TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Jazz festivals in America are more than entertainment—they’re living classrooms of history, culture, and innovation.
Take the Newport Jazz Festival, founded in 1954. It set the standard for modern jazz festivals and helped bring artists such as Miles Davis and Duke Ellington to a wider audience.
In New Orleans, the Jazz & Heritage Festival reflects the city’s diverse musical roots, blending jazz, gospel, blues, and Creole culture.
Chicago’s Jazz Festival, held every Labor Day weekend, not only honors greats like Nat King Cole but also highlights the city’s legacy as a hub of jazz evolution during the Great Migration.
On the West Coast, the Monterey Jazz Festival—the longest continuously running jazz festival in the world—emphasizes music education and supports young artists through workshops and scholarships.
These festivals preserve the past while shaping the future of jazz.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.