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Cahaba Medical Care Expands in West End to Serve 600 More Patients

By
Birmingham Times
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Dr. John B. Waits, CEO of Cahaba Medical Care, makes remarks after completion of West End Health Center expansion. (Provided)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

Cahaba Medical Care has expanded its West End Health Center to increase capacity, reduce wait times, serve 600 more patients each month, and give families in the community faster access to comprehensive primary care.

A ribbon cutting was held at the center on Wednesday with members of the Cahaba medical team, neighborhood officers, city officials and residents.

“Our mission has always been to provide high-quality, compassionate healthcare to every family who walks through our doors,” said Dr. John B. Waits, CEO of Cahaba Medical Care. “This expansion is a testament to our commitment and to the community’s support. We are proud to offer even greater access and to help train the next generation of physicians who will continue this important work.”

Travestine J. Wright, secretary of the Arlington West End Neighborhood Association, makes remarks after completion of its West End Health Center expansion. (Provided)

The newly unveiled 800-square-foot addition includes four state-of-the-art exam rooms, increasing the center’s annual patient capacity by 26 percent and enables up to 30 additional patient visits per day.

For years, Cahaba Medical Care’s West End Health Center has operated at full capacity, reflecting a need for the additional exam rooms and increased capacity.

“This expansion allows us to continue that work of investing in the health and future of this community,” Waits said. “We’re growing so families can receive high quality, accessible, affordable and compassionate care they need close to home, from a team that knows them, listens to them and puts their well-being first.”

The expansion also broadens the Cahaba + UAB Family Medicine Residency Urban Program. Since its launch in 2018, the Cahaba + UAB residency program has provided care for 21 percent of Birmingham’s low-income population.

JPMorganChase: How to Help Protect Yourself from Scams this Holiday Season

By
Birmingham Times
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As you prepare for the holidays, it’s also critical to keep an eye out for online scams that aim to steal your money and your joy. (Provided)

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

There always seems to be a never-ending list of tasks during the holiday season, from booking flights to purchasing gifts for loved ones. As you prepare for the holidays, it’s also critical to keep an eye out for online scams that aim to steal your money and your joy.

“Scammers will go to great lengths to take advantage of generous holiday shoppers. People may notice unusual texts about missed packages or massive discounts on their favorite websites,” said Geno Gardner, Chase’s Birmingham Community Manager. “Chase is here to educate consumers on popular scam tactics so they can help protect their money year-round, not just during the holidays.”

Nationally, nearly 1 in 3 consumers reported falling victim to an online scam during the 2024 holiday season, and Alabama residents lost nearly $108 million to fraud and scams just last year. Scams are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, making them more convincing and harder to detect. more sophisticated, making them more convincing and harder to detect.

“The holidays are scammers’ busy season. From fake travel websites and false package delivery messages to phony charity donations, scammers take advantage of people’s spirit of generosity and bustling holiday schedule,” said Diedra Porché, National Head of Community and Business Development at JPMorganChase. “Your best defense to protect yourself and loved ones is to stay educated on common and emerging scam tactics.”

Don’t let the threat of scams dampen your celebrations. Consider the following tips to help you celebrate safely.

Beware of Unrealistic Deals 

When you have so many gifts to buy, you’ll want to look for bargains. However, make sure that the discounts you’re offered are legitimate. Scammers often lure buyers with massive discounts, especially on popular and sold-out items, often using fake websites or social media ads. If you think, “this deal is too good to be true,” listen to your gut. It’s likely a scam.

Shop with Trusted Retailers 

When shopping online or on social media, make sure to only buy from trusted websites and vendors. Review the website’s URL and ensure that it starts with “https://” (the ‘s’ stands for secure) as scammers can create fake websites to look like legitimate retailers. If you’re unfamiliar with a store, search for the name with terms like “scam,” “complaints,” or “reviews” to uncover any red flags.

Be especially cautious when making purchases from social media marketplaces. Always verify the product exists before purchasing and use payments with purchase protections, like a credit card, to pay.

Gift card scams typically begin with outreach from a scammer, often pretending to be someone else, who urgently pressures victims into buying specific gift cards and sharing the card numbers and PINs. Scammers use various stories, such as pretending to be government officials, tech support, friends or family in emergencies, prize promoters, utility companies, or online romantic interests. Remember: Legitimate organizations will never demand payment by gift card, and requests for gift card payments are a sign of a scam.

How You Pay Matters

Not all payment methods offer purchase protection. When buying gifts for the holiday season, consider using your debit and credit cards, as they may provide protections that allow you to dispute a charge if you don’t receive what you paid for or it’s not as you expected. If you purchase something using payment methods like Zelle®, wire transfers, gift cards, or cash, and it turns out to be a scam, it’s unlikely you’ll get your money back. Only use Zelle® to pay others you know and trust.

Seek Out Free Resources

Give yourself peace of mind while shopping by using digital tools to monitor your personal information. For example, Chase Credit Journey® offers free credit and identity monitoring. This includes alerts to let you know if your data is exposed in a data breach or on the dark web. You don’t have to be a Chase customer use it.

To learn more about how to help protect yourself from scams this holiday season, visit Chase.com/Security. 

Birmingham’s Jazz Renaissance Hits High Note with Hall of Fame Musicians

By
Birmingham Times
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Alabama Jazz Hall of Famer Bo Berry on the trumpet at True Story Brewing Company on Crestwood Blvd. (Marika N. Johnson, For The Birmingham Times)

By Shauna Stuart | For The Birmingham Times

Janice “Jan Ham” Hamilton has traveled the world to attend jazz festivals: “I just follow the music,” she said. When she’s not globe-trotting, Hamilton can be found at jazz events and venues in and around Birmingham — jam sessions at True Story Brewing, Jazz Happy Hour at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, and shows at the Uptown Jazz Lounge among other venues.

“It’s soothing and calming and gives you a good feeling,” she said of jazz shows. “It just takes the edge off. I like seeing the younger people play. And the way [more seasoned musicians] embrace the younger people to bring them in, make them aware of jazz music, and keep jazz music alive is very refreshing.”

Long after Birmingham’s heyday of jazz clubs, which dates back to the early 20th century, the city is experiencing a jazz renaissance. In August 2024, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame museum reopened after seven years of renovations. A month later, the jazz hall resumed its free Saturday morning jazz lessons. This year, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame introduced a new slate of jazz concerts and programming at the Carver Theatre featuring both homegrown and touring musicians.

Musicians are playing in more jazz jam sessions around Birmingham, and more local bars and restaurants — including the ones Hamilton likes to visit —are hosting jazz bands for nightly entertainment. To name a few: Dobber’s in Five Points South has a jazz jam every Monday; True Story Brewing Company in the Crestwood community hosts a jazz jam on Tuesdays; the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame has Jazz Happy Hour on Thursdays; and the Uptown Jazz Lounge showcases mostly smooth jazz and blues throughout the week.

