Nearly 2,000 jazz aficionados from all over Southern California enjoyed a day of incomparable music, food and networking opportunities at the 2018 Jazz at Drew concert on Saturday, October 6, 2018. The all-day outdoor festival took place on the campus of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) in South Los Angeles and featured exciting performances from the legendary S.O.S. Band, Miki Howard, SoCal favorite DW3, Latin jazz pioneer Pete Escovedo Orchestra, fusion trio Jazz Funk Soul featuring Jeff Lorber, Paul Jackson, Jr., and Everette Harp and The Crusaders – A Tribute featuring Joel Gaines, Reggie Young, Brian Price and Ronald Taylor. Platinum-award winning R&B group After 7 closed the show with an ultimate mix of their most popular tunes as well as popular contemporary music of the decade.
Since its launch in 1991, Jazz at Drew has sought to alleviate the need for residents in South Los Angeles and surrounding areas to travel far for quality entertainment at affordable prices. Equipped with superior artist line-ups and a unique concert experience, Jazz at Drew has demonstrated that local residents will support big-name entertainment when given the opportunity and venue to do so.
“We have two goals for Jazz at Drew: First, as a fundraiser, it helps support CDU student scholarships, services and pipeline programs. Second, as a concert, it provides South LA with a first-class entertainment event as part of our commitment to bring as many resources as we can to the community in which we live and work. We are honored to have been able to bring quality entertainment at a great value to our community,” said CDU President Dr. David M. Carlisle.
Jazz at Drew was also well-attended by VIPs and elected officials known for dedicating their time in office to fighting for social justice in underserved neighborhoods in Los Angeles and around the country, such as L.A. County Supervisor Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas, Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), and Councilman Curren D. Price (9th District).
Tickets to Jazz at Drew not only secured customers a seat to the show, but also status as donors and supporters of CDU. Proceeds from Jazz at Drew go towards enriching the CDU experience for students by funding University scholarships and pipeline programs, including the renowned Saturday Science Academy II, which encourages South Los Angeles students to excel in math, science and technology.
The day’s festivities were emceed by popular radio hosts Talaya Trigueros of 94.7 The Wave and Bubba Jackson of 88.1 KJZZ.
Presenting for sponsor the event was Dignity Health.
Other sponsors included: Platinum: L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Cedars-Sinai, Gold: UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, Wells Fargo, Del Ray Party Rentals, The California Endowment, Silver: Comerica Bank and Blue Shield of California/Care First, Community sponsor: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), and the Special Needs Network.
