A Tribute to the Pythodd Room & Clarissa St. community. The parklet below Rt. I-490 became a jazz cafe for the evening with Justice Freeman Quartet. Pee Wee Ellis’ family, Mayor Evans, Assemblymember Meeks and more than 200 folks joined us for a gorgeous eve. Thank you to all who were able to make it. Check out our Mural page and head down to West Main St. at West Broad St., Rochester, NY. (August 17, 2023)
Hosted by Clarissa Street Legacy. Returned for the first time since the pandemic to celebrate 25 years! (August 19, 2023)
More than 500 people visited the Clarissa Uprooted exhibit over two opening nights. The Justice Freeman Quartet played the Pythodd replica stage. (June 2-3, 2022)
Clarissa Uprooted: Unearthing Stories of Our Village (1940s-early 1970s) inspired Teen Empowerment’s 2022 Luncheon–the first in-person since the COVID-19 pandemic. Held outdoors on Parcel 5 across the street from RIT City Art Space and the CU exhibit. (June 9, 2022)
Jazz 90.1 FM Music Director, Derrick Lucas, hosted a screening of Tina Chapman DaCosta’s 2013 short film, Remembering the Pythodd, at the Clarissa Uprooted exhibit. Panelists Roy McCurdy, Dickie Boddie, Tina Chapman, Diane Sheffield, and Justice Freeman (former Teen Empowerment youth organizer and Eastman School of Music trumpet major) shared memories and what made the club stand out from the dozens of other jazz clubs in Rochester. The D&C’s story, Before Jazzfest, this Rochester club featured the greatest names in jazz music. (June 17, 2022)
Folks with personal and family connections to Clarissa Street gathered and danced outside the RIT City Art Space at the Liberty Pole during Jazzfest for a special day at the Clarissa Uprooted exhibit. Soul & R&B records spun by Gary Lamaar. (June 25, 2022)
The Soul Vibes Open Mic, hosted by Ariana & Taryn Sunchild Highsmith, popped up on the Pythodd stage replica at the center of the Clarissa Uprooted exhibit at RIT City Art Space. Dozens of poets, emcees and other musicians blessed the mic. (July 15, 2022)
In honor of the legendary Pythodd Room, young jazz cats from The Justice Freeman Quartet accompanied spoken word poetry by Youth History Ambassadors (YHAs) with live instrumentation at the Liberty Pole. YHA Briana Williams paid tribute to Rochester’s Bebep poet, bobby johnson (pictured, 1980s), who was 91 at the time. Check out bobby’s YouTube channel gifted to him that day. (June 22, 2022)
Teen Empowerment Youth Organizers and Youth History Ambassadors hosted an Intergenerational Unity Circle and a powerful showcase of young performers at The Liberty Pole. DJ Tygga Ty from 105.5 FM-The Beat kept it LIT! (July 21, 2022)