facebooktwitterinstagram
Afro City Marketplace and Larry Nash teamed up to present Jazz Picnic Indoors! This stellar event was held at Afro City Marketplace, inside the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall, 3650 W. Martin Luther King Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA. 90008. This was an unforgettable afternoon of live jazz in the mall. The event was held on Sunday, August 3, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
By Ricky Richardson | Contributing Writer
(Los Angeles, CA) Afro City Marketplace and Larry Nash teamed up to present Jazz Picnic Indoors! This stellar event was held at Afro City Marketplace, inside the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall, 3650 W. Martin Luther King Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA. 90008
This was an unforgettable afternoon of live jazz in the mall. The event was held on Sunday, August 3, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Afro City Marketplace was the perfect venue to relax, connect with other jazz aficionados, and enjoy listening to jazz and blues in a cozy environment. I forgot to mention that the Afro City Marketplace comes with a view. Afro City Marketplace showcases the creativity and talents of some wonderful artwork, as well as wearable art.
The first concert in the ongoing series was held on Sunday, June 15, 2025. Jazz Picnic on Father’s Day. The lineup for the 60th Anniversary featured Larry Nash & The Jazz Symphonic All-Stars, Ricky Woodard-sax, Kye Palmer-trumpet, Yvette Deveraux-violin, Roy McCurdy-drums, Richard Simon-bass, and Tony Poinsett-percussions.
The 60th Anniversary Party continued with top-notch musicians. The Larry Nash & The Jazz Symphonic All-Stars is a stellar group of musicians who have performed and recorded with a who’s who of artists from all genres of music. They have also toured all over the world. You might be surprised how many EPs or CDs in your private collection that features either Larry Nash-piano, Ricky Woodard-sax/flute, Yvette Devearuex-violin, Clayton Cameron-drums, Jeffrey Littleton-bass, and/or Munyungo Jackson, Jr., on percussion. Let me know if I need to pause so that you can complete this segment of your monthly assignment. They are also leaders in their own right.
The band played two brilliant and swinging sets of straight-ahead jazz and a dash of the blues to the delight of the appreciative crowd.
Larry Nash’s wizardry as a pianist, arranger, and composer was on full display throughout the afternoon. The All-Stars were given ample opportunity to stretch out throughout the program.
The band performed “Smell of Jasmine,” “Mississippi Jump,” “Christo Redemptor,” and “Present Tense” during their first set.
Highlights from their second set featured the selections “Flying Home” and a rollicking arrangement of “Cold Duck Time.”
Afro City Marketplace is an idea, an intimate and cozy atmosphere for some jazz on a Sunday afternoon. The mall was busy with parents and their kids shopping in preparation for returning to K-12 school campuses or institutes of higher education in a couple of weeks.
Afro City Marketplace held a Roaming Fashion Show in between live performances. The Roaming Fashion Show featured a dazzling display of wearable art for sale at Afro City Marketplace. Students of all ages are sure to stand out from the crowd with the nice selection of one-of-a-kind clothing and apparel featured at the Afro City Marketplace.
Afro City Marketplace is a business collective for all Black Designers, entrepreneurs, and brands. Rwanda Ray’s Afro City Marketplace has created a new shopping experience that supports Black owned businesses, while recycling Black dollars back into the community. Roll through to check out the amazing inventory.
Stay connected with Afro City Marketplace on Social media to learn about the next Jazz Picnic as well as other events happening monthly. www.afrocitymarketplace.com The concert series Jazz Picnic Indoors is creating a pleasant buzz in the jazz community and beyond.