Underworld Jazz Festival

After several years (as early as 1999) having hosted numerous events in around the Nati w/ ISWHAT?!​ and then OSNR​ (bringing Tatsuya Nakatani, Burnt Sugar Arkestra, Ursula Rucker, DJ SPS, Hamid Drake, William Parker, UkandanZ, etc ) promoting events that would have been less likely to happen in the region ...

3 years ago a greater vision was made reality and the Underworld Jazz Festival​ was born .. Amazing guest artist Claire Daly​ 5 days of events, all FREE to the public, all unique, rich with community exchange, discussion and collaboration.

It was beautiful! It was dope!
But last year?
Last year was beyond all that ... 2 weeks of magic
w/ Tank and the Bangas​ & Queens Village Cincinnati​, LaFrae Sci​, Marc Cary​, Sorg​, Sons Of Silverton​, Da Groove​, ISWHAT?!, Camille Saba Smith​, Tobe Tobotius Donohue​, Noah Hawes​, MC Till​, Brent Olds​ Dan Barger​, Ralph La Charity​, Barnabas Edwards​, Phillip Lee Burkhead​, Vibe-One​, Eddy Kwon​, Ziyad Tooles​, Stephen Patota, a film festival & a community dialogue, MC cypher, Beat Battle hosted by Everybody's Hip-hop Label​ ...

This year was gonna be even more amazing .. but I'm reminded why I like when I hear old people state there plans and then follow it with, "God willing" or "InshAllah" .. not to be religious but to acknowledge that we can plan but we are not really in complete control.

So we stay grateful for the visions that we are Blessed to make reality and humbly gather courage to dream the next dream...

So for the next week or so we'll build celebrate Underworld Jazz Festival from a distance .. and as soon as we can we'll gather with the Congo Square, South Bronx, Art Consortium, 'down by the riverside' Spirit and do it again ... InshAllah <3