A Music lover brings live music events to communities

The South Side Jazz Coalition was co-founded by Margaret Murphy-Webb, seen here with police officers during Jazzin on the Steps at St. Moses the Black, located at 331 E. 71st St. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MARGARET MURPHY-WEBB
The South Side Jazz Coalition was co-founded by Margaret Murphy-Webb, seen here with police officers during Jazzin on the Steps at St. Moses the Black, located at 331 E. 71st St. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MARGARET MURPHY-WEBB

 A Music lover brings live music events to communities

By Tia Carol Jones

Music is Margaret Murphy Webb’s life.  While growing up her father owned a record shop and her mother had her and her sister singing in church.

Murphy-Webb loves the freedom of jazz. The ability to create while a person is performing a song. Each person of the jazz ensemble can go outside of the realm, while staying in key, and the result is a beautiful composition.

Murphy-Webb founded the South Side Jazz Coalition six years ago to bring back the South Shore Jazz Festival. In the 1970s, she would attend saxophonist Von Freeman’s jam sessions. Before Freeman passed away, he told Murphy-Webb to carry the torch. The live music venues on the South side of Chicago from that era are gone. “We don’t have a venue that’s dedicated to live music on the South Side,” Murphy-Webb said.

Murphy-Webb, who is a retired teacher and a retired police officer, wanted to start small after learning that planning a whole festival was a huge undertaking. The South Side Jazz Coalition hosts pop-up live music events. She has seen a need for more venues. Jazzin’ on the Steps is just one of the events the organization hosts. There were 400 people who attended the event.

The South Side Jazz Coalition brings music to communities, wanting people to experience music close to home. Murphy-Webb is working with Chicago State University to do a one-day festival. She also wants to keep doing the pop-up music events. When it comes to the void of live cultural events on the South side, Murphy-Webb said it is all about investment and getting local politicians involved.

Murphy-Webb approached her local Alderman about hosting live events in the community. The Alderman was less than receptive said Murphy- Webb. It hasn’t stopped Murphy-Webb from carrying on with her music to bring live music and cultural events to the South side.

“We have to be arts agitators in our own wards to make people know this is what we want. We have to make investors come into our wards. We don’t have these venues because we don’t ask for them, we don’t press for them, we don’t beg for them,” she said. “Just like we don’t have sit-down restaurants. We don’t say to our Aldermen, do not put a beauty supply store there, there’s a person that has an application, they want to put a restaurant there.”

Murphy-Webb wants residents in South side communities to have the same ability to walk to coffee shops and restaurants that people on the North and near North sides have.

Murphy-Webb and the Global Girls, Inc. founder Marvinetta Penn started the South Side Arts Collaborative to reach more people and have their voices heard more. It will bring South Side arts organizations together to bring more events to the community.

During COVID-19, South Side Jazz Coalition did host programs and events online, but the most popular programs are the ones that are done outside. Murphy-Webb believes it is time to host live music events again.
It is very important to her that the legacy of the music of the South side is kept, and the history is kept for future generations. Murphy-Webb, with the South Side Jazz Coalition, will host a South Side Legacy series featuring the Songbirds, Sasha Daltons and Charlotte Foster.

For the South Side Jazz Coalition events, Murphy-Webb wants people to come out and support. She also wants them to call their local politicians and tell them that they want live music events and festivals in their neighborhoods.

For more information about the South Side Jazz Coalition, visit www.southsidejazzcoalition.org, or call 773-888-6709.

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