West Oak Lane festival showcases stellar jazz music-makers who do the city proud.

Northern Liberties may have its hip events at the great Piazza at Schmidts, and South Philly may hold its Ninth Street Italian Market Festival in high esteem. But when it comes to celebrating bold, original music, Northwest Philadelphia has the West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival, with two stages of internationally renowned artists young and innovative (Esperanza Spalding), older and respected (George Duke, David Sanborn), and, most important, local (Odean Pope, Joey DeFrancesco).

"For so long, festivals came into Philadelphia with our musicians in the audience and not on the stage," says Graziella D'Amelio. With artistic director Warren Oree, she started LifeLine Music Coalition in 2003, with the intention of finding opportunities for Philly-area musicians to gig in venues where they could be heard and seen by a larger audience.

In September 2003, the LifeLine Music Coalition produced the Philadelphia Jazz and Poetry Festival, which took place in venues around Center City over three days. "Following the success of our first festival we were asked to produce a jazzfest in West Oak Lane for the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp.," D'Amelio says. "In 2004 we mapped out the first event - everything from vendors to curating the music - so to showcase the economic development in West Oak Lane. And there's no better way to do that than by enticing people with free, high-quality music."

Since then, the West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival has played host to funk, R&B and disco-soul (Roy Ayers, War), along with jazz both traditional and avant-garde (Charles Mingus Big Band, Sun Ra Arkestra, Benny Golson). But this year, Oree and D'Amelio have dedicated themselves to what they call an "exclusive jazz lineup."

That lineup features Philly's own DeFrancesco, who keeps the tradition of the Hammond B-3 organ alive; Esperanza Spalding, who single-handedly breaks the stereotype of upright bass players; saxophonist Oliver Lake and his adventuresome compositions; and Odean Pope and his Saxophone Choir, featuring nine of the area's strongest sax men.

- A.D. Amorosi

For schedules, directions and parking, call 1-877-965-5299 or visit www.westoaklanefestival.com.