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Norman Connors Headlines Free Bronzeville Music Festival

By Ted Cox | August 6, 2015 5:42am
 Norman Connors and the Starship Orchestra headline the Bronzeville Music Festival Aug. 15.
Norman Connors and the Starship Orchestra headline the Bronzeville Music Festival Aug. 15.
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Artworks Chicago

BRONZEVILLE — Music is key to Bronzeville's past, and also to its future, as represented in an upcoming musical festival dedicated to "honoring the legacy of jazz" in the area.

The Bronzeville Music Festival is a free event set for 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 15 at the corner of 51st Street and King Drive.

"That's what's magnificent about it, that it's free to the public, and it'll be a nice cultural adventure for the whole community," said Carl McKenzie, president of Artworks Chicago, who's booking the event this year.

it grows out of earlier summer events at that intersection in years past, but "not to the magnitude of what this is," McKenzie added.

 Ald. Pat Dowell is looking forward to the performance of Norman Connors and the Starship Orchestra.
Ald. Pat Dowell is looking forward to the performance of Norman Connors and the Starship Orchestra.
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DNAinfo/Wendell Hutson

Norman Connors & the Starship Orchestra are the headliners, sure to perform his jazzy '70s crossover ballad "You Are My Starship."

"I'm a big Norman Connors fan," said Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd), one of the lead sponsors of the fest.

Dowell promised a "family friendly" event dedicated to "the rich jazz history" of the area. "We're trying to bring the community together," she added.

"The Bronzeville Festival is definitely going to be an annual event," McKenzie said.

McKenzie cited the area's vibrant musical history, including the 47th Street Blues District, but also Kenwood's Sutherland Hotel, where Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie played, and also the Forum on 43rd Street, formative stomping grounds for jazz bassist Milt Hinton.

The Forum is a chosen cause of Urban Juncture, with founder Bernard Lloyd having recently made inroads at addressing a perceived "food desert" in the area near the 51st Street CTA station.

The list of performers to fill the 10 hours is extensive, including Bobby Irving, Sam Hankins, Maggie Brown, Vince Willis, Nanette Frank, Taylor Moore and Senebella, among others.

According to McKenzie, some will feature the music of Billie Holiday in honor of her birthday centennial this year.

Vendors will provide food and drink, as well arts and crafts merchandise. Kids will be entertained with pony rides and a performance by a magician.

Other sponsors include the 51st Street Business Association and the South East Chicago Commission.

"It's still a growing event," McKenzie added, and an "educational tool" for those unfamiliar with the area's rich musical history.

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