All That Philly Jazz

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All That Philly Jazz All That Philly Jazz is a placed-based public history project. We are mapping and contextualizing Philadelphia’s jazz history from bebop to hip-hop.

All That Philly Jazz is a place-based public history project at the intersection of art, public policy and cultural heritage preservation. The points of interest include jazz venues and landmarks, Walk of Fame plaques, and other cultural assets. Most of the physical structures have been erased. Jazz spots fell victim to the 1964 race riot, urban renewal and gentrification. As a result, the history largely resides in the memories of those who were there. So to preserve the history for current and future generations, All That Philly Jazz is crowdsourced. Community members are invited to share their stories, photos, etc., of the jazz scene back in the day. We are breathing life into legendary clubs like the Showboat, Pep’s, Downbeat, Blue Note, Aqua Lounge, Geno’s Empty Foxhole, Red Rooster, and joints along Ridge Avenue, 52nd Street, aka “The Strip,” and Columbia Avenue, aka the "Golden Strip." All That Philly Jazz is about cultural heritage. We are developing a template for cultural heritage preservation. To get involved, contact us at phillyjazzapp[@]gmail.com.

I successfully nominated master silhouette artist Moses Williams for a Pennsylvania historical marker. The dedication ce...
10/20/2026

I successfully nominated master silhouette artist Moses Williams for a Pennsylvania historical marker. The dedication ceremony was scheduled for October 24, 2026. Due to fabrication delays, the Department of Streets, which is responsible for installation, did not receive the marker until this week.

The delay turned out to be a blessing. It gave me time to reach out to the American Philosophical Society, founded by Benjamin Franklin. APS agreed to host the dedication ceremony in Philosophical Hall, the 18th century building where Moses lived and worked. The event will be held in May 2027 (exact date TBA).

The marker will be installed across from Philosophical Hall, in front of Jefferson Garden. Thomas Jefferson was a founding member of APS. He likely knew Moses whose silhouettes are on view at the Jefferson Library in Monticello.

Preservation of 2125 Ridge Avenue is one of the four Philadelphia Section 106 success stories highlighted by the Nationa...
10/18/2026

Preservation of 2125 Ridge Avenue is one of the four Philadelphia Section 106 success stories highlighted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The former location of the Checker Café holds stories of Philadelphia’s golden age of jazz. The Ridge on the Rise mural is on the south-facing wall.

https://phillyjazz.us/2026/10/18/national-historic-preservation-act-section-106-national-trust-for-historic-perservation-cultural-heritage-partners-checker-cafe-philadelphia-housing-authority/

🎶The Creator has a master planPeace and happiness for every manThe Creator has a master planPeace and happiness for ever...
10/13/2026

🎶The Creator has a master plan
Peace and happiness for every man
The Creator has a master plan
Peace and happiness for every man🎶

Celebrating Pharoah Sanders who was born on October 13, 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas. 🎉🎷

WKCR has a special 24-hour birthday broadcast celebrating Thelonious Monk who was born on October 10, 1917 in Rocky Moun...
10/10/2026

WKCR has a special 24-hour birthday broadcast celebrating Thelonious Monk who was born on October 10, 1917 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. 🎉🎹

The Ridge on the Rise mural memorializes jazz giant John Coltrane. Its peeling condition is a civic disgrace.In my blog ...
10/05/2026

The Ridge on the Rise mural memorializes jazz giant John Coltrane. Its peeling condition is a civic disgrace.

In my blog post, “John Coltrane Deserves Better,” I include contact information for Mural Arts Philadelphia, Mayor Cherelle Parker, and City Councilmember Jeffrey Young in whose district the mural is located. Please take a moment to send them a short message. Simply say the condition of the Ridge on the Rise mural located at 2125 Ridge Avenue is an embarrassment. Urge them to take immediate action to restore the mural.

Your voice matters. 🗣️

https://phillyjazz.us/2026/10/04/john-coltrane-centennial-mural-arts-philadelphia-public-art-sharswood/

10/04/2026

The art and activism initiative Fall of Freedom returns for its second year with hundreds of events across the US. Public artworks and zine-making workshops are on this year’s line-up, uniting artists and cultural organizations against an increasingly authoritarian administration.

Organized by a group of cultural workers including artists Dread Scott and Jenny P***k, playwright Lynn Nottage, and writer and curator Laura Raicovich, Fall of Freedom saw a successful inaugural run last November. Since then, Trump’s attacks on the arts and freedom of speech have escalated.

Read more at hyperallergic.com.
Image 1: Billie Holiday’s Philadelphia Walking Tour (2025), led by Faye Anderson and presented by All That Philly Jazz and Scribe Video Center in Philadelphia (all images courtesy Fall of Freedom)

Check out John Morrison’s review of my “wildly informative bus tour through Coltrane’s North Philly” published in Midbro...
09/30/2026

Check out John Morrison’s review of my “wildly informative bus tour through Coltrane’s North Philly” published in Midbrow, a project of the Online Journalism Project.

John captured the vibe on the bus. I 🤣 when I read: “Anderson led the tour with expertise and humor as she playfully sparred with Yasuhiro ‘Fuji’ Fujioka, one of the world’s preeminent Coltrane scholars who happened to be along for the ride.”

https://midbrow.org/get-on-the-coltrane-train/

09/30/2026

Congratulations to Philly-trained Immanuel Wilkins. 🎷🎉

Y’all know if I see something, I say something. The condition of the Ridge on the Rise mural which prominently features ...
09/28/2026

Y’all know if I see something, I say something. The condition of the Ridge on the Rise mural which prominently features Pearl Bailey and John Coltrane is a civic disgrace and call to action.

Check out this photo of Yasuhiro Fujioka standing in front of the mural (h/t Jewell A. Newton). Fuji lives in Japan. He is the co-author of “The John Coltrane Reference.” He was in Philadelphia to celebrate Coltrane’s centennial in the city that claims to love Trane. But action speaks louder than words.

Let’s make some noise. 🗣️

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker - Councilmember Isaiah Thomas

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