Alvin Downing
Musician
1916-2000
Biography
Alvin Joseph “Al” Downing was an influential jazz musician, educator, and civic leader. He was known as the "Ambassador of Jazz" for his work in preserving and promoting jazz music in the Tampa Bay area. During World War II, Downing served as a Tuskegee Airman and later became a squadron commander and leader of the 613th Army Air Force Band, reaching the rank of Major. In 1981, he established the “Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association” an organization committed to providing performance and educational opportunities for jazz musicians. It continues to preserve jazz as an American art form.
