It’s not a concert hall or a jazz bar stage. It’s not even a crowded restaurant. And yet to Willie Martinez, this sidewalk on President Street in Red Hook is one of his favorite spaces to perform.

What You Need To Know

  • After the pandemic shut down musical venues, Willie Martinez rallied his fellow musicians to play live music weekly on his block

  • The weekly jazz festivals allowed neighbors the chance to get out of their homes and enjoy the community in a socially-distanced and COVID-safe way.

  • Now, over a year later, Martinez is still at it, bringing joy to his neighbors through the music he loves

“We were without a place to play,” said Martinez. “So I created this place for all of us, for the community, for the musicians, just for us to be together and support each other.”

After three months of lockdown, Martinez had the chance to jam with some friends in New Jersey. He was instantly inspired to bring the vibe back to his block. And on June 7, the block sang.

“It was unbelievable, like the amount of people that came and listened. And the energy, to be in front of a live audience again. It’s simply magic,” Martinez said.

Neighbors who hadn’t left their apartments in months flooded the street and stoops each Sunday to hear the new gang of artists Martinez had enlisted from his list of friends and colleagues.

“It made life seem normal for a little while. Just being out here playing and being surrounded by people and just watching them dance, watching them laugh, watching them smile,” said Martinez.

As the weather turned cold, Martinez put the Sunday jam sessions on pause. And as the city started to reopen, he wasn’t sure if another season of jazz would even draw a crowd.

Though the numbers have dwindled, dozens of neighbors still show up. Yvonne Cummings and her husband have come every week from Bedford-Stuyvesant just to enjoy the palpable vibe.

“It’s just a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn,” Cummings said smiling.

Now into their second season, Martinez switches up the musical styling; from jazz to salsa and everything in between -doing what he can to bring smiles to his neighbors faces.

“There’s something soothing about it. There’s something comforting about it. There’s something just naturally healing about it,” Martinez said.

For jazzing up his block, and for more Sundays to come, Willie Martinez is our New Yorker of the Week.

You can follow Willie on Instagram at: @williemartinez.

All concert are also streamed live and can be found archived on YouTube.