Philadelphia Clef Club Celebrating Special Anniversary
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts moved to Broad and Fitzwater 20 years ago. And they'll be celebrating this weekend.
Founded in 1966, the Philadelphia Clef Club was the seed that helped grow the city's jazz scene.
"It actually started as a union for African American musicians who couldn't get into the White unions years ago," says Sherry Wilson Butler, chair of the Jazz Awards at the Clef Club.
She says as a union the Club fought for economic and cultural recognition for its membership, which included jazz greats like John Coltrane and Dizzy Gillespie.
Then in 1995, they moved to the Avenue of the Arts, redefining its mission to become a national center of education for jazz. Now they are evolving again.
"We're offering not only the classes and a series of events, but we're also putting on concerts now," Butler says, "with no arts education in the schools-- we have an opportunity to go out into the community. And we are looking to the past 20 years to chart a course for the next 20."
This weekend they'll host two days of music at the Annual Jazz Awards Friday night and then with a jam session on Saturday.
Jazz Awards honorees include Kevin Eubanks, Joanna Pascale, Terrell Stafford and more. Other awardees include Ed Rendell, who will be honored for his help in moving the Clef Club to its new building on Broad Street.
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