July 27-July 30, 2023

The festival begins with

An Evening of Poetry

Thursday July 27th

Ben May Main Library

Bernheim Hall

Admission $10.00
Hosted by

Huggy Bear Da Poet

Poetry contest winners will be announced during the Poetry Showcase.

Friday July 28th

History Museum of Mobile

Admission $35.

25 Years of Jazz Gala

Presentation of the Hosea london jazz music education award

Marcus JOhnson Summer Jazz Camp Orchestra and Local Musicians

Saturday July 29th

Mobile Civic Center Grounds
Admission $15.00

Kent Jordan and Friends

Myrna Clayton with keep it live

Excelsior Band and Zulu tramps

Donald harrison

Sunday July 30th

Mobile Civic Center Grounds
Admission: $15.00

thad wilson

madoca and friends

kim scott

July 27-July 30, 2023

The festival begins with

An Evening of Poetry

Thursday July 27th

Ben May Main Library

Bernheim Hall

Admission $10.00
Hosted by

Huggy Bear Da Poet

Poetry contest winners will be announced during the Poetry Showcase.

Friday July 28th

History Museum of Mobile

Admission $35.

25 Years of Jazz Gala

Presentation of the Hosea london jazz music education award

Marcus JOhnson Summer Jazz Camp Orchestra and Local Musicians

Saturday July 29th

Mobile Civic Center Grounds
Admission $15.00

Kent Jordan and Friends

Myrna Clayton with keep it live

Excelsior Band and Zulu tramps

Donald harrison

Sunday July 30th

Mobile Civic Center Grounds
Admission: $15.00

thad wilson

madoca and friends

kim scott

About Us

The Gulf Coast Ethnic & Heritage Jazz Festival (GCEHJF) is founded in the belief that “ethnic” means everybody and “heritage” is not some fixed point in the past. GCEHJF seeks to present Jazz through a declaration of its evolution at every turn.
We are a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation whose mission is to further the preservation and growth of Jazz music for future generations. Our goal is to encourage young musicians to play Jazz by educating them in its history and music.
GCEHJF provides a vibrant mix of entertainment and education. The Festival is known for the Marcus Johnson Summer Jazz Camp, its venue for the “telling” arts, An Evening of Poetry and Jazz, and at the heart of it all, an incredible main stage jazz concert!
GCEHJF has presented nationally and internationally acclaimed Jazz musicians, with some having their roots in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Many are alumni of those school systems. These artists have contributed to the success of this Jazz Festival.
Artists performing at the Gulf Coast Ethnic & Heritage Jazz Festival have provided audiences with truly unique entertainment experiences, from such diverse performers as Lil Greenwood (formerly of the Duke Ellington Orchestra) and Fred Wesley (formerly of the James Brown Review), to new jazz visionaries, such as Esperanza Spalding, Christian Scott, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, and Art Sherrod Jr. among many others.
For more information contact:
Creola Ruffin  (Founder)
251-478-4027