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| Annual Function at Tuxedo Junction Jazz Festival Celebrates Silver Anniversary in Ensley |
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| Local News Headlines |
| Written by Administrator |
| Thursday, 22 July 2010 11:45 |
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A music festival designed to inspire community pride and celebrate the great musical talent from historic Ensley moves into its 25th year, at a time of neighborhood revitalization. The Silver Anniversary of the Tuxedo Function at the Junction Jazz Festival takes place Saturday, July 24th, at Erskine Hawkins Memorial Park. It brings to life the original intent of its first organizers: they were determined to restore pride to a neighborhood that had been in decline for decades, especially after the Ensley Works steel plant closed in the ‘70s. “Back then, Tuxedo was a low-income area that was mostly housing projects,” says Magnolia Cook, chairwoman of the Function at the Junction organizing committee. “So our community resource officer at the time, Mr. James Cotton, said ‘Let’s do something to celebrate what happened here, to honor the great musicians who came from Ensley.’ “‘Tuxedo Junction’ was known around the world because of Erskine Hawkins’ song. We are so grateful to him for putting Birmingham on the map the world over. So we decided to have the festival around the time of his birthday (July 26),” she says. “Up until the time he died, Erskine Hawkins came home every year to perform in the parade and the festival.” Other famous musicians from Ensley include Eddie Kendricks and other members of the original, world-renowned Temptations. This year, the Tuxedo Neighborhood and the Ensley community have more to celebrate. The Birmingham Housing Authority recently completed the demolition and reconstruction of the former housing project, renaming it Tuxedo Terrace. The Ensley BEAT project, first started by the late Rev. Ron Nored, is still building new houses near the new Jackson-Olin High School. And Main Street Birmingham is working with New York developers to turn the long-vacant, 10-story Ramsay-McCormack building into high-rise rental units for seniors. Attorney Antonio Spurling has energized the downtown Ensley business district by bringing his law office there, opening several new businesses in once-vacant buildings and recruiting other businesses to join long-established businesses such as Cotton’s and Gilmore’s Drugs. Other new businesses include the new Serra Honda dealership, the Family Dollar store and the TriBeCa clothing store. In addition, the city is planning a new park along Village Creek, turning the flood-prone area into a new green space that will include walking trails, sports fields and other amenities. The free festival has grown steadily from the little corner park that the neighborhood had the city clean 25 years ago. The festival attracts up to 10,000 people who come from around the country to enjoy the variety of music including jazz, the food vendors and the festival’s community atmosphere. This year’s headliner is the popular old-school funk band, Lakeside. The festival's silver-anniversary sponsors include the City of Birmingham, State Rep. Rod Scott, Schaeffer Eye Center, Birmingham Health Care, Ensley BEAT, Money Bag Recording Studio, WATV Radio, and the Ensley Merchants Association. The Schedule The Parade begins at 10 a.m. leaving from Bethel A.M.E Church on Avenue D between 14th and 15th Streets Ensley and ends at Erskine Hawkins Park. The music starts with gospel at 11 a.m., jazz at 1 p.m., the Erskine Hawkins Musical Scholarship Presentation at 3 p.m., and blues and more music from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The lineup Parade The Christian Heart Gospel Singers Praise Dancers The Golden Hummingbirds of Birmingham (gospel) The Pillars (gospel) The Reminder Band Season to Please Birmingham Heritage Band (jazz) Force Five Band Velvet Touch Band Roots Posse (reggae) Klue (blues/jazz) Lakeside |
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