About Membership | About the Twin Cities Jazz Society |
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The Twin Cities Jazz Society (TCJS) is a non-profit, all volunteer organization, supported by membership donations, dedicated to promoting jazz music, especially live jazz by local musicians! Click on Membership Benefits to see why you should join the Twin Cities Jazz Society! The organization was started in 1979 by Kyle Peterson and several other local jazz enthusiasts (among them Bob Protzman, Ken Green, and Leigh Kamman). TCJS currently has 1000 members, however, your support is needed to continue its active programs. TCJS publishes the monthly newsletter Jazz Notes; produces the Jazz from J to Z concert series; and co-sponsors the Hot Summer Jazz Festival, Northrop Jazz Season, Hopkins Center for the Arts / Jazz at the Center, and the JazzMn Big Band concert season. TCJS also sponsors education programs in area schools and has a scholarship program to help rising young local talent. Much of our effort goes into publishing our monthly award winning Jazz Notes newsletter. Jazz Notes is sent by first class mail to all members and keeps them informed on the local jazz scene. It includes articles about the regional jazz scene; a schedule of what is going on in all the Twin Cities jazz clubs, concerts and other events; and information about national jazz festivals. Call us at (651) 633-3134 and leave your name and address and we'll send you a free copy of "Jazz Notes", our monthly publication, and a TCJS membership form. We produce the Jazz from J to Z concert series, from October through May, to give local talent a chance to perform in a concert setting. The concerts take place at the University of Minnesota, Century College, Local High Schools, the Artists' Quarter in Downtown St. Paul, and Community Performing Arts Centers. Since 1991, TCJS has presented over 80 Jazz from J to Z concerts, featuring over 100 groups and 700 musicians. Today, believe it or not, the Twin Cities has one of the most active Jazz Scenes in the world. Outside of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, more Jazz can be heard in the Twin Cities than anywhere else in the U.S. Jazz has enjoyed tremendous growth in the last twenty-five years in the Twin Cities, and the Twin Cities Jazz Society, whose main mission is to promote local live Jazz, is partly responsible. Our area is blessed with a large pool of very talented jazz musicians and approximately 45 clubs offer live jazz music, including the Dakota, Artists' Quarter, Jazzmines, Times Cafe, Cafe Luxx, Dixie's On Grand, Sophia's & Rossi's Blue Star Room. Big Bands can he heard at O'Gara's & the Wabasha Caves. We also have some great Jazz concert series at Orchestra Hall, Hopkins Center for the Arts, and at the University of Minnesota's Ted Mann Concert Hall and Northrop Auditorium (Northrop Jazz Season; JazzMn Big Band - Minnesota's premier, professional, non-profit Civic Jazz Orchestra; and the U of M Jazz Festival). Every summer since 1999, the Twin Cities swings at the 10 day Hot Summer Jazz Festival, one of the largest, free, summer Jazz festivals in the US, drawing 75,000 fans last year. In addition, there is the MN Big Band Festival of Jazz on the Prairie; and approximately 150 free jazz concerts (half by Big Bands) in local community parks. There are hundreds of Jazz musicians and groups active in the Twin Cities, plus 45 Big Bands, 12 Traditional groups, and 30+ jazz vocalists, and an estimated 100 local Jazz Artists have recorded CD's. KBEM / Jazz 88 Radio, which adopted a 24/7 Jazz format in 1986, is now the sixth largest Jazz radio station in the country. Jazz fans around the world listen to Jazz 88 on the Internet at www.jazz88fm.com. Most of the Hot Summer Jazz Festival performances are broadcast live by Jazz 88 . In the winter, KBEM has produced the Jazz 88 Winter Jazz Fest for twelve years. KFAI has been broadcasting daily jazz programs for 25 years; KJZI / Jazz 100.3 programs smooth Jazz; KLBB presents swing, big bands and vocalists, WCAL plays Jazz on the weekends, and still going strong is Leigh Kamman (TCJS Board Member) with his Jazz Image, now in it's 31st year, on Saturday nights on KNOW (MPR). The Twin Cities Jazz Society can be contacted by e-mailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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