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44-455: Central Avenue , after which the area is named, was in the 1930s and 1940s a vibrant center for jazz. At this time the infamous covenant line along Washington Boulevard demarcated the areas where African Americans were allowed to live. Even the giants of jazz music, such as Duke Ellington were allowed to play in Hollywood and other areas, but they could not stay there. They often stayed at

88-620: A Grammy Award for his solo on "Prelude to a Kiss" and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1989, Lincoln Center celebrated Carter's 82nd birthday with a set of his songs sung by Ernestine Anderson and Sylvia Syms . In 1990, he was named Jazz Artist of the Year in the DownBeat and JazzTimes polls. He was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1996 and received honorary doctorates from Princeton (1974), Rutgers (1991), Harvard (1994), and

132-666: A bakery. The 27th Street Bakery is one of the few remaining African-American owned businesses on Central Ave. The bakery has been in the same family for three generations and is currently owned by Jeanette Pickens, the granddaughter of Harry Patterson, the founder of the bakery. 27th Street Bakery is the largest manufacturer of sweet potato pies on the West Coast of the United States . You can now find their pies in retail stores such Ralphs , Albertsons , 7-Eleven , KFC and Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken . The bakery suffered greatly after

176-646: A crowd of 15,000. Jefferson High School , located south east of Downtown Los Angeles, served as a school to a community that not only was located at the heart of South Central’s jazz scene at the time (in the 1930s), but also one that nurtured Jazz affluent students. These students, who would later go on to establish themselves as either jazz/blues artists/singers, would follow robust music curriculum, which included courses in music theory, music appreciation, harmony, counterpoint, orchestra, band and choir. Many of Central Avenue’s most accomplished jazz, blues, and bebop players were graduates of this public high school just off

220-403: A pivotal structure to a newly established African-American enclave after the turn of the 20th century. The same way many know Harlem as a historically African-American enclave, the area in and around Central Ave was ironically referred to as “Little Harlem” due to its striking similarities. Harlem’s Apollo theatre and its importance to the neighborhood can be taken by the same token in referring to

264-556: A pivotal touchstone to the newly established African-American enclave and contributed greatly to the development of West Coast Jazz . It was at Jefferson where Samuel Brown (first African-American music teacher in the Los Angeles public school system) taught music and served as a major influence in teaching and mentoring promising jazz musicians from Los Angeles. Due to Mr. Brown's dedication, Jefferson High School has produced more jazz musicians and composers than any other high school west of

308-580: A seven-piece band which included Eddie Barefield , Kenny Clarke , and Dizzy Gillespie . In the mid-1940s he moved to Los Angeles, forming another big band, which at times included J. J. Johnson , Max Roach , and Miles Davis . But these would be his last big bands. With the exception of occasional concerts, performing with Jazz at the Philharmonic , and recording, he ceased working as a touring big band bandleader. Los Angeles provided him many opportunities for studio work, and these dominated his time during

352-587: Is a core part of Central Ave and its surrounding areas and continues to evolve. The Central Avenue Jazz Festival is a yearly free music festival held during the last weekend of July along a stretch of Central Avenue which includes the Dunbar Hotel. The festival features jazz , blues , and Latin Jazz performed by both well-known and upcoming artists from the area. The opening scene of Raymond Chandler's Farewell, My Lovely , published in 1940, takes place on "one of

396-664: Is a major north–south thoroughfare in the central portion of the Los Angeles, California metropolitan area. Located just to the west of the Alameda Corridor , it runs south from the eastern end of the Los Angeles Civic Center down to the east side of California State University, Dominguez Hills and terminating at East Del Amo Boulevard in Carson . From north to south, Central Avenue passes through Downtown Los Angeles ,

440-478: Is the Dunbar Hotel , Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #131 since 1974. Built in 1928 by Drs. John and Vada Sommerville, The Dunbar was a place where Black travelers could stay in style and comfort during the era of racial segregation in the United States , when African-Americans were banned from Los Angeles's major hotels. The Dunbar was also the place where Black celebrities were most likely to stay, attracting

484-612: The 1992 LA Riots due to the extreme damage done to the neighborhood. Because clientele could not access the bakery for about two weeks, business temporarily decreased. From the 1950s to the 1990s, the bakery catered towards the needs of the predominant African-American community. Due to the growing population of Latinos / Hispanics in the area in the early 2000s, the bakery expanded their menu to include concha (bread) / pan dulce and empanadas to cater to this new community and also have their menu available in Spanish. The 27th Street Bakery

