Thousands Gather In Buffalo For 37th Annual Pine Grill Jazz Reunion

With the daily hustle and bustle that we have to deal with as we move about life, it's easy to forget about how much history and culture lives in Buffalo. From being a major part of the expansion of America to its outsized role in American music, Buffalo has lots of reason to be talking proud.

One of those reminders happened over the last two weekends as thousands of people from far and wide descended upon the historic Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Buffalo for the 37th edition of the Pine Grill Jazz Reunion. The two-day music event is more of a family reunion than it is a music festival, but don't take that to mean it's not one of the best music festivals in the Empire State.

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With a history that dates back decades in Western New York, the Pine Grill Jazz Reunion is a music festival that pays homage to the original Pine Grill and Buffalo’s heyday as a jazz destination, with some of the biggest names in jazz, blues, and R&B making their way to the Queens City. The Pine Grill itself, which sat at 1447 Jefferson, was often filled with sounds that would make your heart melt. From BB King and The Hackney Brothers to The Isley Brothers, The Dells, and The Temptations, there was no better place to be than inside the Pine Grill on a Friday or Saturday night.

For the crowd at Buffalo’s Pine Grill, it was the Temptations’ Get Ready and gettin’ down ‘n’ funky, undoing your tie, and letting them see you sweat,
-Teddy Pendergrass, in his autobiography Truly Blessed

That feeling is exactly what you get at the Pine Grill Jazz Reunion, and the organizers at Buffalo's African American Cultural Center are dedicated to making sure that legacy never dies.

Well, as we know, Buffalo is known for our great food. So people come out, they bring their special dishes, their smiles and the love. They put up their tents, they bring their best outfits, they jam with the music, with the DJ, they line dance. They get to see the artists, local and the headliners, and an opportunity for them to just...have a reunion. We have over 5,000 people here in the park, and everybody is just enjoying themselves and loving on each other.
-Leah Angel Daniel, Executive Director of the African American Cultural Center

If you missed this year's event, you truly missed an event. Planning for the 38th event is already underway, so in the meantime, check out some images from this year's event.