Story By: Cameron W. Johnson
On October 6, the Alabaster City Municipal Complex featured Alabaster’s 4th annual Jazz In the Park. The free concert featured Choko Aiken and the band Dwight Houston & On Purpose, following an opening performance by a jazz ensemble from Alabaster’s own Thompson High School.
“It’s one of the most amazing things to see a group of students participate in community events, like this, that are so supported”, said Graham Bennett, teacher and conductor for THS’s jazz band.
This marked the first year in which the Alabaster City Arts Council collaborated with the Shelby County Arts Council in organizing the concert. Bruce Andrews, executive director for the Shelby County Arts Council, said that such an event positively “shows that municipal governments can work with nonprofits to infuse arts and cultural opportunities into a community.”
Andrews also affirmed the mission of Magic City Smooth Jazz to “build communities through jazz”. Under the executive direction of Bernard Lockhart, Magic City Smooth Jazz has overseen the Jazz In the Park concert series since 2008 . According to the official website of Magic City Smooth Jazz, the objective of this series is to “[enhance] cultural activities through various styles of jazz in the State of Alabama”.
Jazz in the Park’s 10th series began on April 6 at Marion’s Perry County Courthouse, and concluded on October 20 at Midfield’s Midfield Park Recreation Center. Plans for 2020’s Jazz In the Park series are already under way for April.
Vallo Vision News 