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MENTIONED, THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM WAS ONCE A BUZZING HOTSPOT FOR UP AND COMING ARTISTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE CARVER THEATER. OVER THE DECADES, MANY JAZZ GREATS HAVE TAKEN THE STAGE TO SHOW OFF THEIR SKILLS. �������� 13 BRYCE OSELEN SPOKE WITH PEOPLE AT THE VENUE ABOUT WHY ALABAMA PUTS THE A IN JAZZ. JAZZ WAS ORIGINALLY AMERICA’S ONLY ART FORM THAT WAS TOTALLY CREATED IN THIS COUNTRY. IN FACT, IN 1985, CONGRESS MADE IT THAT SUCH BY PASSING A RESOLUTION STATED THAT FACT SINCE THE EARLY 1900S, JAZZ HAS CAUGHT THE EAR OF MILLIONS ACROSS THE WORLD. THE FACT IS, IS IMPROVISED. IT’S IMPROVIZATION. JAZZ IS MUSIC WHERE YOU HEAR ONE SONG AND BE DONE OVER SEVERAL TIMES OVER, BUT EACH TIME IT’S DIFFERENT. THE SWING NOTES AND FORWARDING MOMENTUM ATTRACTS LISTENERS AND ARTISTS FROM EVERY CULTURE, SO THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL, BECAUSE EACH ARTIST HAS HIS OR HER OWN SPECIAL FLAIR TO IT. THE ALABAMA JAZZ HALL OF FAME PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE FOR BLACK MUSICIANS, FEATURING MORE THAN 200 INDUCTEES AND DISPLAYING MOMENTS THE GENRE CAN’T IGNORE. WE HAVE A RICH HISTORY AND HERITAGE IN THIS ART FORM HERE, SO THIS WAS CRAZY. LET PEOPLE KNOW IN THE WORLD THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED, HAPPENED HERE IN ALABAMA WITH THE FIRST LETTER IN THE ALPHABET. ANYWAY. SO IT HAPPENS IN ALABAMA. JAZZ HALL OF FAME VICE PRESIDENT ORRVILLE IFILL SAYS ICONIC ACTS HELPED ESTABLISH THE VENUE AS IT STANDS TODAY. THINK ABOUT IT. NAT KING COLE FROM ALABAMA, ERSKINE HAWKINS FROM ALABAMA, DINAH WASHINGTON FROM ALABAMA, EVEN TONI TENNILLE, SOMEWHAT FROM ALABAMA. SO WHAT MAKES THIS VENUE SO SPECIAL? IT’S THE ONLY VENUE IN THE STATE CREATED TO SUPPORT AND PROMOTE THE ART FORM THAT ALABAMA PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE. THE HALL OF FAME, FOUNDED IN 1978 AND OPENED AS A MUSEUM IN 1993 BY NONE OTHER THAN JIM LOWE’S FATHER, J.L. LOWE. HIS LOVE WAS MUSIC HE LOVED JAZZ, AND HE HAD JAZZ. MUSICIANS USED TO COME BY THE HOUSE ALL THE TIME, AND SO THEREFORE HE HAD A GREAT KNOWLEDGE OF THE GUYS THAT WOULD COME THROUGH, AND HE BEGAN BUILDING A DATABASE. LOWE SAYS HIS FATHER’S DATABASE CONTINUES TO GROW AND ATTRACT JAZZ ARTISTS FROM HIS BACKYARD. MANY DIFFERENT MUSICIANS USED TO COME THROUGH HERE BECAUSE OF THE MUSIC HERITAGE THAT WE HAD IN BIRMINGHAM. MY DAD WOULD TALK ABOUT THAT HISTORY. OH, THIS BIG BOY, THIS BIG BOY VENUE. YOU KNOW, I WENT TO THE I WENT TO THE GYM LAST WEEK, THE NATIONAL JAZZ CONVENTION. AND I DON’T TOO MANY STATES DON’T HAVE THIS, BUT THE LINCOLN CENTER, I TALKED TO ALL THE JAZZ CATS, AND I TELL THEM WHAT WE’RE DOING OVER HERE. LIKE WHAT? DANIEL CARR JUNIOR STARTED HIS CAREER PLAYING JAZZ IN J.L. LOWE’S BAND. WE TRIED TO GET GETTING OUR KIDS MORE INVOLVED IN IT BECAUSE THAT WAS GOING TO SAVE EVERYTHING AND SAYS FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE GENRE GAVE HIM A FUTURE. I THINK ABOUT THE TIME I GOT INTO JAZZ ALL THE TIME I PLAYED MY HORN. I NEVER GOT IN TROUBLE. I AIN’T NEVER BEEN IN NO TROUBLE IN MY LIFE. I AIN’T GOT NO RECORD. I AIN’T NO, I AIN’T KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING. I’M PLAYING MUSIC. I AIN’T HAD TIME TO THINK ABOUT GETTING IN NO TROUBLE. I PLAYING AS THE HISTORY OF JAZZ EXPANDS IN MAGIC CITY, WE DON’T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS WE HAVE LEFT IFILL AND THE ORGANIZATION PLAN TO PLAY FOR KEEPS AND UPLIFT BLACK CREATIVES. IN BIRMINGHAM. BRYC