I thought it worth commenting on the loss of one of Lakeland’s great treasures, the Child of the Sun Jazz Festival. The announcement was made over six months ago and, while the writing had been on the wall for quite some time, it didn’t lessen the impact on me any.
Thanks to Nat Adderly (what a bad Wikipedia entry!), a Tampa resident until his passing, the festival always included a stellar roster of top musicians who didn’t even know where Lakeland, Florida was until they got the call from Nat. Larry Willis and Jimmy Cobb were stalwart participants of the festival. During its heyday, I understand Child of the Sun took place in downtown Lakeland on the Promenade and lasted several days.
I only had the privilege of attending twice and regret the other opportunities I had to attend, but didn’t. It’s easy to lament the state of The Art when things like this happen, but I consider it a call to action for jazz musicians and fans to make a new scene happen. That’s the direction I am heading. How about in your community? Do you complain about the closing of a great club or musicians moving away to a better scene? Why not turn that frustration into work – and positive change?