Jose Carr leading the Happy Hour at the Carver Theatre’s Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. (Marika N. Johnson, For The Birmingham Times)

“There’s An Energy Here”

In February 2025, the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, a nonprofit music education network, hosted its renowned Peer-to-Peer jazz program at five Alabama schools, including three in Birmingham, and a jazz jam session at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

In the spring of 2025, Create Birmingham, a local arts organization, partnered with the city to officially honor the late Birmingham native musician SunRa with a day in his name.

Over the past three years, independent filmmakers have also released films about the Daniel José Carr Quartet, Tuxedo Junction, SunRa, and the history of Birmingham’s jazz scene, including commentary from authors Carol P. Ealons and Burgin Mathews.

This year, Hoover High School’s First Edition Jazz Band was a finalist in the renowned Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, New York. The honor makes the ensemble, housed about 19 minutes away from Birmingham, one of the best high school bands in the world.

“There’s an energy here,” said Bernard McQueen, bassist for the Daniel José Carr Quartet and bass instructor at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. “We’ve got this rich jazz history in Birmingham, Alabama, so why can’t we keep it going? In order to do that, we have to be more aware, learn more about jazz, more about the people and the music itself. Let’s try to be true to it.”

Bernard McQueen on the bass at True Story Brewing Company on Crestwood Blvd. (Marika N. Johnson, For The Birmingham Times)

History of Jazz

It’s a history McQueen is proud to tell.

In October, when the Emmy and Grammy award-winning bassist Endea Owens and her band, The Cookout, played at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB’s) Alys Stephens Center, some quick thinking from local musicians led to Owens playing McQueen’s bass for the evening. After the show, McQueen told the band about Birmingham’s jazz traditions and the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Housed in Birmingham’s historic Carver Theatre for the Performing Arts, the museum and nonprofit music education program highlights photographs, exhibits, and artifacts dedicated to preserving Alabama’s role in the history of jazz, including a bass played by Cleve Eaton, who was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1979.

The Hall of Fame museum, which had been closed for renovations for about seven years, hosted its grand reopening in 2024 with the induction of bassist Ron Carter.

Alabama has birthed numerous jazz icons and pioneering jazz musicians, including Eaton, Sun Ra, Dinah Washington, and the Clarkes, the family of former Birmingham City Councilwoman Carol Clarke.

“Maker of Musicians”

From 1917 to the 1950s, John T. “Fess” Whatley led the music program at Birmingham’s Industrial High School (now Arthur Harold Parker High School). Through the decades, Whatley gained a reputation as a legendary “maker of musicians,” and alumni of his program went on to play in bands for jazz icons like Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday.

Both the historic Tuxedo Junction in Birmingham’s Ensley community and the historic Black Business District on Fourth Avenue located downtown were beacons for jazz legends. Musicians, including Ellington and Count Basie, performed at Magic City venues, including the Carver Theatre and the grand ballroom inside Birmingham’s historic Prince Hall Masonic Temple.

McQueen is one of a circle of musicians in Birmingham trying to preserve the city’s jazz history and culture. It’s a reverence and respect for the music he learned from the greats.

McQueen’s high school band director was Amos Gordon, a saxophonist and composer, former member of the Bama State Collegians, former director of the Birmingham Heritage Band, and one of the first inductees into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Walking The Bass

McQueen’s first bass lessons were from Early Billups, a revered musician and educator who directed several Birmingham City Schools bands. Billups started McQueen on the electric bass. As McQueen progressed, he’d get more instruction from veteran musicians, including Jothan Callins and Jesse Taylor, both of whom are Alabama Jazz Hall of fame inductees — Callins in 1979 and Taylor in 1983.

It was Taylor, McQueen said, who taught him how to walk the bass. (A walking bass line is a smooth, steady sequence of bass notes that creates a flowing rhythm, often moving in quarter notes. It’s commonly used in jazz [and other music genres] …, providing the foundation that keeps the music moving forward — hence the name “walking” bass.)

In the 1970s, McQueen, trumpeter Daniel José Carr, and pianist Willie Jackson formed the band Pizazz, which initially played mostly R&B at venues around the city, including Carr’s family club, Studio 98.

McQueen says the group leaned into playing jazz in the early 1980s. Carr, who had recently graduated from Alabama State University (ASU), stopped by McQueen’s house to tell him he wanted to start a jazz jam session at Studio 98. The group would eventually start playing under different monikers for different genres—Pizazz for R&B and the Daniel José Carr Quartet for jazz.

“From Pizazz to now, you’re looking at 45 years,” said McQueen. “We’ve been playing for 45 years. You develop a kinship. We’ve always had that. We’re good. We’re like brothers.”

Alabama Jazz Hall of Famer Jose Carr on the trumpet at True Story Brewing Company on Crestwood Blvd. (Marika N. Johnson, For The Birmingham Times)

“A Serious Statement”

Carr was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 2015. The Daniel José Carr Quartet, which now includes drummer Timothy Huffman, is one of the most in-demand jazz groups in Birmingham. Their weekly jam session, now housed on Tuesday evenings at True Story Brewing in Crestwood, is one of the longest-running — and most famous — jazz jam sessions in the city. The three-hour show brings out fellow Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame inductees and jazz elder statesmen, including trumpeter Collins “Bo” Berry, director of the Birmingham Heritage Band. Musicians also come from around Alabama and across state lines to sit in.

In a 2023 interview with AL.com, Carr describes himself as a late bloomer on the jazz scene. He used the term to describe his career transition. The Ensley-born trumpeter attended Council Elementary School then later went to Jackson-Olin High School.

“I was listening to jazz back then, but my mind was not serious. I was playing R&B and all that stuff. But I always hung around cats that played the music,” he told AL.com. “At school, the older guys would come back and see the band director, and I would have a chance to meet them. They were real good players.”

Carr attended ASU in Montgomery, Alabama. In the 1930s and 1940s, the school was regarded for its esteemed jazz programs: The Bama State Collegians, The Revellers, and The Cavaliers. The programs were so popular, in fact, that when ASU suffered severe financial hardship in the 1930s, the three programs played at balls and parties to generate revenue to help keep the school open. But by the time Carr joined the freshman class, ASU was better known for its marching band.

“So, I started seeking jazz by myself in the city. I started playing by ear,” he recalled.

Carr has said his mission is to keep jazz alive in the city of Birmingham, from preserving the history to mentoring the jazz musicians who will inherit the city.

“Most guys had to play all kinds of music because of their financial situations,” he said. “I’m playing music for the cause. I’m trying to keep this alive. You say you play jazz. … That’s a serious statement.”

You can see Bernard McQueen and all of the musicians in the Daniel José Carr Quartet at their weekly jam session on Tuesdays, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., at True Story Brewing Company (5510 Crestwood Blvd., Birmingham AL 35212).

