Concord Jazz Fest 2019: Celebrating an empire that grew out of car dealership
If it weren’t for his musical passions, Carl Jefferson would likely be best remembered as a successful Concord businessman who owned and operated what was said to be one of the nation’s largest Lincoln-Mercury car dealerships.
Yet, he also was a huge jazz fan with a desire to share his love for the music with his community. So in 1969, he organized and hosted a small jazz concert at a city-owned park — and in so doing, he birthed an empire that gave rise to an annual music festival, a record label and a major Bay Area concert venue.
Jefferson’s concert, billed the Concord Jazz Festival, quickly established itself as a cherished annual event and eventually proved popular enough to warrant building the Concord Pavilion to house it….
Click here to view original web page at www.eastbaytimes.com
