The Carver Street Economic Renaissance Corporation presents the Second Annual Myrtle Beach Jazz Festival, Friday through Sunday, September 29-October 1.
The celebration takes place along Carver Street, between 18th Avenue North and 21st Avenue North. The event features some of the area’s finest musical artists, including Marcus Anderson, Charlie Snuggs, Horry County School Jazz, James “Bull” Canty, West African Drummers, Painted Man, Gino Castillo, Ashley Aluv, Chocolate Chip and Company, Don Colton, Mike Frost Band, Special Blend, Shableek and T-Ray the Violinist.
T-Ray is the festival’s headliner. He is a passionate and resilient visionary with unwavering dedication to his musical craft. Effortlessly, he has taken the violin outside of its stereotypical arena beautifully lacing together 90s Rhythm and Blues, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Funk and Classical. The Louisiana native has taken audiences’ favorite genres and masterfully fused them to produce an experimental sound. The seasoned violin player has not only developed himself as a solo artist, but has also honed his skills as a producer and bandleader within his group D2R (Dreams2Reality).
During the festival, enjoy food and merchandise vendors and a wine and beer garden. Bring lawn chairs to relax in a fun and safe environment. Free parking will be available the Pelicans Ballpark parking lot, 1251 21st Avenue North. Free shuttle rides will be provided to and from the site. Admission to the festival is free.
The festival commemorates the entertainment and businesses that existed on Carver Street in the 1950s and 1960s. During that era, African-American performers displayed their talent on what was known as the “Chitlin Circuit,” which is where African-American musicians performed in the days before integration. Stars such as Little Richard, Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Lena Horne, Count Basie, Muddy Water, Ray Charles and The Clovers performed on the “Chitlin Circuit.”
For more information about the Second Annual Jazz Festival, call 843-340-2018 or 301-537-4362. Or visit http://myrtlebeachjazzfest.com/.
