Music lovers gathered Sunday, Aug. 28, at Rowley Park for the 19th annual City of Gardena Jazz Festival.
Performers Jazz Funk Soul with Everette Harp, Paul Jackson Jr., and Jeff Lorber; Harvey Mason and the Chameleons; Marion Meadows and Alex Bugnon, Daley, Braxton Cook, and the Fernando Pullum Community Arts Band performed from morning until the evening to end the weekend.
The sounds moved nearby residents who didn’t even leave their homes too, amplifying into the surrounding neighborhoods.
The event, started in 2003 by state Sen. Steven Bradford, who represents Gardena in the state legislature, attracted 10,000 attendees by its fourth year.
Gardena’s fest wasn’t the only music on tap over the weekend in coastal communities. Long Beach’s Houghton Park hosted the 11th annual Uptown Jazz Festival on Saturday.
Stephanie Mills, the original Dorothy in “The Wiz” anchored the day. Another half-dozen acts kept the entertainment continuous from 11 a.m. to sunset.
The crowd spread out over the northern section of the park, visiting vendors, community groups and food trucks between dancing, visits to the beer garden or sitting back and enjoying the music. Ninth District Councilman and Vice Mayor Rex Richardson, who organized the event, said the theme of Recover, Rejoice, Reunite was fulfilled through the day.
This was the first recent Uptown Jazz Festival condensed into one day instead of the entire weekend. But there were no requirements to show proof of vaccination or negative COVID tests as there were last year.