Inside Some of Birmingham-Area’s Most Acclaimed Jazz Venues 

By
Birmingham Times
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Housed inside of Birmingham’s historic Carver Theatre for the Performing Arts, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame is ushering in a new chapter. (File)

Compiled by Shauna Stuart | For The Birmingham Times

Emery Kidd is a Birmingham-area bassist, now in his 40’s, who once played the trumpet in the Birmingham Youth Jazz Ensemble under the tutelage of Jothan Callins and where Daniel Jose Carr and Bernard McQueen also stopped by to give tutorials.

Kidd attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts and was one of the founding members of the student jazz ensemble at ASFA and today attends Daniel Jose Carr’s jam session at True Story Brewing Co. on Tuesdays and sometimes opts to sit in.

“I’m grateful for the jazz jams because there are spaces where it doesn’t matter your age if you want to get up and hone your skills,” he told The Birmingham Times. “This is school in real time.”

In addition to True Story here are some other spaces in the Birmingham metro area where jazz lovers can find school in session.

If you have a spot that should be added here please email bwright@birminghamtimes.com with “Jazz Venues” in the subject line.

The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

1701 4th Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203

https://jazzhall.com/

Housed inside of Birmingham’s historic Carver Theatre for the Performing Arts, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame is ushering in a new chapter.

The nonprofit music education program was established in 1978 to help preserve the history and contributions the state of Alabama made to the genre of jazz. In 1993, organizers moved the nonprofit’s headquarters into the historic Carver Theatre and established a museum filled with artifacts and photographs devoted to the state’s jazz history.

After being closed for seven years of renovations, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame museum officially reopened to the public in August 2024 with the induction of renowned bassist Ron Carter. A month later, the jazz hall resumed its free jazz lessons.

This year, the jazz hall staff introduced a new slate of programming to welcome jazz enthusiasts back into the beloved venue.

The Jazz on 4th concert series is bringing a lineup of artists into the Carver’s performance hall. This summer, the AJHOF introduced a new way to bring music to jazz enthusiasts with Jazz Happy Hour, a Thursday evening jazz pop-up concert from 5 to 7 p.m. in the lobby of the Carver Theatre, featuring the Daniel Jose Carr Quartet.

In May, the Sun Ra Arkestra took the stage in the performance hall as part of the Sun Ra Festival, a four-day celebration in honor of Sun Ra’s birthday.

Dave’s Pub 

1128 20th St S, Birmingham, AL 35205

facebook.com/davessouthside

Dave’s Pub in Five Points South is home to two jazz jam sessions. On Tuesday nights from 8 to 11 p.m., keyboardist and guitarist Arturo LaCruz leads his Sol Musica jam session. Founded by LaCruz, a native of Peru, Sol Musica blends world music with improvisation and percussion of Latin jazz. Headlined by LaCruz, Sol Musica’s revolving house band includes pianist and guitarist Dave Crenshaw, saxophonist Michael Saddekni, and flutist Geni Skendo. On Thursdays, Forged Fusion hosts the jazz session from 8 to 11 p.m. Formed in 2024, the band fuses jazz, rock, and funk.

DJD theatre

Alabama School of Fine Arts, 800 19th St N, Birmingham, AL 35203

djdtheater.org

https://djdtheater.org/about/

Housed at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, the Dorothy Jemison Day Theatre, or DJD, is named after ASFA Foundation Board member Dorothy “Dodie” Jemison Day. Award-winning jazz and classical flutist Kim Scott, a 1993 graduate of ASFA and the school’s director of student services, has played the DJD stage. The 450-foot theatre is also the home venue for the award-winning  ASFA jazz ensemble and hosts “Artworks,” a performance series featuring artists from Alabama and around the nation. One of this year’s “Artworks” performers is Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame inductee Eric Essix. For the series, Essix, a recipient of the South Arts Jazz Road Tours grant, will take the stage at the DJD with Dr. Melvin Butler on saxophone, Sean Michael Ray on bass, Kelvin Wooten on keyboards, and Lil’ John Roberts on drums for the 25th anniversary of his career-defining album, “Southbound.”

Dobber’s Five Points Pub

1206 20th St S, Birmingham, AL 35205

The nights of live music at Little Italy’s Pies and Pints in Five Points South–including the Monday night jazz jam session– were almost as famous as its pizza. But the music ended when the pizza joint shuttered in 2023. 

When the owners of Dobber’s wanted to revive the beloved jam session, they called Desmond Sykes, a saxophonist for bands including Conception and the Black Jacket Symphony. Sykes, who was one of the jam’s mainstay musicians, was immediately on board.

In September, he started hosting a new Monday night jam at the neighborhood watering hole. From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. patrons can see revolving musicians in the jam’s house band, including Sykes, David Little on guitar, bass players Ryan Brown and Amber Frazier, and drummers Richard Freeman and Jordan Stone.

This is one of the city’s jazz jam sessions where the musicians sitting in skew a little younger — many nights, most of the musicians are under 35.

The revived jam is picking up steam as word gets out, and musicians attending the jam include alumni from area high schools as well as UAB and JSU.

Sykes says musicians also travel from other cities such as Nashville and Atlanta to sit in.

“All sorts of people come through,” says Sykes. “You never know who is going to pop in.”

East Village Arts

7611 1st Ave. North, Birmingham, AL

www.evabham.org

Located in East Lake, East Village Arts is a nod to New York’s East Village and its cultural movements that became a haven for artists. The non-profit arts collective is a membership-based co-operative of artists, musicians, and patrons, as well as a community and event space. Outfitted with a stage and church pews, the performance space hosts concerts, dance performances, and poetry featuring both local and traveling artists.

The nonprofit is also a haven for jazz culture. In addition to hosting jazz performances, part of the avant-garde space pays homage to Sun Ra and the Arkestra. EAV also houses the studio of Craig Legg, a painter and historian widely considered a librarian of Birmingham music. Legg’s designs “Trading Cards”– a series of 5×7 paintings on Masonite board — his visual ode to genres of Alabama’s music history, including a series on the History of Birmingham Jazz. His latest project— funded by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, is Birmingham’s Jazz Family Tree, a  9’x12′ collage of illustrations documenting the dozens of jazz musicians that came out of Birmingham in the 1990s.

East Village Arts was also a filming location for three documentaries about Birmingham jazz: “So You Say You Play Jazz: The Daniel Jose Carr Story,” “Tuxedo Junction, the Almost Lost Story,” and “Magic City: Birmingham According to Sun Ra.” 

In May, East Village Arts held the farewell party for Create Birmingham’s three-day festival honoring the Sun Ra Arkestra in Birmingham.

