History of Jazz in Covington, Kentucky

Telling people that you were born and raised in a city like Covington, Kentucky, people from other parts of the United States are more prone to ask the number of cows that you had on your farm. Surprisingly, Covington is a jewel all unto itself. When one starts to conjure words about Covington, Kentucky, many descriptions float to the tip of one's tongue. If you are a visitor from out of town, you may only see Covington as a thorough fare to get to Cincinnati from the airport or simply, Cincinnati's southern sister city. During the time when the United States enlisted to believe that slavery was economical, to African Americans, Covington was a welcomed stop.

This was because the slaves knew that the free state of Ohio was just across the water. Those of us, who have lived in Covington for most of our lives, conjure different adjectives depicting this northern Kentucky city. Instead of describing this city with supercilious adjectives, some may bring to mind some of Covington's prize positions like The Madison Theatre on Madison Ave or Saint Mary's Cathedral located a few block south. Though long gone, some may reminisce about the Latonia Race Track and there many, including myself who can call Holmes High School, the only public high school in Covington, al ma mater.

To lovers of jazz music, Covington was and still is the bedding ground for some of the most of the successful musicians of our time. Music is a large part of many people's lives. Though pop and rap lyrics have largely popularized the Billboard charts over the past few decades, there has been several type of music that have stood the test of time. One of those statuesque musical art forms is jazz.

At the start of each calendar year, we are all busy with wrapping up lose ends left by the holidays while trying to re-charge our lives by just thinking of the upcoming New Year. Very seldom do people see this time of year as a period for reflection, or looking into our past. In retaliation to this time of year's urgency to look forward, with jazz's beginnings is where we will begin.