Churchill Grounds

Churchill Grounds at The Mary Lou Williams Jazz Center is coming.

"I believe in things that are developed through hard work"-Bill Evans

Before the horns sound and the keys sing, there's the quiet work of planning—strategic meetings, construction milestones, pivots, and on-the-spot problem solving.

We're crafting a space that's visually exquisite and structurally sound, designed with every guest in mind: patrons, musicians, students, listeners, and everyone in between.

Like a musician carefully composing a song before sharing it with an audience, we're pouring over every note.

When the doors open and the music fills the room, we believe you'll agree—good things are worth the wait. 🎷

Stay tuned for videos that tell the story that we've been writing since 2025.

Some artists entertain. Others change the world. Mary Lou Williams did both.

As we prepare to open Churchills inside the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Center, we thought it was fitting to introduce her story to some who may not be familiar with the legend, the icon, Mary Lou Williams.

Born in Atlanta in 1910, Mary Lou brought her gift to a jazz world that was just finding its voice — and she helped shape every note of it. From big band to bebop, she arranged music for legends like Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Dizzy Gillespie. She earned her seat at the table not just as a pianist and composer, but as a true peer. The iconic photo "A Great Day in Harlem" would not be complete if she wasn't included- which she was! She was more than just "one of the guys" in a world that rarely made room for women, she was the woman that made the music that moved the room!

But Mary Lou was so much more than her music. She was a teacher at Duke University, a devoted Catholic, and a humanitarian who used her faith and her art to challenge the world around her. Her presence alone was a statement.

There's a reason they say artists like her come along once in a lifetime. 💫


For more information on her remarkable life, please read the book "Morning Glory" by Linda Dahl

Influential, legendary, groundbreaking and "award-winning" are just some of the words used to describe the musical giant and jazz pioneer Sonny Rollins. This week we honor the life and legacy of Saxophone Colossus. Leaving us with a catalog of over nearly 70 years and 60 albums of his unique gift, the music he created served as the soundtrack for literally a lifetime of memories. Sonny Rollins played with the greats and influenced generations after him, including many of the saxophone players who sat in at Churchill Grounds. Sam was no stranger to his music, as he often made it known that Sonny was his favorite saxist. We often heard Sam refer to Coltrane's Love Supreme as his favorite album, but he said Sonny was his favorite saxophone artist. Without a doubt, our community of jazz artists, friends and family felt the loss this week as deeply as we did. The world is a better place because Sonny Rollins never stopped making music that made us pause, sit still, and listen. Today, we pause, sit still, and listen once again.

America's original artform, jazz music, will be celebrated this weekend at Piedmont Park. We hope you come through and fellowship with other jazz lovers during this time. The music of jazz has the power to bring all of Atlanta together for three days and the Sons and Daughters of Churchill Grounds have been a staple part of the event for over 50 years! That's legacy and thanks to you that legacy will continue.

Be sure to follow the page for more announcements about the developments for our new home.

Atlanta Jazz Festival – Home of Atlanta Jazz Festival Atlanta Jazz Festival is funded through the support of corporate sponsorships as well as Atlanta Jazz Festival, Inc., a non-profit entity dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Atlanta Jazz Festival.

Extending a warm welcome to our recent page followers. With the renewed interest, over 100 new followers have added us and we are grateful.

Over time, we will be migrating all posts to our official page Churchill Grounds Jazz Club so be sure to follow that page to keep informed on developments with the new building and announcements. We are combining the two Churchill pages to one!

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Churchill Grounds Jazz We’re proud to share that Churchill Grounds will return as the flagship performance space within the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Center in Downtown Decatur.
Stay tuned for more information. Anticipated date of opening is fall 2026.