Fillmore Jazz Ambassadors Mission & Vision

The Fillmore Jazz Ambassadors' (FJA) mission is to create a thriving bay area jazz environment that sustains, develops and honors jazz practitioners. FJA educates the community through discussion, programs, and music grounded in the famous “Harlem of the West,” jazz era and dedicated to the revitalization of San Francisco’s, Fillmore Jazz District.

Our vision is to create a world where educating the community through Jazz music is acknowledged, respected, developed and seen as the outgrowth of Black struggle, pain, and enjoyment.

Goals

Educate, current and next generation musicians and music aficionados of the historical influence and impact of Classic, African American Music-Jazz
Developing and promoting regional jazz music performers and venues
Subsidizing and aiding community-based jazz musicians, composers, and performers in their struggle for recognition and economic parity
Honor the role regional urban centers, such as Fillmore, have played in the growth, validation, and popularity of Jazz music

Musical Journey

Allow the Fillmore Jazz Ambassadors, San Francisco's

Jazz historians, to take you on a magical journey through time when The Fillmore - in its hey day (1940 - 1960s), was known as "Harlem of the West". Our Jazz Ambassadors will chaperone you through the evolution & the rhythm of jazz --- what it meant to a once thriving community that survived the hardships of racial discrimination, urban renewal and Jim Crow segregation. Fillmore Jazz Ambassadors invite you to an imaginary trip through fame on Fillmore's "A" Train, "All Aboard!"

More to Come

We will be selling tickets to concerts, workshops, and special events. CDs and other promotional items will also be available. Check back for updates.

Quotes and Estimates

We offer quotes and estimates free of charge. To learn more, please contact us.

Get in Touch

Inspiration Behind Fillmore Jazz Ambassadors

The Original Jazz Ambassadors

Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, and Louie Armstrong, in 1955 when Congressman Adam Clayton Powell. Jr. convinced U.S. leaders to use jazz to intervene in the Cold War conflict against communism. The original jazz ambassadors succeeded in using jazz to help bring peace & introduce democracy in communist countries while experiencing the hardships of urban renewal, racial & economic discrimination and Jim Crow segregation in America.

The New York Times claimed America's best Cold War weapon was "a blue note in a minor key," but jazz musicians also faced the challenge of how to respond to questions about their country's racist policies. Many musicians freely traveled abroad, but faced Jim Crow segregation and inequality at home.

More About Us

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