Farrelly’s Southern Bar and Kitchen

5532 Grove Blvd, Hoover, AL 35226

farrellyskitchen.com

Pianist Choko Aiken quickly made her mark as a mainstay in the Birmingham jazz scene since she moved to the city from Japan in 2013, headlining her own shows at venues around the city (including Perfect Note and Jazzi’s on 3rd) and sharing the stage with Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame inductees, including Bo Berry, Daniel Jose Carr, and the late Cleve Eaton.

In 2024, Farrelly’s Southern Bar and Kitchen approached Aiken about hosting a weekly jazz night. For nearly a year, the highly requested pianist has helmed the stage in the dining room of the popular dinner spot on Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m.

With Aiken as the bandleader, diners can expect a different lineup of musicians every week. Sometimes Aiken plays solo. Other nights, she’ll request accompanying musicians. Owner George McCluney occasionally joins the show on drums and vocals, while bassist Brian Brown and saxophonist Gary Wheat take the stage regularly.

Jazzi’s on 3rd

1725 3rd Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203

https://www.jazzison3rd.com/

Located in  Birmingham’s Theatre District, Jazzi’s on 3rd Music Gallery is a standing homage to the late Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame inductee, Henry “Hank”  Blankenship, whose accomplishments include a tenure with the Birmingham Heritage Band. While Jazzi’s now operates mostly as a venue for private events, the music gallery still hosts occasional public concerts. In 2023, Jazzi’s on 3rd hosted the ceremony for Henry Blankernship’s star on the Alabama Walk of Fame. Family, city officials, and staff from the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame unveiled the star–located in front of Jazzi’s– with speeches and a proclamation from the city, followed by performances by the Birmingham Heritage Band, conducted by Bo Berry, and the Daniel Jose Carr Quartet.

Jazz on 55th

7 55th Pl N, Birmingham, AL 35212

www.facebook.com/jazzon55th

In Woodlawn, a vibrant mural of three musicians on the trumpet, saxophone, and piano is a beacon for Jazz on 55th.The lounge, which opened last April, offers patrons a space to enjoy cigars, a full bar, and live music. Jazz on 55th’s premise isn’t straight-ahead jazz– the venue is geared more toward smooth jazz, R&B, and neo soul — but the lineup of performers features beloved local and award-winning artists, including blues and soul powerhouse Mz. Aretta, flutist Sherry Reeves, and saxophonist Michael Hamm.

Pogo Cocktail Bar 

2309 1st Ave N Suite 101, Birmingham, AL 35203

www.armour-house.com/pogo

Below Armour House brasserie and raw bar lies Pogo Cocktail Bar. Nestled behind a speakeasy-style entrance, the chic cocktail lounge boasts a menu of signature libations along with live jazz performances every Thursday, Friday, and (occasionally) Saturday. Pogo’s performance lineup features a mashup of local and some touring musicians, including Chad Fisher, Ronald Rodriguez, Amari Ansari, the Jacksonville State University Jazz Combo, and UAB alumni and faculty, including saxophonist Gary Wheat.

In September, Pogo was one of the host venues for Jason Mingledorf and his quartet during their tour of Alabama, supported by the South Arts Jazz Roads grant. 

True Story Brewing

5510 Crestwood Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35212

www.facebook.com/truestorybrewing

Tucked into the Crestwood Shopping Center, True Story Brewing is a neighborhood watering hole known for its cold craft beer, growing selection of spirits and calendar of live music.  For the past four years, the brewpub has housed trumpeter Daniel “Jose” Carr’s jazz jam session on Tuesday nights from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Carr’s session, now the longest-running jazz jam session in Birmingham, has had several homes over the past three decades. (Before True Story, the session was at B.O.S.S. Ultra Lounge on 20th Street South). The house band– Carr, bassist Bernard McQueen, drummer Timothy Huffman, and pianist Willie Jackson Jr.– start off the evening before opening up the session for other musicians to sit in. While the Tuesday jam is the mainstay jazz session, True Story also hosts rotating jazz shows featuring more local musicians, including the UAB Jazz Ensemble and Conception Jazz Fusion.

Uptown Jazz Lounge 

2250-B 9th Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203

https://www.uptownjazzbham.com/

Rod Conwell, Patrick Chatman, Patrick Chatman II and Larry Forest opened Uptown Jazz Lounge in Birmingham’s Uptown Entertainment District in 2022. Their goal, says Conwell, was to help fill a need for midsize music lounges in Birmingham’s downtown area.

“I grew up in that environment and there were several venues in the downtown area for adults and or ‘grown folks’ as we like to say. Spots where you could go listen to local and regional musicians, have a nice drink in a safe environment, and then go home. And that suddenly went away. It was here for years and then went away,” said Conwell.

Conwell is a lover of all types of music, but in his college days, he started leaning into straight-ahead and smooth jazz.

“It just stuck with me. And the older I got, the affinity I had for that type of music grew on me,” said Conwell. “And I started to travel to various states for that type of music.”

So when the team started developing the plans for Uptown Jazz, they knew they wanted to create a welcoming space for both jazz purists and fans of smooth jazz, as well as a venue where artists steeped in both could display their craft.

Now in its third year, a slate of heavy-hitting Alabama-grown artists have graced the Uptown Jazz stage, including Sherry Reeves, the Daniel Jose Carr Quartet, PJ Spraggins, Byron Thomas, and Deidre Gaddis.

In January, Uptown Jazz was the venue for a music showcase in conjunction with the All-State Jazz Band Festival and the Alabama Music Educators Association In-Service Conference. In attendance was Wycliffe Gordon, the award-winning trombonist and educator, whose accomplishments include a long-time tenure with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Conwell says the team at Uptown want Gordon to return for a performance. Other artists on their wish list: trumpeter Willie Bradley, Trombone Shorty, and Kim and Kayla Waters.

The team at Uptown Jazz also have one more ultimate goal: a Friday and Saturday jazz series showcase featuring three or four national artists.

Vecchia Pizzeria and Mercato 

610 Preserve Pkwy Suite 100, Hoover, AL 35226

vecchiabirmingham.com

Vecchia is well-known for its Neapolitan-style brick oven pizza and Italian market with a selection of cheeses, cured meats, desserts, and bottles of wine. But the popular Hoover neighborhood eatery boasts a Friday-night lineup of live jazz on Friday nights, either on the patio or in the dining room. Some of the featured musicians include pianist Choko Aiken, bassist Aaron Goldberg, drummer Alan Shaw, the UAB Jazz Combo, and the Daniel Jose Carr Quartet.

William’s Chapel CME Church

545 64th St S. Birmingham, AL 35212

Located in Oak Ridge Park, Williams’ Chapel CME is home to the Bo Berry & Friends jam session. Trumpeter Collins “Bo” Berry, a 1985 Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame inductee and director of the Birmingham Heritage Band, leads the Sunday afternoon session from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Ronald Goodwin, a tenor saxophone player and member of the Birmingham Heritage Band, developed the jam session with Berry to bring a free jazz performance to the community and reach an audience that doesn’t normally frequent nightclubs. Another mission — connect with youth musicians who don’t have the chance to go out and see jazz shows.

