Longtime DC resident, jazz historian, and perennial cool cat Bill Brower claims many titles.
As #DCJF Artistic Director Willard Jenkins detailed in a 2014 interview, “[Brower] has been a jazz journalist-critic, occasional broadcaster, concert, festivals and jazz event producer, an event technical producer, and all-around scene maker,” for nearly 50 years.
Brower got started in DC as a community organizer before embarking on his DC jazz journey. He’s written for almost every local publication, has been a fixture at jazz clubs and venues around the city, and has bumped elbows with some of DC’s most legendary jazz musicians - from Andrew White to Dr. Billy Taylor. His encyclopedic knowledge of DC’s jazz history is second-to-none, and his passion for preserving the art form has ensured that jazz will continue to have a home in the District for decades to come.
The DC Jazz Festival salutes Bill Brower's decades of nearly 50 years of service to the DC community and commends him for his dedication to jazz artists and organizations in our community. Thank you Bill Brower!
Pictured: Bill Brower and DC’s own NEA Jazz Master drummer Jimmy Cobb