“Not long ago, jazz was the flow and heroes lived their dreams. Musically jazz was a Love Supreme, ‘cause jazz was a trip through fame.”
Fillmore Jazz Ambassadors
Dedicated to rejuvenating jazz in San Francisco and:
Fillmore Jazz Ambassadors
Dedicated to rejuvenating jazz in San Francisco and:
- to introduce jazz to the public & share the evolution of jazz history to the world;
- Share the history of the African influence in jazz: Canadian Creole, New Orleans funerals, Latin & Caribbean Jazz;
- To introduce the new "Fillmore Jazz District" to share our story through jazz.
We Escort You Through a Musical Journey
We Escort You Through a Musical Journey
Fillmore Jazz Ambassadors (FJA) is dedicated to reviving jazz in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. We are individuals who have come together because of our shared passion for jazz.
Darlene Roberts, the Founder
Darlene Roberts, the Founder
Darlene was a Rock'n'Roll girl, but her love for jazz began when she was 18. Her brother hired babysitters to protect her while he was at work. It just so happened that her babysitters were jazz lovers that took her to the underground jazz clubs in San Francisco. Darlene watched in awe as the man with his back to the audience started playing the trumpet on stage . If you guessed Miles Davis at the Both/And, you are correct! That was when Darlene began to appreciate jazz and a jazz love affair was in full bloom..
In 2019, Darlene decided to quit her job in order to produce jazz. Although it was harder than she thought it would be, she continues to work hard in pursuing her passion, JAZZ! JAZZ! JAZZ!!!
Dr. David Hardiman, Sr., Co-Founder
- 2019 -- IAOTP Best Music Director of the Year
- 2019 -- Bay Area Jazz & Blues Artists Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2017 -- Northern California Entertainment Music Award, Best Jazz Band of the Year.
- 2017 -- Honorary Doctorate of Arts World Music, Martin University, Indianapolis, Ind.
- 1971 -- Masters of Music, Butler University
Professional musician, trumpet & flugelhorn player, pianist, composer/arranger, College Music Professor, Jazz Historian and Adjudicator. Professor, City College of San Francisco (1994-2004), including Alameda, and Contra Costa Colleges.
Teacher of instrumental music at both: Berkeley California Unified School District and Indianapolis, Ind. Public Schools.
SAM PEOPLES, Jr.
SAM PEOPLES, Jr.
San Francisco’s Musical Icon
September 2019
Sam Peoples, Jr., a native San Franciscan, is part of a multi-generational family of musicians and performers; His father played during the heyday of San Francisco's Fillmore district. Both Sam and his father appear in the famous Fillmore photo that pays homage to "A Great Day in Harlem". Sam's uncle, Wes Peoples, and his father, Sam Peoples, Sr., are referenced in the "Harlem of the West" the San Francisco Fillmore Jazz Era book. On Saturday, August 19, 2019, Sam brought together a group of outstanding musicians to play in "The Sam Peoples' Ensemble,” for the "Harlem of the West: The San Francisco Fillmore Jazz Era" photo exhibition closing celebration at the African-American Art & Cultural Complex in San Francisco.
Sam started playing professionally in the early 70s with his friend and mentor, Lee Hester. Together, they founded the Haight-Ashbury Music Workshop. Over his long musical career, Sam has toured and played with Oscar Brown, Jr., the Pointer Sisters, Julian Preister, Marine Intrusion and Sonny Simmons. In recent years, Sam toured and played in Europe with various musicians and played locally with a variety of rock, funk, and jazz bands.
Sam People’s upcoming performance
(featuring Mike Sims, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame):
Sunday, October 13 2019 from 3-5 pm
Moe Greens Dispensary Lounge
1276 Market Street off Larkin
San Francisco, CA 94102
Mission and Vision
Mission and Vision
To create excitement and rejuvenate jazz through jazz history, jazz sessions, and jazz production workshops, followed by jazz productions to showcase the jazz projects from the workshops presented by local jazz legends.
FJA will help inspire a jazz renaissance to transform the “Old Fillmore Jazz Preservation District” into the new “Fillmore Jazz Entertainment District” through tourism to restore the disenfranchised Fillmore community and cause an infection spread throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
