Anthony Castellano/The Gazette
Vernon Jones II, 16, of Mitchellville plays the saxophone Saturday with the Prince George's County Jazz Youth Orchestra during the 2011 Lake Arbor Jazz Festival at the Lake Arbor Community Center.
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Jazz festival draws thousands to Lake Arbor
Friday’s VIP reception raises funds for county arts foundation
More than 6,000 people packed chess boards, lawn chairs, umbrellas and picnics and descended upon the Lake Arbor Community Center on Saturday for the second annual Lake Arbor Jazz Festival.
“It’s probably one of the few outside concert, entertainment offerings we have here in Prince George’s County that’s free, and it’s central,” said Harris Floyd, of Mitchellville. “It makes for a nice weekend.”
The free eight-hour concert in Mitchellville featured eight artists, including the local Inner City Jazz Foundation Youth Orchestra.
“We like to have young people involved in the show,” said supervising producer Lisa Brown. “We think it’s important for jazz to be embraced by people of all ages.”
New this year was a VIP performance and reception Friday evening designed to expand on last year’s one-day festival and to increase the amount of money raised for the Prince George’s Cultural Arts Foundation, so it can begin to offer scholarships for both college and summer camps, said Kevin Alexander, the president of the arts foundation, which runs the festival.
The sold-out crowd of more than 100 people, which included state Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Dist. 25), Del. Aisha Braveboy (D-Dist. 25), and Del. Melanie Griffith (D-Dist. 25), in Largo on Friday heard jazz musicians Marcus Johnson and Art Sherrod Jr. perform.
The fundraising total was not available at press time.
On Saturday, games, vendors and artists lined the sides of the grounds to entertain a crowd more than twice the size of last year’s 2,500 people, said Eric Jackson, the festival’s sponsorship coordinator.
“We have to limit the increase for next year,” Jackson said. “We don’t want to outgrow ourselves.”
Sponsors such as the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission helped to underwrite the cost of the event, Alexander said.
Chelsey Green, a violinist who performed Saturday with her group Chelsey Green and The Green Project, said local concerts often offer a better atmosphere because of the community support.
“We love to play locally so we tune into the community,” said Green, whose group is based in Takoma Park. “That gives it that special edge. You feel like you’re at home.”
Several people, including Upper Marlboro residents Joe and Pinkie Kier, said they came to hear saxophonist Brian Lenair.
“This year it’s better, because it seems to cater to some of the seniors,” Joe Kier said of the line-up that expanded from six to eight in 2010.
Irica Cheeks of Clinton came with her family, who played on the inflatable games and listened to the concert with Cheeks’ saxophonist husband.
“[The children] love it,” she said. “I try to get them to do different things like festivals, live music, to get them out of their regular routine and introduce them to culture.”
Jazz transcends age, race and gender, Alexander said.
“Music, and jazz in particular, brings people together,” he said. “It’s a big community festival where jazz just happens to be the glue that brings people together.”
abrownback@gazette.net
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