Ford/KwikFlashPhotography

The park’s 40 acres include a number of 19thcentury buildings, a covered bridge and the restored Fort Hunter Mansion. A pair of sycamores on the land are said to be more than 300 years old, among the oldest in the state.

While the locations are very different, both festivals have benefited from showcasing smooth jazz artists, many of whom were known to attract a large and loyal fan base.

Bradford considered a gospel event for the first Gardena Jazz Festival, a genre that would appeal to the nearby Hollypark, a predominantly African American neighborhood.

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In addition to hosting familiar jazz names, the annual festivals showcase local youth groups and emerging artists. McKeown said festival organizers are proud to bring in up-and-coming musicians such as the popular violinist Daniel D. (aka Daniel Davis).

Last year, the Gardena Jazz Festival introduced Braxton Cook, a saxophonist who was trained at The Juilliard School. “He did an amazing set last year, and people are still talking about him. There is so much talent out there,” Bradford said.

With reasonable ticket prices ($25 general admission tickets purchased before July 27, and $30 thereafter, for Gardena; and $50 for Dauphin County—see festival websites for details), popular artists and the support of sponsors and community volunteers, both festivals have attracted thousands of attendees over the years.

Organizations such as U.S. Bank, Uber, Waste Resources and Amazon have contributed to the Gardena Jazz Festival.

“I’ve been able to build a coterie of sponsors who have supported us, and more importantly, they embraced and appreciate what we do here,” Bradford said.

“It’s not a for-profit venture. When we started, Gardena was in no position to pay for this, so that was the guideline. I had to raise the money for this to go forward. We’ve done so well over the years, that when we have a surplus, we make donations to local nonprofits and youth-based organizations.”

McKeown said the Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival also operates much like a nonprofit.

Its sponsors include the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and Health Partners Plans.

An advantage, McKeown said, is that the Dauphin County Board of Commissioners understands and values culturally relevant programming and the economic impact that tourism has on the community.

“Every hotel here has a tax that goes to tourism grants,” she explained.

“Those grants get handed out to different businesses and community

THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY GARDENA JAZZ FESTIVAL

When: Sunday, Aug. 27

Where: Rowley Park, 13220 S. Van Ness Ave., Gardena, California

Tickets and information: www.gardenajazzfestival.com, 310-217-9537

Lineup: (gates open at 9 a.m., music starts at 11 a.m.): Boney James, Damien Escobar, The Family Stone, Ragan Whiteside, Brandee Younger and more to be announced groups to bring more economic development and culturally diverse events to the region. A third of what we bring in is from ticket sales, a third is from sponsorship and a third comes from county tourism grants. It’s not taxpayer-based. We also have volunteers who support us and business sponsorships that are purchased before the event.”

While the Gardena Jazz Festival is a nonalcohol event, a distinctive aspect of the Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival is its relationship with local wineries.

Pennsylvania’s climate and fertile land produce more than 2 million gallons of wine annually, and there are approximately 10 winery vendors at the Dauphin County festival.

“It’s interesting that the wine growth market has been huge in Pennsylvania,” McKeown said.

“Wine slushies are all the rage right now. They take wine and put it into a slushie machine. It’s a cold drink, and it’s lovely!”

To the delight of the planners, both smooth jazz festivals have grown to surpass all expectations.

“We have definitely reached our goal of getting more people to visit and spend money in Dauphin County,” McKeown said.

“I do a report at the end of our shows, and about 80 percent of our guests are from outside of a 90-mile radius of Harrisburg and Dauphin County, which is pretty incredible.”

In addition to enriching and unifying their communities, the events have attracted a national audience.

“If you would have asked me 20 years ago if it would get to the level it is today, I would have said, ‘No way,’” Bradford said with sincerity.

“I pinch myself every year that I go out on that stage and look across the park and see the mass of people, whether sitting at tables or on the hillside with their families. It’s more than I could have envisioned. Rod is looking down and happy with what we achieved in the neighborhood where we both grew up and played sports. That was our home park. It’s something to be proud of, and it put the City of Gardena on the map.”

For more details, visit http://www.gardenajazzfestival.com and https://www.dauphincounty.gov/government/support-services/parksrecreation/festivals-special-events/jazz-and-wine-festival.

16TH ANNUAL DAUPHIN COUNTY JAZZ & WINE FESTIVAL

When: Saturday, Sept. 9, and Sunday, Sept. 10

Where: Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Tickets and information: https://www.dauphincounty.gov/ government/support-services/parks-recreation/festivals-specialevents/jazz-and-wine-festival, 717-599-5188

Lineup: (doors open at 3 p.m.):

Saturday, Sept. 9: Urban Groove Collective, 4:30 p.m.; Nathan Mitchell, 6 p.m.; Marcus Anderson, Lin Rountree and Julian Vaughn, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 10: FAME Jazz Ensemble, 4:30 p.m.; SUCH, 6 p.m.; Vincent Ingala, 7:30 p.m.

Marcel Anderson

• “BETTER DAYS” (SINGLE) (MA Music)

Saxophonist Marcus Anderson’s twin brother, male vocalist Marcel Anderson, releases new music.

“Marcel Anderson’s captivating new radio single, ‘Better Days,’ features an incredible collaboration with Rebecca Jade and me,” said Marcus Anderson. “It is a breathtaking masterpiece that will leave listeners in awe and eagerly awaiting the world’s introduction to Marcel’s remarkable voice.”

AvAilAble At: www.marcelanderson.com, iTunes, www.amazon.com, music.apple.com

Website: www.marcelanderson.com

PAUL JACKSON, JR.

• STOMPIN’WILLIE PRESENTS MORE STORIES, PART 1 (M and P Music Factory, Inc.)

Stompin’WilliepresentsMoreStories,Part1, the new EP from legendary guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr., is out now. It includes the hit single “Love Like This.”

“Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp and I were playing at a festival and during sound check, I started playing the guitar part of ‘Love Like This’ by Faith Evans. Jeff said, ‘You need to record that song.’ And, so I did, and featured him on my version. Also featured is my daughter Lindsey on vocals,” Jackson explained.

AvAilAble At: All digital music platforms and www.PaulJacksonJr.com Website: www.PaulJacksonJr.com