by Harold McMillan

This June's Clarksville-West End Jazz and Arts Festival marks nine years for Austin's largest event for the jazz community. From its humble beginnings in the parking lot behind Wiggy's Liquor store on West Sixth Street, the Jazz Fest has grown to be a true family oriented multidisciplnary arts fair featuring dance and spoken word performances, activities for kids, music workshops, art sales, and good things to eat and drink. Currently set in downtown's Pease Park for its Saturday-Sunday run, the event now includes events and performances that span a full week, at various Austin locations. This year's run is set for June 8-15.

During the course of the festival's history, major strides have been made to gradually develop the programming, the size of the event, and its reach into the regional market. To be sure, the Clarksville Fest is not Austin's version of the New Orleans Jazz Fest. However, what this festival does do is attempt to conjure up a uniquely Austin version of a a family cultural event that appeals to the sensibilities of locals, while programming acts and actviities that put it on the map as a festival with regional significance. For the last several years the Clarksville Fest has made progress in that direction. With varying degrees of support from local and state arts organizations, the Austin business and tourism community, and the media, The Clarksville Jazz Fest continues to get national and regional attention. The value of the festival, as a drawing card for tourism and local ecomonic activity, however, somehow continues to baffle many of those who stand to benefit the most from its success.

In addition to its legacy of musical firsts, the 1997 Jazz Fest continues to move forward, breaking new ground in its quest for respect as a real player in the Austin festival season. DiverseArts (and in the past River City Bluez), through the Jazz Festival, has welcomed the likes of McCoy Tyner, Ellis Marsalis, James Clay, Jimmy Smith, Charles Neville, Cornell Dupree, Kermit Ruffins and other folks rarely or never before featured in Austin performances. This year the stakes rise again as Waco-born, Dallas-reared, internationally respected young trumpeter Roy Hargrove brings his new Afro-Cubano ensemble Crisol to Austin for a three day residency. In fact, Austin is the first stop in their international festival tour to support the June Verve release of Habana, the group's first CD. From Austin, they head out to headline at the Hollywood Bowl.