You may know Five Points as the trendy neighborhood where you can go get a great bagel and window shop down Welton St., but did you know it was once referred to by many across the country as the “Harlem of the West”? That’s right — we had one of the hottest Jazz scenes in the country during the 30s, 40s, and 50s. We had legends like Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald playing in the 50+ jazz clubs that once made up the Five Points neighborhood. Many people don’t know that though — and it’s because we haven’t been very good listeners and we haven’t been the best neighbors either. We have a responsibility to be custodians and caretakers of the past and the Five Points jazz legacy is too prominent and profound to forget about.
For that reason, we’ve created Gin & Jazz — a community-driven Jazz Series that champions and celebrates artists who embody and carry forth the Five Points jazz legacy in modern-day Mile High. Since musicians have been some of the most severely impacted by the pandemic, Gin & Jazz is an opportunity to spotlight and support community artists, most intentionally artists from marginalized communities (ie. BIPOC/LGBTQ), and those who have ties to the Five Points neighborhood.
In addition to live music, we’ve also compiled a Five Points Resources page that is accessible to attendees via QR code at the shows. This page will help us share the storied past of the Five Points neighborhood with integrated resources, materials, and articles. We will also be donating 15% of our proceeds from each show to a community organization/nonprofit that aligns with the values and mission of this series. For August, we’re teaming up with Denver Sister Cities International to raise money to send Purnell Steen & The Five Points Ambassadors to Brest, France (Five Point’s Sister City).
We hope you’ll join us every Thursday this summer in The Rainbow Alley outside of Tracks from 7:30 – 9:30pm for some Gin & Jazz!