Press Release
The Charleston Gaillard Center and Closing the Gap in Health Care are thrilled to announce this past weekend's Lowcountry Jazz Festival was a record-breaking year in the Festival's seventeen-year history. With three sold-out days and over 3500 tickets sold, the Festival welcomed new and returning patrons to South Carolina's premier jazz event. Under the artistic direction of producer Tony Clarke, in collaboration with the Gaillard Center's artistic team, the Festival presented a stellar lineup of award-winning jazz singers and musicians, Dave Koz & Friends, Gregory Porter, Avery*Sunshine, and Jonathan Butler.
New elements were also introduced to the Festival this year, including hosting the annual White Linen Cocktail Party at the International African American Museum, the South’s newest museum on one of America’s most sacred sites. We also presented the Closing the Gap in Health Care Award to Dr. Diane Louise Rowley in honor of the incredible legacy of her late husband Dr. William “Bill” Jenkins, a Charlestonian who was one of the first individuals to raise concerns about the Tuskegee Study, advocated for healthcare equity for Black Americans in his role at the CDC during the AIDS epidemic and is the great-great-grandson of Charleston's jazz legend, Reverend Daniel Jenkins.
Lissa Frenkel, President & CEO of the Charleston Gaillard Center, noted, “From the beautiful kick-off White Linen Cocktail Party at the International African American Museum, to the incomparable Gregory Porter and chart-topping saxophonist Dave Koz performing in our acoustically-stunning Martha & John M. Rivers Performance Hall, you could feel the energy of the music and jazz festival audience all over Charleston this weekend.”
Dr. Thaddeus J. Bell, Founder of the Lowcountry Jazz Festival and Closing the Gap in Health Care, said, “We are thrilled so many people, from near and far, celebrated incredible world-class musicians and Closing the Gap in Health Care's life-saving mission with us last weekend. We look forward to welcoming everyone back Labor Day Weekend 2024!”
ABOUT CLOSING THE GAP IN HEALTH CARE
The Greater Charleston Lowcountry Jazz Festival is the primary fundraiser for Closing the Gap in Health Care, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose primary mission is decreasing health disparities and increasing health literacy, especially for African Americans and the underserved in our community, South Carolina, and the nation.
The organization airs radio and television health tips, publishes a weekly e-newsletter, and provides information on social media to improve health literacy. Lectures, seminars, and youth and community activities are also provided by Closing the Gap in Health Care, Inc.
Proceeds from our Festival support the mission of Closing the Gap in Health Care, Inc. and the Thaddeus John Bell, M.D. Endowment Fund. This scholarship fund was created conjointly with the Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina to assist students who pursue a health science degree and graduate from the Medical University of South Carolina. This will facilitate an increase in the number of African American health providers in the state.
The Greater Charleston Lowcountry Jazz Festival and Closing the Gap in Health Care, Inc. have made contributions, exceeding $250,000, to the Thaddeus John Bell, M.D. Endowment Fund!
