Those who have attended KAF’s Wednesday Night Jazz Jam at The Dark Room know just how special this free weekly community event can be. July marks the 13th Anniversary of Jazz Jam bringing the art of jazz within reach for people of all ages and backgrounds and helping to preserve and cultivate jazz music in St. Louis.
Musician, composer and educator Bob DeBoo leads the Jazz Jam each week, using connections from his long music career to individually select rising-stars and St. Louis jazz legends, as well as Nationally-recognized artists touring through the region, to provide the opening performance. The diverse audience is then invited to participate, resulting in everyone from an eight-year-old budding pianist all the way up to a well-seasoned octogenarian tenor sax player joining in the fun.
The lack of age restriction allows elementary, high-school and college-aged musicians a safe and inviting place to practice their craft—an opportunity that may not exist in typical jazz settings. Some of the younger musicians that have joined through the years have grown, gone off to school or new cities, and come back to join occasionally as now professional musicians.
“The Jazz Jam was, from its inception, meant to be an inclusive and safe space for musicians of all stripes to enjoy fellowship and sharpen their skills. The dynamic between young and old artists is very important to the jazz community because the mentorship aspect of learning the craft is essential. We’ve been blessed to have a great ‘family’ of audience members join us regularly over the years as well,” DeBoo says.
In 2022, KAF formed a partnership with the St. Louis County Library to bring free arts-based programming and cultural enrichment to County Library branches. Part of that initiative included extending the weekly Jazz Jam into the community for a monthly Jazz Jam held the first Thursday of every month at the Lewis and Clark Branch of the Library. Hosted by musician and educator Harvey Lockhart, this vibrant monthly gathering furthers the original mission of Jazz Jam, bringing jazz to even more people in the greater St. Louis community. The monthly Jazz Jam continues to grow and thrive, becoming a beloved staple of the library’s programming.
Jazz Jam takes place each Wednesday evening from 6-9 pm live inside The Dark Room at The Grandel. Food and drink are available for purchase and limited seating is available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Bring your instrument or just yourself and come join the jam!
