A Rockford musician is helping the city celebrate Black culture through a series of summer concerts. WNIJ’s Yvonne Boose attended this summer’s kick-off event to learn more about the man behind the music.
Several Black women wore cowboy hats and boots as they line danced in an area in front of the pavilion at Live at Levings during the Southern Soul Party: Part 3. This event kicked off the summer series.
Live at Levings is produced by the Rockford Park District. Harlan Jefferson is a saxophonist and the showcase director.
“You got these different pockets within the city of Rockford,” he said, “that represent and celebrate various cultures, and this, you know, when I'm here doing what I do, I celebrate the African American culture, but I encourage everyone to come down and celebrate that.”
Jefferson has managed the showcase for almost three decades, but this series started way before that. He took part in Live at Levings talent shows in the 80s.
“It's kind of like music saved my life,” Jefferson added. “You know. I could have been selling drugs, shooting, killing, like some of the folks do, you know, but I think the program was like my gang, and the music was my drug.”
Jefferson started playing the saxophone when he was 10 years old. His first performance was a Christmas program in elementary school.
He said playing the sax is in his blood. His father also played. He gave Jefferson private lessons before he took him to get formal instruction.
In 2007, Jefferson released the album “You’re All I Need.” There’s a track on it called “I Cry For You.” The song features his father saying a poem for him.
“He's been gone for five years now, but I can always hear that song and hear his voice,” he said, “and my mom can too, you know, and a lot of times, you know, when I do shows, I open up with that.”
Jefferson used to be a hip-hop DJ and said he would hear his songs being played by other DJs.
“A few of the tracks took off from the stepper DJs,” he explained, “and they just kind of bootlegged it, you know, it was good and bad, so I didn't get paid from it, but the promotion was like crazy.”
Ervin Wainwright is in the crowd. He’s known Jefferson for several decades. He said there’s a lot of programs for Black people in the city.
“But this one is what brings us together,” Wainwright said, “and you know, Rockford is really old soul, it's an old soul city.”
Vocalist Kandrice Jackson performs in many of the Live at Levings showcases.
“The Rockford area would be missing a lot without Harlan,” she said, “so he is essential to the artistry, the entertainment, the shows, building up artists a lot, he does a lot for the community.”
Jackson said Jefferson has been a mentor — teaching her about performing in the entertainment business.
Jefferson has had mentors of his own. He recalled the time he played in a band with Clyde Stubblefield, a drummer who worked with James Brown and was ranked sixth best drummer in the world by Rolling Stone Magazine.
“And I was part of the horn section,” he said, “so I was kind of like the Maceo Parker of Clyde's band, um, I just, you know, it was great being a part of him.”
Parker is a funk and soul jazz sax player. He was a part of James Brown band in the 60s and toured with Prince decades later.
“He [Stubblefield] always told me that I was the most soulful saxophone player that he ever worked with," Jefferson said. "Even more soulful than Maceo Parker.”
These days, outside of producing Live at Levings, the man known as the "Sax King" plays in his bands, and performs at nursing homes, schools and, as he said, wherever the horn takes him.
There are several events planned this summer for the Live at Levings series. The second annual Jazz Fest featuring the Chicago Jazz band Liquid Soul takes place in July. There’s more information for all the events at Rockford Park District’s website.
