The Tucson Jazz Music Foundation is partnering with The Century Room, Tucson’s first and only jazz club housed within historic Hotel Congress, to create more opportunities for jazz education and performance for Arizona’s youth. Since 2022 The Century Room has hosted a free Sunday Night Jazz Jam providing a stage for jazz music students and amateur/professional musicians to gather and perform. Many Tucson Jazz Institute alumni have been headliners presenting their original music and standards. Jazz faculty from the Tucson Jazz Institute, UArizona Fred Fox School of Music Jazz Studies, Tucson High School, and Pima Community College, have not only created and performed their own music, but have also presented their students at The Century Room. We want to do more, and together we will work towards educating and creating more jazzers in Arizona.
FREE PERFORMANCE SPACE AND FREE/DISCOUNTED STUDENT TICKETS
As of February 2024 The Century Room will make their space available at no cost to school jazz bands, provide free tickets to performances for scholarship students, and offer discounted student tickets for select concerts. Students under 21 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
CLINICS, MASTER CLASSES, RESIDENCIES, and PRIVATE LESSONS with TOURING JAZZ MASTER ARTISTS
Touring jazz artists are now including The Century Room in their schedule. Arthur Vint, artistic director of The Century Room, made many professional connections while working in NYC/Village Vanguard and we can attribute the ‘national interest’ in performing in Tucson/The Century Room to Arthur. The Tucson Jazz Music Foundation has been sponsoring guest artists for clinics, residencies and performance since inception (2012). The Century Room will now be an additional venue for the Foundation to offer teaching opportunities to qualified visiting jazz artists/masters, and organizing/producing jazz workshops/master classes, lectures, residencies, and related educational programs in their space.
The Foundation is looking forward to this partnership and assisting The Century Room in developing its JAZZ EDUCATION PROGRAM. YOU can participate by contributing to The Century Room’s Education Fund. These are the fund options: Music Instruments (piano), Guest Artists (education), and General Fund (use as needed). Notate your donation is for The Century Room/(list Fund) in your check made payable to Tucson Jazz Music Foundation, and send to: PO BOX 87736, TUCSON AZ 85754.
NOTE: You may also make a donation using ZELLE / treasurer@tjmfdn.org. If this is your option, please email the treasurer providing your complete contact information to receive a receipt and future news.
Tucson Jazz Institute Alumni/ The Century Room Headliners (in no particular order)
- Max Goldschmid* (multi-instrumentalist/ class of 2012)
- Kenji Lancaster* (drums/ class of 2020)
- Andrew Gioannetti (sax/ class of 2021)
- Alex Weitz (sax/ class of 2009)
- Tim Rachbach (drums/ class of 2013)
- Denali Kauffman (trombone/piano/ class of 2021)
- John Black (trombone/ class of 2014)
- Colin McIlrath (bass/ class of 2020)
- Kevin Ravellette* (sax/clarinet/ class of 2021)
- Sean Johnson (sax/ class of 2012)
- Alan Acosta (sax/ class of 2014)
- Calvin Simmers (drums / class of 2023)
- Ben Canfield (sax/ class of 2019)
- Chris Pena (piano/ class of 2008)
- Andrew Halchak (sax/ class of 2006)
- Arthur Vint* (drums/ class of 2007)
- Simeon Roth* (sax/ class of 2016)
- Andy Gibes* (trumpet/ class of 2014)
*Perform with the Century Room Jazz Orchestra every Monday 7 pm.
GUEST CLINICIANS
Roxy Coss returned for the third time to coach the Tucson Jazz Institute (TJI) Ellington Big Band in January 2024 (January 2022, October 2023). Her performance at The Century Room on October 6, 2023, allowed her to visit with the band in person for the first time. Michael Weiss coordinated his performance at The Century Room (September 2023) with a master class at TJI, and he will be returning to perform and hold a master class with the TJI Ellington Big Band in March 2024.