Play any jazz song for Khadija Renee, the woman now planning the Germantown Jazz Festival, and she will tell you whether or not the artist is from Philadelphia.

Different regions have their own unique styles that emanate through each composition she says, but it's not a particular technique or melodic structure that defines Philadelphia jazz. It's a feeling.

"You can travel around the world and people will know the sound of jazz from Philadelphia," Renee told the Local. "An example is Lee Morgan. Lee Morgan is one of the greatest jazz trumpeters that ever lived. And when you hear a Lee Morgan composition, you know it's him, and you know that's Philadelphia."

The upcoming Germantown Jazz Festival, scheduled for April 25-27, 2025, is an ambitious undertaking, requiring community support and several fundraising efforts. The roots of the project stem from Renee's personal connection to jazz – she grew up in a Delaware County household that loved R&B – and the region's historic ties to the art form.

"As I got older, listening to the radio, I heard this song that I didn't recognize. It wasn't R&B, but it was catchy and imaginative. When I did a little bit more research on what I was listening to, I found out that it was called jazz" Renee said. "I was listening to the late, great guitarist, Wes Montgomery, and it was called ‘A Day in the Life.’"

As she explored the music, Renee discovered a deep love for jazz. She sang in her church choir growing up, and started singing jazz live in the 1980s. As an alto/contralto, she thought her voice wouldn't fit the genre but became inspired by Sarah Vaughan, a jazz singer with a similar vocal range.

"I thought, 'Well maybe if this person with that tonnage in her voice could sing, I could too.' So I started imagining that I could be in front of a band and performing," Renee said. "Being a resident of Delaware County, I came into the big city, as we call it, Philadelphia, and found out there were places where you can actually do that. You can hear jazz live, and you can perform live jazz."

Prior to many of the local clubs closing in the 1990s, Renee immersed herself in Northwest Philadelphia's jazz community, particularly in Germantown and Mt. Airy. At the time, a handful of jazz clubs still dotted the area. Renee frequented LaRose Jazz Club, one of the few holdouts that lasted into the 2000s. 

"Those were places I would go year after year after year and cut my teeth and learn how to perform the music and enjoy the music," Renee said. "So Germantown and Mt. Airy have a deep, rich history of live jazz."

Covid was a final nail for LaRose, which closed in 2020, leaving a hole in the Northwest's jazz community. While local businesses like Treasure's Cove and Malelani Cafe have attempted to fill by hosting live jazz events, as of now, there is no permanent replacement for LaRose, Renee said.

"We don't actually have a jazz club currently in Germantown/Mt. Airy. So the Jazz Festival that I'm curating is trying to revive that spirit of jazz musicians having a place to go and experience the music and be a part of the culture again," Renee explained.

In 2023, Renee organized Germantown Jazz at the Nile, a jazz performance at The Nile Cafe. Seeing the support the community had for the event, she decided to reach for more – and launched her vision for a Germantown Jazz Festival.

She’s planning an event that will take place over three days, with a mix of indoor and outdoor performances. The second day of the festival, on April 26, will feature an outdoor festival with vendors and live performances. The outdoor festival will be free, with tickets to be sold for the indoor performances.

Both City Councilmember Cindy Bass and State Senator Art Haywood have said they support her plan – and Haywood in particular is a “jazz ambassador,” she said – and has been a strong advocate for the festival. 

For funding, the project has so far received a $10,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts. Realizing that grant money alone would not cover the costs, Renee and others involved decided to host fundraisers in the months leading up to April.

So far they have held two fundraisers, with the third – a performance by the Josh Lee trio – set for 5 p.m. on Feb. 18, at 68 W. Chelten Ave. The event is free, but attendees will be able to donate via a QR code. 

"The first event, Dec. 27, was at the Braid Mill, and it really was excellent," Sherri Pennington, a community radio show host and festival volunteer, told the Local. "We raised a few thousand dollars, the music was wonderful, and the community really enjoyed it."

While there is still a lot of fundraising needed, Renee said the support of the community has kept her feeling confident. 

She’s also pleased by the mix of younger and more experienced artists who have said they’ll perform. While the lineup is still evolving, Renee said the West Chester University Jazz Youth Ensemble represents some of the younger generation that will perform. 

"We have to keep the baton moving between the current living generation of adult jazz artists and the youth," Renee said. "Even John Coltrane and some of the great jazz artists started as teenagers and they honed their skills as teenagers, and were drafted into the elder musicians' groups."

Those interested in donating to the festival can find the link at germantownjazzfestival.com