The audience for the Sunday afternoon sessions is small but engaged. Viewers tend to arrive about an hour into the performance and settle comfortably into the pews, some dressed in their Sunday best.  Longtime jazz enthusiasts who go to shows around the city will see familiar faces. Berry and Goodwin are the mainstay musicians in the session, with Cheryl Simonetti on piano, Bernard McQueen on bass, and John Nuckols on drums. Members of the Daniel Jose Carr quartet tend to drop in, as well as musicians who regularly sit at Carr’s Tuesday jam session. Nadine Smith, a longtime vocalist for the Birmingham Heritage Band  (and a proud  Birmingham civil rights foot soldier), occasionally comes to watch the session and sing.  

AUBURN AL

Piccolo 241 Jazz & Cocktails

The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center, 241 S College St, Auburn, AL 36830

aricciacucina.com/piccolo-241-jazz-and-cocktails

Located about two and a half hours outside of Birmingham, Piccolo 241 is the jazz and cocktail lounge adjacent to the restaurant Arricia Cuina Italiana. On its website, Piccolo 241 bills itself as Auburn and Opelika’s “only true jazz lounge.”

Tucked away from the dining room, the cozy parlour, adorned with a fireplace and plush furniture, heralds itself as a beacon for jazz, a nod to the New York City jazz clubs graced by luminaries such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Dizzy Gillespie. Naturally, the venue is a stomping ground for the state’s best-known jazz artists. Saxophonist La’Roy Bodiford, who frequents Daniel Jose Carr’s jazz jam in Birmingham, hosts his own jazz session at Piccolo on Thursday nights.

Piccolo 241 hosts full shows and jam sessions with the mission to embody the listening rooms of larger cities with a more storied jazz history– on Friday and Saturday nights, the lounge is reserved for patrons 21 and up from 7:00 PM until close.

TUSCALOOSA AL

The Sanctuary on 25th

1710 25th Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

www.thesanctuaryon25th.com

Located in Tuscaloosa, the birthplace of renowned jazz singer and “Queen of the Blues” Dinah Washington, The Sanctuary on 25th is a restaurant and music club housed inside the former Conquerors’ Light Faith Center.

The name of the space pays homage to the previous venue– a former church. But music is also the “sanctuary” of owners Matt and Nikki Ray, according to their interview in the Tuscaloosa News.

The Rays designed the interior of Sanctuary to reflect the character of a house of worship. Massive wooden doors etched with crosses lead into the dining area, and some of the booths resemble church pews. Live music usually starts on Fridays with a lineup of both local and touring acts. Earlier this year, a crew of all-star clinicians and students from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz graced the Sanctuary stage as part of their February peer to peer tour in Alabama.

National Magazine Names Jeffco Superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin one of 2025’s Best Leaders

By
Birmingham Times
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Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Walter B. Gonsoulin Jr. has been selected by U.S. News & World Report as one of its 2025 Best Leaders in public service, business, healthcare and education. (File)

By Ashley Merryman | USN&WR

When Walter Gonsoulin became superintendent of public schools in Jefferson County, Alabama, in 2019, the district was known for its struggling schools. According to the Alabama Department of Education, only 66% of Jefferson County Schools high school seniors in the school year preceding his tenure graduated with the skills to succeed in college or a job. To compound the issues, Gonsoulin – the first Black permanent superintendent in the district’s 200-year history – was limited in what he could do, as the Birmingham-area district had been under federal supervision ever since a 1965 desegregation lawsuit.

In just five years, Gonsoulin, now 56, has already made so much progress that this year, AASA, the School Superintendents Association, named him the National Superintendent of the Year.

Under Gonsoulin’s leadership, the percentage of those leaving high school with necessary skills has climbed to 82%. The class of 2024 graduated with more than $108 million in scholarships. For those who want to go directly into the workforce, Gonsoulin works with local businesses to get them jobs as soon as they graduate. And earlier this year, the district finally settled the 60-year-old desegregation lawsuit.

While Gonsoulin tracks everything, from curricula to construction, to ensure that the district of 57 schools serving 36,000 students is always improving, Gonsoulin said in an interview with U.S. News & World Report the key to his leadership is that “it’s all personal to me.”

Gonsoulin says that begins with respecting and valuing everyone from cafeteria staff to district leadership. He spends time with parents, staff, students, civic leaders, focus groups and others. Then he tries to put the insights he gains into practice with compassion and empathy, he says.

That “makes leadership easy,” he says. “Even if you’re tired, disappointed or frustrated, you dust it off. Giving up is never an option because someone is counting on you.”

As the first in his immediate family to graduate from high school, he sees himself in the families he serves.

The oldest of six, he grew up with limited means in the small town of Jeanerette, Louisiana. Although his family didn’t have much schooling, they taught him that education was important. But getting an education meant leaving home, and it would be a lonely journey. He couldn’t call home for support – they didn’t have a phone – and they wouldn’t understand what he was doing anyway.

At 16, Gonsoulin enlisted in the National Guard. After he finished high school, Gonsoulin served in the military for six years, including a year in Iraq during the Gulf War. He earned two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s and a doctorate. He worked his way up the ranks as a teacher and school administrator in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

He says he understands the challenges his students face and that his district leadership is “constantly challenging ourselves to innovate, to think beyond where we are.” His team isn’t just trying to think outside the box. “We think there is no box.”

For example, rather than competing against other schools for hiring teachers, Gonsoulin has offered to pay college tuition for paraprofessional aides working in his schools if they will teach in the district after they graduate.

To increase students’ career readiness, in 2022, Gonsoulin established 20 “Signature Academies” within the high schools. In these programs, students receive training in practical skills, such as agricultural science, automotive technology, biomedical science, culinary arts, cybersecurity and more. Some students earn industry certifications, while others finish high school with associate degrees.

Gonsoulin’s leadership approach – taking care of the personal – began during the first month of his teaching career in 1991. Teaching back in his hometown, he’d been assigned a class of struggling sixth graders. Gonsoulin’s great-grandmother had told him that, if he truly wanted the children to succeed, he should visit every student’s family within the first 30 days of the school year.

Night was falling as he arrived at one girl’s home and sat with her mother in the living room, discussing her smart but underperforming daughter. Even as it got dark, no one turned on a lamp. Finally a child brought a candle to light the room, and Gonsoulin realized the family had no electricity. The girl wasn’t completing her homework because she couldn’t finish it in the dark.

For the rest of the year, Gonsoulin remained in his classroom every evening so the girl could study with the lights on.

The girl thrived, and she graduated six years later.

Now, nearly 35 years later, Gonsoulin still shines a light on his students – learning what they need and then doing whatever he can to help them succeed.

