Anderson@Large

Keeping Hope Alive on Philadelphia Courthouse Mural

I was on jury duty last week. During breaks, I checked out one of my favorite works of public art. When I first saw the Philadelphia Courthouse Mural in 2016, I nearly passed out. The panoramic mural has more stories about Philadelphia jazz than any source other than my website, All That Philly Jazz.

I was stumped by a previously overlooked image of a saxophonist who is described as “a major player in Philadelphia jazz.” I could not make out the name because the image is small and waist-high.

All That Philly Jazz is crowdsourced. With the advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI), I did not have to turn to the wisdom of the crowd. Instead, I asked my new research assistants, ChatGPT and Google Bard. They identified the saxophonist – Lynn Hope – in mere seconds.

Photography is not allowed in the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice. When I told the court officer that I was documenting Philadelphia’s jazz history, she said OK but be quick.

Lynn Hope, also known as El Hajj Abdullah Rasheed Ahmad, was a band leader and tenor saxophonist who was popular in the late 1950s and early ‘60s. After converting to Islam, he wore his trademark turban. Hope and his band toured Africa, Europe and the Middle East. In 1950, he had a crossover hit with “Tenderly.”

Hope was the top star at the legendary Show Boat under the ownership of Herb Keller.

Hope faded into obscurity in the late ‘60s. After his jazz heyday, he held a variety of jobs, including cab driver (as noted on the mural). Hope joined the ancestors on February 24, 1993.

Broad, Germantown, Erie Percent For Art Project

Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods. Legendary trumpeter Lee Morgan grew up on Madison Street in the Nicetown/Tioga neighborhood in North Philly. Lee’s block is a 20-minute walk from the intersection of Broad, Germantown and Erie (BGE).

In conjunction with traffic safety and beautification improvements to the iconic intersection, the Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy (OACCE) issued a Call for Artists to compete for a site-specific public artwork. During an information meeting, Rachel Schwartzman, Percent for Art Rebuild Project Manager, shared the goals of the BGE Public Art Project.

In the 1960s Sonny “The Mighty Burner” Hopson held record hops at the Arcade Ballroom, located at Broad and Erie.

Sundays were for teenagers. The record hops were promoted as “wholesome affairs that will help keep youngsters off the streets and out of trouble.”

The Arcade Ballroom was located in a two-story building constructed in 1920. There were retail stores on the ground floor and a dance hall on the second floor. The building is still there.

The finalists competing for the Percent For Art commission have been selected. OACCE invites the public to meet the artists and share their ideas for the BGE project. I plan to attend the community meeting to share this neighborhood history with the artists.

To reserve a spot for the community meeting, go here.