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528-469: The 1920s, he worked as an arranger including written charts for Fletcher Henderson 's big band that shaped the swing style. He had an unusually long career that lasted into the 1990s. During the 1980s and 1990s, he was nominated for eight Grammy Awards , which included receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award . Carter was born in New York City in 1907. He was given piano lessons by his mother and others in

572-565: The 1930s. Carter's short-lived Orchestra played the Harlem Club in New York but only recorded a handful of records for Columbia , OKeh and Vocalion . The OKeh sides were issued under the name The Chocolate Dandies . In 1933, Carter participated in sessions with British composer/musician Spike Hughes , who visited New York City to organize recordings with prominent African American musicians. These 14 sides plus four by Carter's big band, titled at

616-483: The Avenue.  The origin of jazz in Los Angeles has been attributed to a number of musicians who moved there from New Orleans. Nightclubs became the physical manifestation of jazz music, and these were mainly located along Central Avenue from Little Tokyo to Watts. The school produced many prominent musicians, including Etta James , Curtis Williams, Big Jay McNeely , and Richard Berry. Jefferson High School served as

660-450: The Blues", describes a drive down Central Avenue and Turner's reminiscences about the scene. Lionel Hampton performed for the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th and the 11th Cavalcade of Jazz concerts. The crowning of the first Cavalcade of Jazz Queen was postponed due to a showdown between Big Joe Turner and Lionel Hampton's band at the 5th concert. The crowd started throwing pillows, programs, and bottles into

704-523: The Central Ave Jazz Scene and showcased over 125 artists from 1945 to 1958. The Cavalcade of Jazz concerts were the stepping stone to success for such stars as Toni Harper , Dinah Washington , Roy Milton , Frankie Lane and others. He also hosted a beauty contest at the events. His first COJ show starred Count Basie , The Honey Drippers, Valaida Snow , Joe Turner , The Peters Sisters , Slim and Bam and more artists on September 23, 1945 with

748-483: The Coca-Cola company, designed to resemble an ocean liner, complete with porthole windows and metal-railed catwalks. It was declared Los Angeles Historic-cultural Monument #138 in 1975. At 2300 Central is the now closed Lincoln Theatre , opened in 1926 and was long the leading venue in the city for African-American entertainment. It was declared Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument # 744 in 2003. At 4233 Central Avenue

792-515: The Collegians and became their bandleader through 1929, including a performance at the Savoy Ballroom in New York City. In his early 20s, Carter worked as arranger for Fletcher Henderson after that position was vacated by Don Redman . He had no formal education in arranging, learning by trial and error, getting on his knees and looking at the existing charts, "writing the lead trumpet first and

836-477: The Dunbar Hotel. There are many booths with food, arts and crafts, as well as community outreach programs. The festival is free of charge, and in previous years has included free secure parking at a local school. The festival was started in 1996 and has regularly featured a number of prominent jazz , blues , and Latin Jazz musicians who got their start in the area, such as Teddy Edwards , Gerald Wilson , Arthur Blythe and Ernie Andrews . A strong component of

880-588: The Mississippi. Located on the corner of 27th Street and Central Ave at 2700 Central Ave is 27th Street Bakery, now famous for its sweet potato pie . The bakery was initially a restaurant that was established in the 1930s by Harry Patterson and his wife. The couple catered to the African-American migrants from the Southern states who settled on and near Central Avenue. In 1956, the owners decided to turn it into

924-655: The Netherlands. In these settings, Carter played trumpet, clarinet, piano, alto and tenor saxophone, and provided occasional vocals. In 1938, he recorded in Paris with Django Reinhardt I'm Coming Virginia and Farewell Blues in his own arrangement. He returned to America that same year and found regular work leading his band at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem through 1941. The band included Shad Collins , Sidney De Paris , Vic Dickenson , and Freddie Webster . After this engagement, he led

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968-479: The areas of South Los Angeles (including Watts , Florence-Graham , Willowbrook ), the city of Compton , and the city of Carson, which is part of the 17-city South Bay area of Los Angeles County. Central Avenue had two all-black segregated fire stations. Fire Station No. 30 and Fire Station No. 14 were segregated in 1924. They remained segregated until 1956 when the Los Angeles Fire Department

