Thursday, September 8, 2016 brought The Randy Villars Band to the Central Branch of Lexington, KY library for the 113th concert of the Jazz: Live at the Library! Series, hosted by The Jazz Arts Foundation, Inc. and sponsored by Jamey Aebersold Jazz. I arrived late, but better late than not at all, for I could have missed an excellent introduction to Randy Villars, who blessed the stage of The Farish Theater as the 195th individual musician to play in this series.  Randy is a classically trained clarinetist, saxophonist and pianist as well as a composer, arranger, music educator and author. […]

The Jazz Arts Foundation, Inc. and the Lexington Public Library continue their Jazz: Live at the Library! series of monthly concerts at the Central Library Farish Theatre, 140 East Main St. in downtown Lexington. Show #113 features The Randy Villars Band with Randy Villars/Saxophone, Brandon Scott Coleman/Guitar, Matt Wiles/Bass & Phil Tipton/Drums. Show time: 7 – 8:15PM. Admission: FREE. Click HERE for a PDF of the show program.

Please note that the Executive Committee of JAF has rescheduled the September 7, 2016 Board Meeting to be held on Wednesday, October 5, 2016 in the Large Meeting Room at the Tates Creek Library beginning at 7PM. If there is any change, it will be posted here and an email will be sent to all Board Members.

Great News – if you don’t feel like putting together a picnic basket for the Jazz on the Porch concerts on August 28th or September 25th you will be able to satisfy your appetite by purchasing what you want at the Dunn’s BBQ and Catering food truck. If you were at the July 24th JOP concert, they were set up on that date as well. Click HERE to visit their Facebook page for more information.

June 9,2016: Jazz: Live at the Library! Concert Series Show #110 sponsored by Jamey Aebersold Jazz and hosted by The Jazz Arts Foundation. Inc. Phil DeGreg and Brasilia rocked an almost full house June 9, 2016 in the Farish Theater, at the downtown Lexington, KY Central Library. Before the group started Dave McWhorter, President of The Jazz Arts Foundation, Inc. and Board Member/JAO Liaison, Brenda Stratman presented recent Henry Clay High School graduate Jacob O’Donnell with the 2016 Annual Duke Madison Scholarship. Jacob O’Donnell will attend Jamey Aebersold’s summer Jazz Workshop in July. Jacob plays the tenor saxophone as well […]

I wanted to share some important jazz news taking place Thursday, May 26th at the Downtown Arts Center, 141 E Main St, Lexington, that should be of interest! I have attached a poster (click HERE) that has some of this info, but I wanted to get you some of the inside stuff about the show. The poster shows who is singing, but it does not mention the other players involved.  Joining Jessie, Thursday May 26, will be some great players:  Kendall Carter, Keyboards, Ron Davidson, Guitar, Bob Hackett, Bass and John Knight, on Drums, with special appearances by Upshaw Briggs, […]

That’s’ right 3 times free, excellent sounding JAZZ sponsored by Jamey Aebersold Jazz, hosted by The Jazz Arts Foundation, Inc. as part of their Jazz: Live at the Library! series and in honor of April – Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM). JAZZ! 1 – I, unfortunately, was unable to attend the April 14th concert, which I heard was excellent. I have pasted below the JAF’s description of that concert so that the masses that read this blog may check out who was here and go to Dave Clark’s website and check out his music. On Thursday, April 14, 2016, The Jazz […]

JAF announces that the 2016 Annual Duke Madison Scholarship to Jamey Aebersold’s Summer Jazz Workshop in July has been awarded to Henry Clay High School senior Jacob O’Donnell. Jacob, who plays tenor saxophone with the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra Jazz Arts Orchestra (CKYO JAO), as well as several other music groups, plans to attend the University of Kentucky as a music education major next fall. Jacob was officially recognized as the recipient at the June 9 Jazz: Live at the Library! concert before a nearly packed house. More information will follow soon and you can click HERE to learn more […]

Well it happened Thursday, March 10th, 2016, at the Farish Theater in Lexington’s Central Branch Library. Funded by Jamey Aebersold Jazz and hosted by The Jazz Arts Foundation, Inc.,  the Michael Cruse Quintet put on an excellent show, playing to a house full of friends and jazz lovers. Michael Cruse, trumpet and vocals, Darren Benton, drums, Andrew Lin, saxophone, Jackson Steiger, piano and Kevin McClellan, bass started the evening off with an interpretation of Horace Silver’s Conformation, titled Juicy Lucy. They rolled out the carpet and delivered clean, concise impact filled playing. I thought that Andrew Lin’s (saxophone) first solo […]

Monika Herzig & Friends will feature the music of Chick Corea and more on Thursday, April 28th and on International Jazz Day, Saturday April 30th vocalist Upshaw Briggs will perform with a 5 piece group of excellent local musicians – both will be held in the Lexington Downtown Central Library Farish Theater at no cost to all. Click HERE for more information. Plan now to attend and arrive early so you will be guaranteed a seat – these shows are expected to be SRO! Come celebrate JAM with JAF!!