The Leimert Park Jazz Festival is one of LA’s premier summertime events, serving our culturally diverse and family-friendly community. Our mission is to celebrate jazz, community, and the cultural heritage of the historic South Los Angeles neighborhood of Leimert Park.
HISTORY
What began as a neighborhood block party in 2015 has grown into one of LA’s premier summertime events. Executive Producer Diane Robertson recognized a gap—while Los Angeles boasted numerous jazz concerts and Leimert Park was home to rich cultural and musical events, there was no signature jazz festival bearing its name.
After three years of producing the beloved Sutro Avenue Summer Soirée block party, Diane approached her friend Dwight Trible, the internationally renowned jazz vocalist and Executive Director of The World Stage, to explore the idea of curating a small jazz stage at the block party. He enthusiastically agreed, and in 2018, the jazz stage made its debut to an overwhelmingly positive response. In 2020, the event was officially rebranded as the Leimert Park Jazz Festival and relocated to the rooftop parking deck of Baldwin Hills Crenshaw mall.
For decades, Leimert Park has been the cultural heartbeat of Black Los Angeles, a thriving center of jazz, poetry, art, and African American heritage. It is home to legendary institutions and rising cultural pillars, including The World Stage, The Vision Theatre, the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center, the Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center, the California Jazz and Blues Museum, and Art + Practice. The Leimert Park Jazz Festival proudly honors this vibrant neighborhood’s storied past while celebrating its bright future.
DIANE ROBERTSON, ESQ.
EXECUTIVE Director
Diane Robertson, a lawyer by profession, has been a passionate advocate for the Leimert Park community since moving to the neighborhood in 2014. As the Executive Director of the Leimert Park Jazz Festival, she transformed what began as a local block party in 2015 into a celebrated cultural event, now recognized as a vital part of the community’s artistic landscape.
Under Diane’s leadership, the festival evolved into a 501(c)3 tax exempt nonprofit organization in November 2023, and has expanded its impact through year-round programming and strategic community partnerships.
Through her dedication, Diane upholds the festival’s mission of preserving and celebrating the rich tradition of jazz, nurturing the next generation of jazz artists and audiences, and bringing people together with accessible arts programming that educates and inspires. Her work reflects a deep commitment to the cultural and social vitality of Leimert Park and South L.A.