CNY Jazz in the City delivers culture and better health to urban Syracuse
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT:
Larry Luttinger
315-479-5299
CNY Jazz in the City delivers culture and better health to urban Syracuse
Concert fairs offer health service access and lead poisoning prevention
Syracuse NY – The public health environment faced by urban Syracusans is being challenged as never before. CNY Jazz and a powerful consortium of healthcare providers are rising to meet that need this summer utilizing America’s music as the centerpiece of a mobile public health platform, the National Grid Jazz in the City concert series. Held at six city locations on select dates from June through August, the series is dedicated to the memory of its strongest public supporter, former Common Council President Van Robinson.
Leading this year’s effort to advance equity and access to family health services is presenting sponsor LeadSafe CNY Coalition. Supported by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, with additional support from the Central New York Community Foundation. The coalition is using this series as a platform for outreach and public engagement to address the urgent issues of lead poisoning and environmental health. While lead exposure remains a central concern, the coalition and its Social Care Navigators work to support lead-affected families with broader social determinants of health, ensuring that families receive the linkage, resources and advocacy they need to thrive.
Their team, led by Executive Director LaToya Jones, will be on site at the concerts to distribute lead poisoning prevention materials and hold free raffles for Brita water filters. Navigators will also assist community members interested in identifying whether their home has a lead service line and in requesting water testing, in coordination with the City of Syracuse Water Department. This support is especially aimed at families in Syracuse who need help navigating the process. Additionally, representatives will be available to share resources on coalition membership, training opportunities, and workforce development.
During intermissions, members of the Coalition and affected families from the Family Voices Advisory Council will share their personal experiences and emphasize the importance of awareness and prevention in addressing this ongoing public health crisis. Featured speakers will include April Garcia, an affected parent and Co-Chair of the Family Voices Advisory Council, Nancy Eaton, and others.
“In my 30-year career in health and human services, I’ve never experienced a more powerful way to create lasting impact on community wellness,” said LaToya Jones, Executive Director of the LeadSafe CNY Coalition. “Bringing together music and public health opens a space where people feel connected, informed, and supported. Music has always brought communities together, and through our long-standing partnership with CNY Jazz and Larry Luttinger, we’re using this platform not just to raise awareness about lead poisoning, but to educate, promote prevention, and build workforce opportunities in lead remediation. This is more than outreach, it’s transformation. I’m proud to continue supporting this effort, and the Coalition is excited to reach more families across the City of Syracuse.”
This year’s series features another powerful new addition: a Juneteenth concert in the heart of the East Side, on the 2100 block of East Fayette Street—between the Boys and Girls Club and Parkside Commons. The event is proudly sponsored by BFC Partners and SAA|EVI, the development team behind the revitalization of Parkside Commons. These partners are working to reimagine the property as affordable housing with resident services that uplift the surrounding community.
Ernst Valery of SAA|EVI, speaking on behalf of the partners, shared, “Jazz in the City is more than a concert—it’s a celebration of culture, resilience, and the power of community. As we gather on Juneteenth, we honor the journey of Black Americans while looking forward with purpose. The BFC and SAA | EVI Team are working diligently on the transformation of Parkside Commons as part of that positive forward momentum—investing in people through housing, opportunity, and dignity for everyone in Syracuse.”
Syracuse Community Health medical professionals will again provide access to mobile testing, screening, counseling, personal physicians, and more, incentivized with NYS Lottery scratch-offs. Many other agencies, volunteer health efforts, advocacy groups, minority crafts and ethnic food vendors provide a “concert fair” vibe at every event. Said their COO Jessica Yoxall, “Syracuse Community Health is proud to be a sponsor of Jazz in the City once again as we bridge community, culture, and engagement. Through our presence in the Healthcare Village, we look forward to bringing vital health services and education directly to the people—reinforcing our commitment to health equity across Onondaga County. As a newly designated Teaching Health Center, we’re honored to collaborate with community-based organizations to expand access right here where they’re needed most. We’re excited to kick off the 2025 concert series with purpose and partnership.”
In a challenging time for the healthcare and human services sector, major new support from National Grid as title sponsor has ensured a full season of six events for the series. Said Alberto Bianchetti, their Regional Director of External Affairs, “The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority at National Grid, and that word extends far beyond energy use. Our support of this public health festival concert series offers the opportunity to address one of the biggest challenges our community faces – healthcare disparity. This collaboration provides tools to safeguard the wellbeing of our customers in the fight against lead poisoning and encourages proactive health discussions and screenings, while also providing access to our talented local music and arts communities.”
Major support also is provided by the Downtown Committee’s Syracuse Festival Fund and a CNY Arts marketing grant. Other new sponsors include Syracuse Community Connections, Lockheed Martin Employees Federated Fund, A-Verdi, Upstate Psychiatry, Helio Health, Masterpole Murphy, Bond Schoeneck and King, Wireless Vision, C & S Companies, KeyBank. and the Joe Family Foundation.
Returning sponsors include Syracuse Community Health, Wegmans, Dunk & Bright, Syracuse Police Department, AMR, Community Bank, Excellus, New York Offices of Mental Health and New Americans, Onondaga County Health Department, KeyBank, YMCA Health, Vera House, CSEA, Healthcare Education Project, Choose Healthy Life, Tops, Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists, Syracuse Housing Authority, and Onondaga County. Important support at the state level is supplied by Senator Rachel May and Assemblymembers Al Stirpe, Pam Hunter, and the New York State Council on the Arts.
