You can not afford
to miss this Trane!
Awbury Arboretum
Sept. 1 and 2, 2007

2nd Annual John Coltrane Jazz Festival

THE TRANESTOP’S AT AWBURY ARBORETUM ON LABOR DAY WEEKEND
WITH THE 2ND ANNUAL COLTRANE JAZZ FESTIVAL

On Saturday, September 1st and Sunday, September 2nd, 2007 the Second Annual John Coltrane Jazz Festival arrives at Awbury Arboretum, located on the 800 block of East Washington Lane near Chew Avenue in Germantown, Philadelphia. The festival is produced by the 28 year-old non-profit music education organization TraneStop Resource Institute, Inc. and is hosted by State Representative John Myers and State Senator LeAnna Washington, in partnership with Einstein Healthcare Network, State Representative Dwight Evans and City Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller.

This year’s 2-day festival runs from 1PM through 8PM on both days and includes the John Myers Blues Program on September 1st and the John Coltrane Jazz Program on September 2nd. The staging area for both days is the Wetlands/Meadow area of the arboretum next to the Washington Lane Train Station on SEPTA’s R-7 Trenton/Chestnut Hill East Line. The public is encouraged to use public transportation which includes the R-7 rail line, the XH bus on Washington Lane and the 23 on Chew Avenue.

The 2007 festival theme is “ASCENSION” in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Coltrane’s death.

Mr. Jerry Butler

This year “The Ice Man Cometh” to the festival as the festival headliner Jerry Butler takes over the Saturday blues program. The eternally cool, Mr. Jerry “The Ice Man” Butler, is the international recording artist known for such classic hits as “For Your Precious Love”, “Hey, Western Union Man”, “Only the Strong Survive” and “Ain’t Understanding Mellow”. Mr. Butler has also served as Chairman of the National Rhythm and Blues Foundation and is a long term Cook County (Chicago) Commissioner. Mr. Butler’s Philadelphia ties are deep and long. He recorded many of his greatest hits here in Philly with Gamble and Huff Productions and Philadelphia’s own radio DJ the late Georgie Woods gave Mr. Butler his moniker -“The Ice Man”, after witnessing Butler’s cool stage demeanor.

Joining Jerry Butler on Saturday, September 1st are blues diva Barbara Walker and the Barbara Walker Story/”The Burnin’ Biscuits”, the Philadelphia Blues Messengers with Larry Hambrecth, Mike Albrecht, David Doggett, Tom Gittleman, Pete Currie and featuring spoken word performances, and also Owen “Fiidla” Brown’s Youth exposition featuring guest performances by spoken word artist Sweet Inspiration with Life and Bumble Bee.

Mr. Odean Pope

On Sunday, September 2nd, “The Pope Presides” over the jazz program as Odean Pope comes Locked & Loaded with the Saxophone Choir, featuring Louis Taylor, Byard Lancaster and Sam Reed on Alto Sax, Elliott Levin, Terry Lawson, Terrence Brown and Seth Meicht on Tenor Sax, Joe Sudler on Baritone, George Burton on Piano, Mike Boone on Bass, Craig McIver on Drums and a guest performance by Gloria Galante on Harp. Saxophonist, composer, arranger and educator and former Max Roach sideman Odean Pope is a Philadelphia treasure who was blessed to have met and been inspired by the late John Coltrane. Pope’s ‘Locked &Loaded’ CD was well received and AllaboutJazz.com picked the cd as the top Brilliant Alternative Jazz Album for 2006.

After experiencing Pope’s live performance Ornette Coleman wrote in the liner notes to the CD: “... His compositional lead concept has transposed the non transposed, the rhythm and the harmony and the melody all having equal revolutions to the improviser, with the lead as a mental inspiration. ... Odean Pope’s latest cd is the sound map for the use of unresolvable ideas which are based on the installation of new territories. “ Pope’s festival performance is a salute to John Coltrane, to improvisation and to the continued evolution of jazz.

Also performing during the jazz program is “The Peace Warrior”, vibraphonist Khan Jamal, in a salute to Dog Town’s Music Legacy and The Groovin’ High Quintet, featuring Art Daniels on Sax, Duane Eubanks on Trumpet, Sam Dockery on Piano, Webb Thomas on Drums and Joe Kearney on Bass in a tribute to Bebop and the late Arnold Boyd, a TraneStop founder. They will be joined by the Owen “Fiidla” Brown Quartet in a salute to jazz innovation and The Renaissance Messengers with Nasir Dickerson in a salute to the revival of jazz.

During the festival TraneStop will introduce its initiative “Horns for Guns”, a program to exchange an instrument and music lessons for turning guns into police. The organization believes music is an important alternative means of expression to the violence that pervades inner city communities at this time. The concerts are free to the public but attendees are encouraged to make contributions for this anti-violence initiative. Vendors will be on site.

Event sponsors include: Einstein Healthcare Network, VERIZON, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, City of Philadelphia, OARC, Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, WRTI-FM Temple University Public Radio, Community Outreach 200 CDC, NorthWest CDC, Germantown Settlement and the Black Vendors Association.

YOU CAN NOT AFFORD TO MISS THIS TRANE!

Click here to see performance times,  artist line-up, directions and vending opportunities.