Brandy and Monica Bring R&B Royalty to Birmingham’s Sold-Out Legacy Arena

By
Birmingham Times
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The iconic duo delivered nostalgic, yet modern and refreshed performances filled with powerhouse vocals. (Photos by @tonybeephoto and @shaunandru)

By Marika N. Johnson | For The Birmingham Times

R&B Royalty Brandy and Monica turned the BJCC’s Legacy Arena into a wall-to-wall celebration Saturday night as fans packed the venue to full capacity for the sold-out stop on their highly anticipated The Boy is Mine Tour.

Opener Jamal Roberts, a Meridian Mississippi native and winner of the 23rd season of American Idol warmed up the crowd. Singer and songwriter, Muni Long, performed hits “Hrs & Hrs” and “Made For Me” while Grammy award winner Kelly Rowland, former member of Destiny’s Child, set the tone with heaters such as “Soldier” and “Dilemma.”

The iconic duo, whose 1998 duet became one of the most defining songs in modern R&B, delivered nostalgic yet modern and refreshed performances filled with powerhouse vocals, an athletically built all male dance crew and the kind of chemistry fans have waited decades to witness onstage.

Brandy glided through classics like “Full Moon” and “I Wanna Be Down” while Monica had the arena vibing to favorites including “So Gone” and “Like This and Like That”. They moved through multiple sets each taking the stage as the other one exited, keeping the energy seamless and dynamic.

The night’s final act began with the “Angel” set. Dressed in all white, Brandy sang “Angel in Disguise” followed by Monica’s rendition of “Angel of Mine”. Together, they delivered a beautiful Whitney Houston tribute, sharing how she influenced their lives. The grand finale, “The Boy Is Mine” sent the crowd into a full eruption, with fans belting every lyric back to them.

The tour, brought by Black Promoters Collective, proved not only the lasting impact of their music but also the strength of their individual artistry. For Birmingham fans, it was a night of pure R&B excellence and a rare chance to witness two cultural powerhouses share one stage.

PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS

By
Birmingham Times
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Saxophonist Dee Lucas at the Carver Theatre, Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. (Photo Credit: bandsintown.com)

By Gwen DeRu | The Birmingham Times

TODAY, NOVEMBER 20…

**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!!!

**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!!!

**BLUES JAM EVERY 3rd THURSDAY, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

**SANDERS BOHLKE with CRESTWOOD DRIVES and MONROE at Saturn.

**HASH CABBAGE with KYLE KIMBRELL at The Nick.

**LATE NIGHT at the Nick with ALABAMA SO & SO MACHINE,

**RnB POETICALLY LIT, 5-7 p.m. at Lit on 8th, 518 Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. with HUNCHO ZAVY, KD MCQWEEN, CAROL HOOD, DKMODE, BRIANNE SHARDAW and hosted by HEMP THE ARTIST. Every Thursday.

**JAZZ IN THE MAGIC CITY HAPPY HOUR featuring Alabama’s own Jose Carr and his band, 4:30-7 p.m. at the Carver Theatre. FREE. EVERY THURSDAY!

**KARAOKE KICKBACK EVERY THURSDAY, 5 – 9 p.m. at Jazzi’s on 3rd, with Happy Hour 5-6 p.m. FREE. There is a weekly Cash Prize hosted by Loretta Hill

**BLUES JAM EVERY 3rd THURSDAY, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

**THAT’S MY JAM THURSDAYS KARAOKE MINGLE, each week with Karaoke at 8 p.m., Spin to Win ‘til 9 p.m. and Happy Hour ‘til 9 p.m. with Sounds by DJ SLUGGA and hosted by JIRUS HORTON at Tee’s on 2nd.  FREE, Entry all night.

**3rd THURSDAY at the Nick with RAMBLIN’ RICKY TATE at The Nick.

**FILMMAKER NETWORKING NIGHTS, 5 p.m. at 1821 2nd Avenue North

**EVERY THURSDAY- THAT’S MY JAM THURSDAYS, 7 p.m. at Platinum of Birmingham with DJ Slugga.

**ALABAMA BLAZIN BINGO, 6 p.m. at Overtime Grill and Bar.

**FILM at Sidewalk Film.

**KARAOKE, 7 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21…

IT IS FRIDAY…the weekend starts…

**THE WILLIAMSON BROTHERS, HAM BAGBY AND NIGHT MUSIC at The Nick.

**LATE NIGHT with DAZR at The Nick

**OSAMASON – PSYKOTIC TOUR at Iron City.

**MONTAGUE with KRISTIN LEIGH at The Upstairs at Avondale Brewing Co.

**BEYONCE VS BEYONCE DANCE PARTY at Saturn.

**GOOD PEOPLE & GOOD MUSIC WITH GOOD PEOPLE BREWING at Dave’s, 6 p.m. at Dave’s Pub.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22…

**GLOW WILD at the Birmingham Zoo through January 4 at the Zoo.

**SICARD HOLLOW with OMCAT at Saturn.

**DRAG NIGHT at The Nick.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23…

**SINGO BINGO EVERY SUNDAY, 1 p.m. at Cahaba Brewing Company.

**JOSE CARR performing at JAZZ IN THE GARDEN SUNDAYS, Every 1st and 3rd Sunday, 5-8 p.m. at Denim on 7th, 2808 7th Avenue Suite105.

**EASE BACK 4th SUNDAYS, 5 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

**2ND SUNDAY FREE SHOW with ZACH AUSTIN at The Nick.

**4th SUNDAY FREE SHOW with TAYLOR HOLLINGSWORTH at The Nick.

**AN EVENING with KYLE KIMBRELL at The Nick.

**FREE – V. ELAM, DOMESTICATRIX, TIFFANY TEARS and NO CULTURE at Saturn.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24…

**WEEK DAYS – IRONDALE SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER has activities starting at 8 a.m. with a Hot Lunch served for Seniors Monday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  Call 205-951-1418 for details about the FREE program.

**MONDAYS – THURSDAYS – CFJS CARES RESPITE PROGRAM, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Call 205-278-7113 for more info.

**MONDAYS – GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP, 10-11:30 a.m. at CJFS Conference Room. Open to survivors who have experienced loss within the past 2 years. Call 205-278-7101 to sign up.

**MONDAYS – DEMENTIA CAREGIVER VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUP, 3 p.m. and/or Tuesday at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Call 205-278-7113 for more info.

**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND at The Nick.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25…

**TACO TUESDAY R & B NIGHT, EVERY THURSDAY at Hemings on 2ND Avenue.

**PODCASTING 101 at CREED63, EVERY TUESDAY at 5:45 p.m. Learn how to launch and create your own podcast at 1601 5th Avenue North, Birmingham 35203.

