Daily Courier Newspaper Friday, June 18, 2021
FRONT PAGE ARTICLE
Prescott to Host Juneteenth Celebration Saturday at Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza
By Nancy Hutson
With Juneteenth signed into law Thursday, June 17, as the nation’s newest federal holiday, Prescott will be one of many cities across the nation this weekend to commemorate the end of slavery in America.
For months, the Prescott Jazz Society through its affiliation with CornerStone Entertainment in collaboration with the city and the Prescott Downtown Partnership has been working to organize the city’s first ever such celebration — JuneTeenth Jazz Splash on Saturday, June 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Yavapai County Courthouse plaza.
Partnership Executive Director MJ Smith credits the Jazz Society with organizing the festival that coincides well with the partnership’s Summer Concert Series, a Prescott tradition since the 1960s. For the series that begins on various weeknights from June 1 through Sept. 10, the community can come and enjoy an evening of all kinds of music, including jazz performances, on the courthouse lawn.
The Juneteenth celebration will be an extended, day-time event that will offer multiple jazz musicians and bands, an opening ceremony speaker highlighting the history and culture of jazz as well as the origins behind this particular celebration, and just a family-friendly good time open to anyone with a blanket and a lawn chair, Smith said.
For the society, the Juneteenth celebration will also prove a showcase to promote the 25-year Prescott Jazz Society and its efforts to raise $40,000 by Labor Day to support a CornerStone Jazz Festival next year, said Society President and Juneteenth event organizer Milt Cannon in a YouTube video that can be viewed on the society’s web page. Cannon is a lifelong jazz preservationist, promoter, and a saxophonist. His schedule on Thursday was such that he was unable to converse about the event, however, program details are on the website.
Musical entertainment will be provided by Funk Frequency, Country Fried Funk, DL Harrison, Gospel of Jazz, Renee & Diversity, and Reverend Royce Murray Quartet.
In President Joe Biden’s comments about officially honoring Juneteenth as a celebration of freedom and racial diversity and equity, identifying the law as the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, he said, “I’ve only been president for several months, but I think this will go down, for me, as one of the greatest honors I will have had as president.”
Juneteenth is a word that joins June and nineteenth together in recognition of June 19, 1865, when months after the northern United States defeated the South in the Civil War fought over slavery enslaved blacks in Galveston, Texas were informed they were now free.
Since that time, America has continued to wrestle with racial justice and discrimination, and even in 2021 the debate about diversity and equality continues to be fought in communities large and small. The greater Prescott area is no exception.
In national, state and local politics candidates are answering questions and staking ground on matters revolving around diversity, even whether or not slavery should be discussed in history classes.
Given the recognition just given to Juneteenth, Smith said she thinks it is perfectly appropriate for the Prescott area to celebrate the new holiday with this brand of festival. Even with the recent heat wave, Smith said the courthouse plaza provides a perfect venue with shade trees and cool grass. Smith said this community is blessed it can capitalize on its plethora of talented musicians and artists from all walks of life.
“I think it’s (JuneTeenth Jazz Splash) very relevant,” she said.
December 2014
City of Prescott Officially Proclaimed a Red Shirt Friday City
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New York, New York Benefit Show Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012 |
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During the successful launching of the 1st Annual J.A.M. Festival (April 1 - 3, 2011) which showcased the Prescott downtown “Jazz Zone” (best kept secret in AZ), the Prescott Jazz Society, Inc. proudly accepted official JAM Proclamations from the City of Prescott, the Town’s Chino Valley and Prescott Valley declaring April as “Jazz Appreciation Month”. |
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Random Nues-Notes'Routes & Branches' November, 2010 |
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Prescott Jazz Society |
Dear Nues-Note Reader,
Heartfelt and timely support (mind, body, spirit and financial resources) has often bridged our efforts through the years when presented with some difficult and trying times. Membership support since 1994 has translated into a contribution of great significance insuring the ability of the Prescott Jazz Society to establish a jazz presence in Yavapai and Coconino counties. The Jazz Society has as of this date contracted well over 1000 musician engagements and over 1400 jazz programs since 1994. The outgrowth of these engagements and programs is currently being evidenced in multiple venues that are regularly booking live jazz up to five nights per week. With your continuing support and the support of other right-minded people and businesses, the Prescott Jazz Society will continue to pursue, perpetuate, and celebrate the desired growth of quality jazz that is being presented in Prescott.
