LOS ANGELES JAZZ SOCIETY

The mission of the Los Angeles Jazz Society is to excite, educate & engage public school students with the vibrant rhythms & sounds of the only indigenous American music – jazz. We present multi-cultural & interactive in-school & off-campus jazz education programs. We also promote & honor the legacy of jazz & ensure its future by identifying & nurturing the emerging jazz musicians of tomorrow.

Jazz In Schools Program was initiated by the in 1988 and provides free jazz education performances by professional musicians in elementary schools during the month of February, Black History Month. The number of school children benefiting from these concerts each year is approximately 23,000.

Named in the memory of the great saxophonist and jazz educator, the Bill Green Mentorship Program was initiated in 1988 to supplement the education of promising young jazz students and to encourage their development as future professional jazz artists. This program boasts an impressive roster of graduates who are successful performing musicians.

Each December, applications are accepted from young people within the public school system (mostly high school students), auditions are held in January, and selected music students receive 10 weeks of free training in advanced music techniques from professional musicians. The final workshop is a professional recording session with each student receiving a CD of the session. Students and mentors subsequently perform in a jazz concert, usually held at Catalina’s Jazz Club in Hollywood.