1012-526: The decades. He wrote music and arrangements for films, such as Stormy Weather in 1943. During the 1950s and '60s, he wrote arrangements for vocalists such as Louis Armstrong , Ray Charles , Ella Fitzgerald , Peggy Lee , and Sarah Vaughan . On something of a comeback in the 1970s, Carter returned to playing saxophone again and toured the Middle East courtesy of the U.S. State Department. He began making annual visits to Europe and Japan. In 1969, Carter

1056-432: The festival's format has been to spotlight young Los Angeles musicians, such as Kamasi Washington , and Kalil Wilson, as well as talent from the neighborhood's high school bands and choirs. The festival distinguishes itself in that it is a thoroughly non-commercial event. There is no overbearing corporate sponsorship and there are no concessions made to commercialism. Central Avenue (Los Angeles) Central Avenue

1100-480: The field as the band parading back to the stage. Underground rapper Bones names a song "CentralAve" on album "Rotten" (2014). Near its northern end, Central Avenue passes through Little Tokyo , Los Angeles' oldest Japanese neighborhood and now a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places . On Central Avenue just north of First Street is the former Hompa Hongwangi Buddhist Temple. It

1144-490: The lead saxophone first—which, of course, is the hard way. It was quite some time that I did that before I knew what a score was." He left Henderson to take Redman's former job as leader of McKinney's Cotton Pickers in Detroit. In 1932, he formed a band in New York City that included Chu Berry , Sid Catlett , Cozy Cole , Bill Coleman , Ben Webster , Dicky Wells , and Teddy Wilson . Carter's arrangements were complex. Among

1188-560: The leading African-American owned insurance business companies the state of California. Located just off of Central Ave on 1319 E 41st St, Thomas Jefferson High School is central to understanding the Jazz music and the "Jazz scene" for which the area was prominent. Jefferson High School’s importance to Central Ave and its Jazz scene can be attributed to its jazz-nurturing curriculum along with many prominent Jazz figures that it has both produced and has been associated with. Jefferson High served as

1232-404: The likes of Louis Armstrong ("Satchmo"), Ella Fitzgerald , Lena Horne , and Billie Holiday . It was the epicenter of the Los Angeles jazz scene in the 1940s and 1950s. The Dunbar is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . At 4261 Central Avenue is Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #580, the 1928 Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building , original headquarters of one of

1276-482: The many Jazz clubs on Central Ave. However, in this case, looking at the ethnographic nature of Central Ave and its establishing of a Jazz scene and culture, Jefferson High School’s contribution cannot be overstated. Such an institution served in nurturing students, musicians, and athletes—all the while sparking an inevitable culture of Jazz within the already affluent Jazz population. Central Ave paved way for many historic happenings in Los Angeles, most importantly being

1320-479: The many significant structures that contributed to both the creation of an African-American enclave and Jazz scene on the West Coast. It was in 1920, when the Jazz scene on Central began to swing, and from 1920 to 1955 it was the heart of the African-American community in Los Angeles. Lionel Hampton composed and performed a tune called "Central Avenue Breakdown". Dave Alvin 's tribute to Big Joe Turner , "The Boss of

1364-428: The mixed blocks over on Central Avenue, the blocks that are not yet all Negro." Central Avenue provides bus service along Metro Local : Line 53. Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges , he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone . From the beginning of his career in

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1408-510: The most significant were "Keep a Song in Your Soul", written for Henderson in 1930, and "Lonesome Nights" and "Symphony in Riffs" from 1933, both of which show Carter's writing for saxophones. By the early 1930s, Carter and Johnny Hodges were considered the leading alto saxophonists. Carter also became a leading trumpet soloist, having rediscovered the instrument. He recorded extensively on trumpet in

1452-521: The neighborhood. He played trumpet and experimented briefly with C-melody saxophone before settling on alto saxophone. In the 1920s, he performed with June Clark , Billy Paige, and Earl Hines , then toured as a member of the Wilberforce Collegians led by Horace Henderson . He appeared on record for the first time in 1927 as a member of the Paradise Ten led by Charlie Johnson . He returned to