Incidentally, for the record, a jazz presence was created (with all intent and purpose) in a former downtown Prescott Cajun Restaurant and Bar popularly known as NOLAZ. This restaurant was owned and operated by Mr. Robert (Bob) Curry who was receptive to a variety of musical genres including jazz (like the current Raven Cafe). In 1994 Milt Cannon (saxophonist, now PJS President/Director) began performing weekly in NOLAZ (every Wednesday) using drummer Dave Cook and Eddie Hollis on the Hammond organ. Various others performed including bassists Selwyn Reams and Joel DiBartolo, pianist Eric Shenefield, and occasional guest artists. Also, several musicians performed who have since passed away including bassist John Whitney, drummer Mel Zelnick, pianist Clare Willey, and drummer Keith Brush.
The jazz movement continued by daily "authentic jazz activist" sessions in the PJS Performance Center with Ramon Dana, Mike Gallaty, Selwyn Reams, Carlos B. Jones and Joe Bonner as well as annual five-day festivals. The next essential step involved creating opportunities for developing and promoting jazz culture (foundation for all jazz activity) which has since begun and is ongoing.
In February of 2011, Milt Cannon will introduce and teach an American jazz history class on the Yavapai College Campus with the OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE (www.yc.edu/olli). You may call 928.717.7634 for additional information.
More immediate activity is taking place as the PJS starts to re-focus attention on the downtown Prescott scene. Groundwork has already begun for implementation and development of an April Spring Fest that will coincide with the Smithsonian Institute's designated JAM (Jazz Appreciation Month).
The Arcosanti Juneteenth Jazz Splash Celebration remains the flagship event of the Jazz Splash Season from April through December. However, the sum of the PJS festivals and year-round programs as well as the on-going August Jazz Summit Festival will undoubtedly make Prescott a major venue to attract and/or book national acts.
The Jazz Society with the technical assistance of PJS member and webmaster Roger Lakner has fashioned an enhanced series of fundraising opportunities designed to help with our ongoing financial challenges. Along with the matching funds project, we are now offering more PJAZZ products (please visit our Store page) available for purchase that will include live DVD and CD recordings (taped live in the Hassayampa Inn/Spirits Lounge), PJAZZ caps, visors, tee-shirts and specialty CANNONFIRE caps and tee-shirts (short and long sleeve) for approximate two-week delivery. Live DVD recordings were taped and donated to the Prescott Jazz Society through the personal services of PJS member Arnold Corella This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Finally, I encourage you to continue treating this very sincere membership/sponsor appeal as a grand opportunity to assist us in remaining the vibrant organization that is working year round to share this art form as the "U.S. National Treasure" that it has become and should remain. As a token of my appreciation for your sponsorship, you will receive a V.I.P. PASS to be recognized and honored at all PJAZZ programs and events during your sponsorship term. Prescott Jazz Society thanks you for your support.
Donations and web store purchases may be processed on our Contact Us page.
Milt Cannon, PJS Director
New Press Release
Coming up: Inside the Raven Cafe at 142 N. Cortez St on Friday, April 06, 2012 Ray Brown Jr. will help to kick-off the Prescott Jazz Society "Jazz Splash' 2012 while honoring the Smithsonian Institute J. A. M.(Jazz Appreciation Month/April) . A second Ray Brown Concert performance at the Sedona Creative Life Center, 333 Schnebly Hill Road on Saturday, April 07 at 6:00 P.M. will also herald the return of Prescott favorite, Nicki Adams as a prelude to his upcoming Arcosanti performance with the Pat & Nicki Adams Quartet. The performances will also include a host of local/regional musician.
Cool Man Cool - Article written by Ken Hedler ~ The Daily Courier (9/24/10) Prescott Mayor meeting ~ September 2010 Prescott, Arizona and Chicago Trip ~ September 2010