Mayor Ben Walsh said, “Jazz in the City brings together the best of our neighborhoods, music and culture, all through the goal of creating healthy connections. I look forward to seeing our neighborhood parks and public spaces buzzing with friends, families and music throughout the summer, and I thank Syracuse Community Health and CNY Jazz for continuing to forge a healthy, happy Syracuse.”
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon added, “Onondaga County is proud to once again partner for another season of Jazz in the City. This season is particularly special as it celebrates the life of my friend and a true public servant, the late Van Robinson.” McMahon continued “This family, friendly event brings the best of America’s music to neighborhoods throughout the city while also offering valuable health, information, tools, consults and screenings thanks to our partners at Syracuse Community Health. I encourage everyone this summer to enjoy the series!”
Senator Rachel May, a major supporter of the series, said “Jazz in the City has become a cherished tradition, uniting our community with fantastic music for two decades. This event brings lively entertainment to our neighborhoods and, through its Healthcare Village, offers residents essential health and wellness resources. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy the smooth sounds of jazz while accessing support for your well-being. Congratulations to Jazz in the City on 21 remarkable years, and here’s to many more to come.”
Assemblymember Pam Hunter commented, “Now in its 21st season, Jazz in the City 2025—proudly supported in part by the New York State Assembly—returns this summer with six dynamic concerts showcasing the best in Jazz, R&B, Funk, Soul, and Latin sounds. These free events bring live music and vibrant energy to neighborhoods throughout Syracuse and Onondaga County. In addition to the outstanding performances, families can enjoy delicious food, fun activities, and access to vital health services and screenings through the expanding Healthcare Village. Join us in celebrating community, culture, and connection all summer long.”
Said Assemblyman Al Stirpe, “For over twenty years, CNY Jazz in the City has given concertgoers a unique opportunity to enjoy fantastic displays of America’s music while also connecting with healthcare service providers. As a member of the Assembly, I am proud to sponsor this event. This year’s dedication to Van Robinson is a fitting one, after working with him in and around the district. Honoring Van in this way memorializes his legacy of public service, his love for the city of Syracuse, and his unwavering dedication to addressing the needs of underserved communities.”
The series organizers are serious about their dedication to the importance of this program. “In this year of fast-moving change, I want to state for the record that the support to maintain this effort from present and new sponsoring partners was nothing less than overwhelming,” said Larry Luttinger, CNY Jazz director. “It’s an honor to lead this annual effort on behalf of every single supporter, especially the healthcare providers on the front lines in the battle for healthcare equity and access, led by the Leadsafe Coalition and the ever-present Syracuse Community Health team. And speaking personally, I’ll be thinking of the memory of Van Robinson every moment of every event. When this series was originally designed, Van took the lead with city departments, convening them to create a safe, family-friendly model that has endured for over 20 years and continues to bring cultural, economic, social, and public health equity to our isolated neighborhoods. He and his cohort Mike Atkins continually steered us to new avenues of support from the private and public sector and tirelessly shouted out our efforts. My staff, volunteers, spokesperson George Kilpatrick, events and media expert Steve Becker of Premier Promotions, and media partners all come together to help move the needle for our city. The arts are a powerful mechanism for positive change, and Jazz in the City proves it. A special shout out to Joe Cecile, our fine police chief, for providing the coverage that provides a safe, fun, and family-friendly vibe all summer.”
Every three-hour concert features opening acts drawn from local urban music and dance organizations including 1Accord Line Dance, C-Jack Run Showcase, and the Adanfo Ensemble, followed by main attractions featuring iconic regional groups and the best urban contemporary jazz artists in the nation.
This year those artists include the legacy funk and soul of ATLAS at the opening concert in Jubilee Park, on a new concert stage funded by the City of Syracuse. The next event falls on Juneteenth itself, with RnB and more from The Brownskin Band at the Boys & Girls Club on East Fayette Street. In Schiller Park, the heart of the city’s international quadrant where over 30 languages are spoken, the Pan-European sounds of the Baklava Express will entertain. The series closes with two major national acts in August, with Billboard #1 saxophonist Marion Meadows at the new Syracuse Community Health during National Health Center Week, and a final concert with the double bill of Blake Aaron & Will Donato, last seen in 2024 as headliners of the Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival in Clinton Square.
All events are free and open to the public. No alcohol is served.
Jazz in the City Concert Schedule
All events are Thursday 6 to 9 p.m.
June 5 at Jubilee Park, 161 South Ave: ATLAS with 1Accord Line Dance
June 19 at 2100 E. Fayette St: Brownskin with 1Accord Line Dance
July 10 at Schiller Park, Farmer St and Park Roadway: Baklava Express with Adanfo Ensemble
July 24 at Dunk & Bright: The Blacklites with 1Accord Line Dance
August 7 at Syracuse Community Health, 930 S. Salina St: Marion Meadows with C-Jack Run Talent Showcase
August 21 at Leavenworth Park, 399 Park Ave: Blake Aaron & Will Donato with C-Jack Run Showcase
Details at www.cnyjazzinthecity.org
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