Jazz and poetry events are a regular occurrence in Atlanta.
The city of Atlanta, Georgia is one of the southern US's centers for culture and the arts. Jazz music and poetry are among the art forms celebrated by locals each year during many events spread throughout the calendar. Whether it's a major annual festival or a regular event held at a local venue each week, there is usually somewhere to enjoy good jazz and creative writing in the city.
Atlanta Jazz Festival
The Atlanta Jazz Festival is the largest jazz music event in Atlanta each year. It takes place throughout the entire month of May in various locations around the city. The festival typically features jazz legends, as well as up and coming performers yet to make their mark on the music industry. This festival aims to expose the masses to the rich jazz culture, expand the fan base of this style of music and promote tourism throughout the Atlanta area.
The first Atlanta Jazz Festival was held in 1978, with a meager $19,000 budget. The Office of Cultural Affairs spearheaded the project. Today the festival has grown into the largest free jazz festival in the country, attracting names like Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutcherson and countless others.
Jazz and Poetry Thursdays
In a small bar on Marietta Street, jazz and poetry take center stage each Thursday evening to the delight of a packed house. Described as a venue plucked right out of a James Bond movie, Room 842 hosts a variety of jazz musicians and poets with African ties. The venue hopes to bridge the gap between American and African cultures and entertain the patrons who come out to witness exceptional spoken word, drum rhythms and jazz instrumentals.
Urban Grind Poetry
Urban Grind is a coffee bar on Marietta Street where guests can enjoy a turtle mocha or French vanilla latte while listening to poets rhyme on stage from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. each Thursday night. Urban Grind typically fills quickly, so arriving early will help ensure you a spot in the main room for the event. There is no cover charge, but the owners have set a one-drink minimum. Hosts begin to compile a guest list prior to 7 p.m. This event takes place most Thursdays year round.
Jazz Journeys
The Georgia Aquarium transforms into a live music venue each spring following the Atlanta Jazz Festival. Jazz Journeys is a live jazz concert series that takes place inside the dining area of the world's largest aquarium. Guests can take advantage of catered foods and drink specials while listening to jazz performances and viewing the surrounding sea life behind clear aquarium walls. Watch as dolphins, sharks and fish of various types swirl around to the soft sounds of what has been called "America's only true art form," according to the Kennedy Center website.
