Outsiders Improvised & Creative Music Festival

Outsiders Improvised & Creative Music Festival Jamaaladeen Tacuma, presents the annual Outsiders Improvised & Creative Music Series.

Curated by Tacuma celebrating the contributions of Innovators, mavericks, interlopers, refugees, and strangers to the culture of music. The Outsiders Improvised & Creative Music Festival is fiscally sponsored by The CultureTrust of Greater Philadelphia and was founded in 2015 by Jamaaladeen Tacuma with mission of showcasing diverse styles of risk-taking, progressive music and groundbreaking artists in April for Philadelphia’s Jazz Appreciation Month in traditionally African American owned and operated Venues in Philadelphia. As festival curator, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, draws on his experience performing in music festivals worldwide over the last three decades. His aim is to bring this exciting experience home to Philadelphia by gathering musical mentors ,colleagues and emerging artists who exemplify the riches of Philadelphia’s creative music culture, and to provide a setting for these artists to stretch their musical imaginations in front of a diverse audience. The festival is funded through private foundation grants, small business sponsorship, individual donations and ticket sales and has a mission to provide fair fee compensation for the Artists that participate. Since 2015 the festival has grown from a 1 day pop up event into 5 days of concerts through out the city and contributes to the vitality of local creative economy .

Hope to see you there , this is a very special one. Remember our sold-out January date that got snowed out? The wait is ...
08/29/2026

Hope to see you there , this is a very special one. Remember our sold-out January date that got snowed out? The wait is over. On Sunday September 13th 2026, this powerhouse lineup is finally bringing the fire to SOUTH Philadelphia:
With Ropeadope artist , Quantum Blues Quartet :
🎸 Tisziji Muñoz – Guitar
🎹 Paul Shaffer – Keys
🥁 Will Calhoun – Drums
🎸 Jamaaladeen Tacuma – Bass
If you held tickets for the January show, check your inbox—to be sure your spot is secured! For everyone who missed out the first time, a batch of tickets just opened up. Don't sleep on this second chance to catch this legendary ensemble in an intimate setting.
🎟️ Grab your tickets now before they're gone

Outsiders is thrilled to announce we are working with Fundrazr app for all our donations. It’s a perfect time to check i...
06/10/2026

Outsiders is thrilled to announce we are working with Fundrazr app for all our donations. It’s a perfect time to check it out and donate what you can ! We will be adding content shortly . Much love and a BIG Thank you to everyone who has been supporting us since 2015 could not do it without you . Peace and Love , Jamaaladeen

🎸 Founded by Jamaaladeen Tacuma. Championing risk-taking, progressive music & groundbreaking artists in historic Philly venues since 2015. Support the vision! 👇

This reminds us John Coltrane was a progressive musician , he was pushing boundaries and constantly seeking new heights ...
05/19/2026

This reminds us John Coltrane was a progressive musician , he was pushing boundaries and constantly seeking new heights and sounds. Music critics were not happy about the direction he moved , the gate keepers were not happy it took them while for them to catch up and some still don’t get it .
Don’t chase the past , be your own person , move in a positive forward direction always .

When John Coltrane died in 1967, one of his final wishes was for two groundbreaking saxophonists to play at his funeral.

To many listeners at the time, both musicians represented the outer edges of jazz — radical, spiritual and deeply controversial figures who had pushed beyond traditional harmony and structure.

Their names?

Albert Ayler and Ornette Coleman.

By the final years of his life, his own playing had moved far beyond the modal jazz of A Love Supreme into freer, more intense territory shaped by spirituality, emotion and collective improvisation.

At the funeral itself, Ayler’s group reportedly played for nearly an hour, delivering music that some mourners found overwhelming and others found transcendent.

It was not a conventional goodbye.

But then very little about Coltrane’s musical journey was conventional.

[📸 Ornette Coleman by Geert Vandepoele, CC BY-SA 2.0 & Albert Ayler public domain by an uncredited photographer thought to be Chuck Stewart - both via Wikimedia Commons]

Don’t miss this
04/18/2026

Don’t miss this

A Great Night in Harlem returns May 21 🎶
Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center

🎟 Gala + VIP (limited): www.JazzFoundation.org/GreatNight26
🎟 Concert-only: Jazz at Lincoln Center

Proceeds fund life-saving support for musicians nationwide.

Address

1315 Walnut Street #300
Philadelphia, PA
19107

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