.

Sponsoring the 1991 festival were Adams Outdoor Advertising, AT&T, Atlanta Penta Hotel, The Coca-Cola Company/Atlanta Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Coors Brewing Company, Creative loafing, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, National Endowment For The Arts, RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, Southern Keyboards/Kawai Piano Company, WVEE/V-103 FM and WCLK 91.9 FM.

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Atlanta Jazz Festival… 1989

Under the direction of Harriet Sanford the 1989 Atlanta Jazz Series geared up and took place over the course of three weekends from June 2nd – August 6th in various locations around the city. On June 2nd performances were held at Center Stage Theatre, June 3rd had workshops at Rich Auditorium and performance at Grant Park, and June 4th performances were also at Grant Park. Performances were held on July 7th at Center Stage Theatre, July 8th at Piedmont Park and a July 9th lecture at Rich Auditorium and performance at Piedmont Park. August 4th hosted music at Center Stage theatre, August 5th with lecture at Rich Auditorium and performance at Piedmont Park and closing out the series on August 6th were performances in Piedmont Park.
Bring their talent to the stages were the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Germaine Bazzle, Walter Bishop Jr., Ed Blackwell, Jane Ira Bloom, Hamiet Bluiett, Benny Carter, Ron Carter, Olu Dara, Miles Davis, Jon Faddis, Jim Hall, Billy Harper, Freddie Hubbard, Improvisational Arts Quintet, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, John McLaughlin, Jackie McLean, Charles McPherson, Frank Morgan, Amina Claudia Myers, Joe Pass, David Peaston, Courtney Pine, Sun Ra Arkestra, Arthur Taylor, Sarah Vaughan, Tony Williams, World Saxophone Quartet and the Young Tuxedo Brass Band.
Sponsorship was provided by AT&T, City Beverage Company, Coors Brewing Company, Creative Loafing, Jazziz, National Endowment for the Arts, Technics, WVEE/103 FM, WCLK/91.9 FM and Wyndham Midtown Atlanta.

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Atlanta Jazz Festival… 1988

The year is 1988 and the name of the festival was shortened to be billed as the Atlanta Jazz Series. The city was set for a summer of weekend performances beginning June 2nd and running through September 4th. On those weekends, the free concerts were held in Grant and Piedmont Parks, while the paid concerts were held at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. the concerts at Chastain served a dual purpose of raising funds so that the Bureau of Cultural Affairs could continue to operate at its high level of achievement and provide an elegant setting for some of the more venerable talent and their enthusiastic audiences.
In addition, the series of jazz concerts were made possible with sponsorship from the Wyndham Hotel/Midtown Atlanta, AT&T, WVEE/V103 FM, Southline, Bud Light, Phoenix Arts Society and WCLK 91.9 FM. The Atlanta Jazz Series and the Montreux Atlanta Jazz Festival were hosted by the city of Atlanta during the same time and cross-featured artists.
The performance lineup was a virtual who’s who featuring the Arthur Blythe Quintet, Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, Benny Golson Quartet, Michelle Hendricks, Monroe Hatcher Quartet, Music South Orchestra with Tommy Stewart and John Peek, Joe Sudler’s Swing Machine, the Phil Woods Quintet, Azanyah, Duo Exchange, David “fathead” Newman Quintet, Henry Threadgill Sextet, Ojeda Penn Experience, Ellis Marsalis Trio, Cassandra Wilson Quintet with Steve Coleman, Sonny Fortune All-Stars, Joe Jennings & Life Force, Lester Bowie’s Brass Fantasy, George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet, Sonny Rollins Quintet, Out of Hear, The Real Band, Michael Pedicin, Jr., McCoy Tyner Trio, Michel Petrucciani Trio, The Bazooka Ants, Nancy Kahler, Flora Purim & Group, John Cloy Quartet, 29th Street Saxophone Quartet, Clark College Jazz Orchestra and the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet with Sam Rivers. #preserving genius

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Atlanta Jazz Festival… 1987

The record of the 1987 festival illustrates that it took place on August 1st in the Rich Auditorium on the Woodruff Campus. It was the final year it was called the Atlanta Jazz Festival and Concert Series.
The lineup of performers for the 1987 jazz festival has been lost to posterity and is currently unknown. However, the photographers who have documented the performances over the first 30 years of the festival, in alphabetical order by last name, were: Jim Alexander, Sheila Pree Bright, Michael Reese, Sue Ross, Eric Waters, Julie Yarbrough.
The sponsors were the Stroh Brewery Company, AT&T, Eastern Airlines, The Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Southline, WVEE/V-103 FM and the Phoenix Arts Society.
The poster commemorating the festival was designed by Doug Vachon Advertising, the illustration by Theo Rudnack, printing by National Graphic – Marty Richard and Color Separation by Graphics Atlanta.
The Office of Cultural Affairs is seeking any information or documentation on the musicians who performed at the 1987 festival. Please share by contacting atlantajazz@atlantaga.gov regarding the 1987 performance line-up.
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Atlanta Jazz Festival… 1986

Shirley Cooks has stepped down as the head of the Cultural Affairs and Harriet Sanford takes on the leadership and responsibility of carrying on the legacy in 1986. The Atlanta Jazz Festival and Concert Series would once again present over a series of weekends throughout the summer opening at Chastain Park on May 31st, Grant Park and Zoo Atlanta Natural Amphitheatre on June 7th-8th and July 5th-6th and closing out the summer at Piedmont Park on August 2nd-3rd and August 29th through September 1st.
The lineup once again included a Who’s Who list of performers: Etta James, Bob James & The Jazz All-Stars, The Yellow Jackets, Paquito d’Rivera, T Laviz & His Bad Habitz, Ricky Keller, Yonrico Scott, Paul Winter Consort, Tom Grant Band, John Blake Quartet, Claude Bolling, Otis Rush, John Mayall, Ramsey Lewis Quintet with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, Hiroshima, Kilimanjaro, Dr. John, Rockin’ Dopsie and the Modern Jazz Quartet.
The Stroh Brewery Company, 94Q Jazz Flavours, National Endowment for the Arts, Eastern Airlines, The Downtown Marriott Hotel, The American Federation of Musicians and The Phoenix Arts Society believed it a worthy cause for the city’s cultural life and came on as sponsors.

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