Gift of Jazz

Background Statement

Gift of Jazz began in 1995 as a team of people who wanted to bolster up musicians in the Jazz community in Denver. Some of the first actions taken by Gift of Jazz were donations to musicians who may have had their instruments stolen, or who needed repairs, support in recording costs, and more. Live music was also a top area of support. We just celebrated our 30th anniversary. That is thirty years of continuous presence in the community, listening to our patrons and neighbors about what is needed, collaborating with like-minded organizations, and much more. We are proud of the way we've evolved to find our current focus. Today, our scope of work is prioritized as follows: Introducing young students to Jazz (Jazz for the Schools), education through excellent performances available to the public (Blind Tiger Series), and giving young ensembles stage space to kickstart their careers and grow their listener base (NextUp).