**JOSE CARR EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT at True Story Brewing.

**SONGWRITER’S NIGHT EVERY TUESDAY at The Nick.

**SUPERSTAR KARAOKE LATE NIGHT TUESDAYS at The Nick.

**FREE – SUBSTRATE BINGO with JACKIE LO at Saturn.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26…

**REAL FUNNY COMEDY WEDNESDAYS at True Story Brewing. Sign up at 7:30 p.m.

**OPEN DECK with SUNDROP EVERY WEDNESDAY at The Nick.

**WINSTON RAMBLE at Saturn.

**ALABAMA ALL-STAR COMEDY SHOW at the StarDome Club featuring COMEDIAN HENRY WELCH, NATASHA “BIG LOVE” GOVER, DAVID LYNAM, TREY MACK, TWINADIME, CARLA YOUNGBLOOD and CAM 2STUPID hosted by CHARLES WINSTON.

NEXT THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27…

**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!!!

**BLUES JAM EVERY 3rd THURSDAY, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

**THANKSGIVING NIGHT with RICKY TATE & WILD MAN at The Nick.

 NEXT FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28….

**ALABAMA ALL-STAR COMEDY SHOW BATTLE OF THE SEXES EDITION at the StarDome Comedy Club featuring COMEDIAN DENO POSEY, SCOTT LAMAR, WOOD DELANIE, MARY, CECE PICKETT and DARNELLO hosted by Charles and ANDREA  Winston.

**COMEDIAN FUNNYMAINE LIVE TAPING at the StarDome Comedy Club.

**BUGWHORE at The Nick.

**PROJECT PAT at Iron City.

**GIMME GIMME DISCO: JERSEY SHORE EDITION at Saturn.

NEWS TO KNOW AND USE – PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS TO WATCH…

 **BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART STORE SUNDAY – MUSEUM STORE SUNDAY is November 30, 12 – 5 p.m. at the Birmingham Museum of Art where you can meet local artists and makers, as well as enjoy art activities, light bites, giveaways and discounts on the merchandise.  This is the biggest shopping event of the year where you can explore a curated selection of one-of-a-kind pieces from Birmingham artists, makers and vendors from around the country.  There will be discounts on purchases for visitors (10 percent) and members (20 percent). In-person savings run from Friday, November 28- Museum Store Sunday.  In addition, there will be online discounts available from Wednesday, November 26 – Monday, December 1.  Some artists and vendors include YOGI DADA, VERO VANDLAERE, BEAUNCA WADE, EMMA ROSE CANDLES, CHERITH FLUKER, JESSICA LEITCH, ELIZABETH LIMBAUGH and MAKA MAKA with unique gifts that you can’t find anywhere else.  Enjoy free coffee and hot chocolate bar, as well as specialty drinks at the cash bar and family -friendly activities like a festive scavenger hunt and coloring station.

**FOR EMERGENCY RESOURCES, Call 205-942-8911 or go to www.feedingal.org/findfood for more.  OR call 211 for assistance.

 THINGS TO HELP…and Do.

**SATURDAY – THANKSGIVING FOOD BOX AND DIAPER GIVEAWAY, 10 a.m. – Noon, at Rebirth Christian Fellowship, 700 23rd Avenue NW, 35215.

**SATURDAY – GLOW WILD at the Birmingham Zoo November 22- January 4 at the Zoo.

**SATURDAY – THANKSGIVING GIVEAWAY, 8 – 9 a.m. at Irondale City Hall, 101 20th Street South – One turkey per household while supplies last.

(Photo: Saxophonist Dee Lucas at the Carver Theatre) (Photo Credit: )

**SUNDAY – JAZZ ON 4th with SAXOPHONIST DEE LUCAS, a national recording artist, 5- 6 p.m. at Carver Theatre Sunday Series.

**FILL THE BOX CHALLENGE – FOOD DRIVE THROUGH NOVEMBER 28, at Family court 1st and 2nd Floors of Family Court Birmingham and at Bessemer Courthouse.  Bring: peanut butter, pasta, rice quinoa, breakfast cereals, oatmeal, grits, fruit juice, shelf-stable milk, canned meat, canned vegetables, canned fruit, boxed meals, mac & cheese, Potato Flakes, canned/dried beans, peas and lentils. NO GLASS CONTAINERS, PLEASE.

**MAGIC CITY TOY DRIVE is NOW until December 5 accepting new and unopened toys for boys and girls form ages birth – 10 years old, new bicycles and coats and jackets.  Donation sites are at the East, West, north and South Police Precincts, Police Ad Building, All Birmingham Fire and Rescue stations, All AmFirst Credit Unions in Birmingham, Department of Youth Services and City Hall. For more info, www.birminghamal.gov’DYS/ToyDrive. OR call 205-320-0879.

**FOR BE KIND BIRMINGHAM LIBRARY POP-UP in November:

2nd Wednesday – West End Library at 10 a.m., 3rd Wednesday – Smithfield Library at 10 a.m. and 4th Wednesday – 5 Pts. West Library at 10 a.m. Always check Be Kind on Facebook for updates and changes to schedules.

HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN…

**SOUTH ARTS ARTIST CREATIVE PRACTICE GRANTS is offering $3000 to help Southern artists access professional development and career-milestone opportunities NOW through June 30, 2026. Recipients can still apply to other South Arts programs including Southern Prize & State Fellowships, Jazz Road for unrelated projects. Contact jcrawford@southarts.org or estevenson@southarts.org.

**SPACE ONE ELEVEN IS HIRING creative leaders and teaching artists to help shape meaningful arts experiences for youth and the community.

**BOOK RELEASE – A HISTORY OF BIRMINGHAM ROCK & ROLL is released and there is a book signing on Saturday, 2-5 p.m. at WorkPlay.  Author CRAIG LEGG has published a fabulous book containing more than 350 original paintings illustrating over seven decades of rock music, people, places and events in the Magic City.  There will be live music performed by several of the artists featured in the book, t-shirts, select prints and other swag for sale. Get your copy of the book, if you love rock and roll.

**COMING SOON: COCKTAILS WITH CREATIVES.  Look for more. This will be a spin-off of Coffee with Creatives, but with a night-time vibe.

Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time. People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send your questions, contact info with your events, your things of interest and more to: gwenderu@yahoo.com AND thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com 

“I think anytime things become beautiful people start to feel a little joyous and maybe that will help a little bit. We need to feel a little more joy right now.”

By
Birmingham Times
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COLLEGE HILLS RESIDENT RATASHIA BOYKIN ON THE NEED FOR UPDATES FROM THE CITY ON PROGRESS OF THE $50M COMMUNITY CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE TO REVITALIZE HER COMMUNITY; WVTM, NOV. 15.

Birmingham Mayor, Jeffco Commission President Clash Over Funding for Popular City Landmark

By
Birmingham Times
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City Walk, a popular Birmingham public space for community members and visitors, covers 31 acres and 10 city blocks downtown.

By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times

The future of City Walk, a popular downtown Birmingham public space for community members and visitors worldwide could be in jeopardy as Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens quarrel over funding.

