Philly Swing

Philly Swing by artist Parris Stancell is located in the West Shore (Southwest Philadelphia) neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Created with students and families at the Bartram’s Village after school program, this mural is a playful representation of jazz energy, culture and color. Stancell introduced the children in the community to jazz by bringing in musicians into the community meetings. The murals design arose from the artist’s experience of these interactions. From Blues to jazz and beyond, we would not have the music we have today without these creative minds. Jazz is just one of the distinctive inventions of African American culture that has been celebrated around the world.

The mural spans five separate panels feature different scenes capturing the energy of watching jazz being performed in a club, including: a trio of women singing; a group of male musicians playing trumpets, trombones and other brass instruments against a starry sky; another group of people singing, dancing and celebrating under a golden moon; yet another group performing, this one including a keyboard player and a drummer; and a final trio singing and dancing.