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Interview with Purnell Steen
Born in 1941, Purnell Steen grew up in Denver as a student of classical piano and part of a musical dynasty, with cousins including 5-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves; keyboardist, composer and producer George Duke; saxophonist Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson; and legendary bassist Charlie Burrell. Between the 1920s and 1950s, the Five Points neighborhood was a sanctuary for the African American community and the heart of Denver’s thriving jazz community, with over fifty bars and clubs playing host to local players and all the greats, from Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday to Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Jack Kerouac called the cultural and entertainment mecca the “Harlem of the West.” For nearly 40 years, with his bands Le Jazz Machine and the Five Points Ambassadors, Steen has been a favorite on the Denver scene, dedicated to preserving and playing the “Five Points style” of jazz at clubs and festivals. In September 2022, the Ambassadors toured Denver’s sister city, Brest, France, as part of a cultural exchange.
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