The mayor believes Jefferson County should help with expenses to maintain the 31-acre space covering 10 city blocks in downtown while the commission president says Birmingham should bear responsibility for space within its own municipality.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin

City Walk opened in time for the 2022 World Games and has since become one of Birmingham’s most popular downtown attractions hosting art shows, recreational sports clinics, social mixers, artists, skateboarders, pickleball players among others that bring residents together year-round.

In the first and second quarters of 2025, more than 562,500 people visited City Walk, one of the most visited landmarks in Birmingham, according to a REV Birmingham report.

While City Walk was built by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) has an agreement where it manages and operates the area, keeping the sidewalks clean, the greenery pruned and the lights on.

Under that agreement the BJCC’s expenses were reimbursed by ALDOT which capped that amount at $4 million. That number has been reached and ALDOT won’t pay more. On Wednesday, the department issued a statement that said: “ALDOT is in continuous communications with the BJCC and other stakeholders to develop strategies to ensure that City Walk BHAM will remain the viable community gem it is.”

Without ALDOT’s share the BJCC has paid $3.1 million out of pocket. “We’ve made it clear to everyone that the BJCC can’t continue to fund it ourselves,” BJCC CEO Tad Snider told the Birmingham Times Tuesday.

That means asking the city, county, private sector and the state to chip in, according to officials.

Woodfin said he has no problem with the city contributing but the county should as well. Stephens disagreed.

Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens

“The county is not responsible for anything that goes on in the city of Birmingham, no more than it does for what goes on in the city of Hueytown, the city of Bessemer, Homewood, Gardendale,” said Stephens. “… we have over 30 municipalities. Each of them needs help.”

He continued, “[City Walk] is a park within the City of Birmingham on ALDOT right-of-way and the county has no obligation. I stand by that, as the same I would if it was a park within the City of Gardendale and they asked us to support that.”

Woodfin said Stephens’s comments were “shameful.” Both sit on the BJCC board and “you can’t sit in one chair as a member of the BJCC board that says, ‘we’ll give $200,000’ and then sit in your county chair and say we won’t give. That doesn’t make sense,” the mayor said.

Woodfin said the park is within the city but also within the county. “So if the city can put in a portion, the county can put in a portion, the private sector put in a portion and BJCC put in a portion ….’

He also pointed out that this year the city received a $250,000 grant to aid in maintenance at City Walk.

The commission president said the county has gone “above and beyond” in support of BJCC initiatives including the building of Protective Stadium and the renovation of Legacy Arena. “If you were to add up every dollar that city has put in and the county has put in, you’ll be surprised to find out the county is the major contributor,” Stephens said, adding that singling out Birmingham over another municipality is “not what we do.”

This isn’t the first time Woodfin and Stephens have been at odds. Two years ago, the two sides couldn’t agree on an intergovernmental agreement related to the provision of jail services.

Now, the concern for some is whether City Walk could be shut down.

“We’ve not wanted to cancel the agreement for funding, stop maintenance and compromise the operation of the park, but it may come to that because, frankly, we just cannot continue to afford these monthly expenses,” said BJCC Board Chairman Michael Keel, in a June interview with www.cbs42.com.

On Tuesday, Keel appointed an ad hoc committee to find a sustainable long-term solution.

Snider was optimistic that a way out could be found. “We’re at the ‘how do we figure this out phase?” he said Tuesday. “[City Walk] has been built. it belongs to the state. It will always belong to the state. What’s out there doesn’t belong to the BJCC. [But] it’s our front door. We can’t just let it fall into disrepair.”

This story was updated on Nov. 19, 2025 at 10:07 p.m. to include a statement from ALDOT.

Sloss Furnace, a Birmingham Historical Site, is Eyeing a $12M Rebirth

By
Birmingham Times
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Sloss Furnaces, one of Birmingham's National Historic Landmarks, is now open from Noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. (Provided)

By William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

A familiar part of Birmingham’s history is looking to forge a new path with an ambitious plan to further embed itself in the Magic City’s recreational and cultural landscape.

Sloss Furnaces will begin fundraising next year for a $12 million project that would connect the landmark with the city’s trail system, add a few attractions, and allow it to host more events.

Sloss Furnaces operated from 1882 to 1970 and was once the largest manufacturer of pig iron in the world.

Executive Director David Arias said the furnaces, which has been a historical landmark since the early 80s, helped to make Birmingham the industrial powerhouse it once was.

“What we want to do is bring more people in to tell that story,” Arias said. “We want to give people space to breath, to recreate, to be with their friends, in a part of the city where people haven’t had the space to spread out.”

Arias, a longtime Birmingham resident, has directed Sloss since 2022.

About nine months of planning went into the proposed project. Studio A, KPS Group, Schoel Engineering and Allaway Consulting are all involved in the project’s conception. Its goal — to integrate the furnaces more fully into a part of town that has seen an increased amount of development, and to connect it more fully to the city’s trail system.

Currently, Sloss Furnaces, located on First Avenue at 32nd Street North, is owned by the City of Birmingham and supported by the Sloss Furnaces Foundation. Admission to Sloss is free, with self-guided tours available and more extensive tours for a small fee. It also plays host to many events, from concerts to food festivals.

But the furnaces only take up about half of the 32-acre property. And many of the proposed improvements would update or open up certain facets of the property that are currently not being enjoyed by the public.

“One of the changes we wanted to see is in answer to the question, how do we engage the community in a way that’s meaningful to them,” Arias said. “We wanted to explore more of what Sloss could become, and explore what made sense for our site.”

A revamp of the overall plan for the park would change the entrance point, and the flow around its aspects. (Provided)

One directive — nothing over the top: take what’s already existing at the site and expand on what Sloss already does well.

A revamp of the overall plan for the park would change the entrance point, and the flow around its aspects.

Included in the plan are play areas for both smaller and older children, a new refreshment area, a climbing element, a maze in the former water reservoir, expanded green spaces and new restrooms.

At least one kilometer of trails could host runs completely on the property, as well as allow walking and training space for runners.

The furnace No. 2 Hoist Tower would be transformed into a vantage point for visitors, giving a chance to catch the sunset, or the city skyline. And the train platform would be remade into an elevated boardwalk.

Sloss Furnaces is also home to the largest metal casting program in the world, its Metal Arts classroom. It accommodates summer youth programs and school tours. The improvements would add an indoor space for finishing and fabrication attached to Shed No. 2 on the northside of the property.

Visitors would also have a new play attraction — railway pump handcars on a half-mile loop that would circulate the property.

But the plan would leave alone a green space on the property that is used for everything from parking to recreation.

Sloss Furnaces has a yearly budget of about $600,000 provided by the city, in addition to funds from the metal arts program and fundraising.

“It can be a place to play, but also to take time to learn,” Arias said.

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