1496-525: The novelty hit " Cow-Cow Boogie " recorded by Ella Mae Morse , and the expansive Central City Sketches , written when he was 80 years old and recorded with the American Jazz Orchestra. Carter died at the age of 95 in Los Angeles at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on July 12, 2003, from complications of bronchitis . He was inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1977. In 1978, he

1540-629: The now-historic Dunbar Hotel . The Dunbar Hotel featured a nightclub called the Club Alabam , where the jazz greats would play after hours. All around the hotel there were numerous other clubs featuring jazz and blues, which were the launching point for the careers of many well-known musicians. One of the aims of the festival is to raise funds for the preservation of the Dunbar Hotel. The festival takes place on several blocks of Central Avenue, south of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, which includes

1584-520: The time Spike Hughes and His Negro Orchestra , were initially only issued in England. The musicians were from Carter's band and included Red Allen , Dicky Wells, Wayman Carver , Coleman Hawkins , J. C. Higginbotham , and Chu Berry . Carter moved to London and spent two years as arranger for the BBC Big Band . In England, France, and Scandinavia he recorded with local musicians, and he took his band to

1628-523: Was a visiting lecturer at Harvard for a week in 1987. Morroe Berger wrote Benny Carter – A Life in American Music (1982), a two-volume work about Carter's career. Time had little effect on Carter's abilities. During the 1980s, he wrote the long composition Central City Sketches which was performed at Cooper Union by the American Jazz Orchestra . Another long composition, Glasgow Suite ,

1672-640: Was declared Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No.313 in 1986. Across Central Avenue from the Temple is the Japanese American National Museum , and north of that is the original (and largest) branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles , now known as the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. In the 1200 block of Central Avenue is the 1930s era Streamline Modern Los Angeles bottling plant of

1716-723: Was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame . In 1980, he received the Golden Score award of the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers . His 75th birthday was commemorated by a radio station in New York that played his music nonstop for over a week. The National Endowment for the Arts gave him the NEA Jazz Masters Award for 1986. He was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. In 1994 he won

1760-971: Was integrated. The listing on the National Register says, "All-black fire stations were simultaneous representations of racial segregation and sources of community pride." From approximately 1920 to 1955, Central Avenue was the heart of the African-American community in Los Angeles, with active rhythm and blues and jazz music scenes. Local luminaries included Eric Dolphy , Art Pepper , Chico Hamilton , Clora Bryant , and Charles Mingus . Other jazz and R&B musicians associated with Central Avenue in LA include Benny Carter , Buddy Collette , Dexter Gordon , Lionel Hampton , Hampton Hawes , Big Jay McNeely , Johnny Otis , Shifty Henry , Charlie Parker (briefly), Gerald Wilson , Anthony Ortega , Onzy Matthews and Teddy Wilson . Commenting on its historical prominence, Wynton Marsalis once remarked that "Central Avenue

1804-400: Was its versatility as musician, bandleader, arranger, and composer. He helped define the sound of alto saxophone, but he also performed and recorded on soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, and piano. He helped establish a foundation for arranging as far back as 1930 when he arranged "Keep a Song in Your Soul" for Fletcher Henderson's big band. His compositions include

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1848-537: Was performed in Scotland. Lincoln Center commissioned him to write "Good Vibes" in 1990. The National Endowment for the Arts gave him a grant that led Tales of the Rising Sun Suite and Harlem Renaissance Suite . This music was performed in 1992 when he was 85 years old. Carter had an unusually long career. He is one of few musicians to have recorded in eight different decades. Another characteristic of his career

1892-484: Was persuaded to spend a weekend at Princeton University by Morroe Berger, a sociology professor at Princeton who wrote about jazz. This led to a new outlet for Carter's talent: teaching. For the next nine years he visited Princeton five times, most of them brief stays except for one in 1973 when he spent a semester there as a visiting professor. In 1974, Princeton gave him an honorary doctorate. He conducted teaching at workshops and seminars at several other universities and

1936-565: Was the 52nd Street of Los Angeles." Although Central Avenue is no longer the thriving jazz center it was, its legacy is preserved by the Central Avenue Jazz Festival and a small number of jazz clubs, including Bluewhale in Little Tokyo . Leon Hefflin, Sr. produced the first largest outdoor jazz entertainment event of its kind, the “Cavalcade of Jazz,” held at Wrigley Field which was located on 42nd place in Los Angeles, part of

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