Description
New Orleans jazz is steeped in many home grown traditions, most notably the tradition of established jazz musicians mentoring younger, up-and-coming musicians. Hurricane Katrina significantly affected this tradition, which was heavily neighborhood based and dependent upon a large number of professional, older jazz musicians being available to the budding young jazz artists trying to find their voices. Even before the storm, NOJO realized that fewer and fewer professional jazz musicians were staying in New Orleans and that fewer and fewer young jazz musicians were getting the opportunity to develop their craft alongside seasoned artists. A significant informal grassroot system of youth support and development, which typically involved placing young artists on stage in live performance situations with established jazz players as a means of strengthening craft, presentation, presence, and so much more, this tradition was beginning to disappear.
In remaining true to its musical traditions and heritage-born of and from the people and street life of New Orleans-NOJO created the NOJO Jazz Jam, a mentoring and professional development program for young New Orleans jazz musicians. The program is simple: find budding young artists and give them the opportunity to strengthen their craft before a live audience through guided mentorship and presentation opportunities in real life entertainment venues. Complementary to these activities, NOJO will also assist in developing the young artists' knowledge and skill sets with business component of their art, such as contract negotiations, recording pitfalls, professional band development, and more. With support from Snug Harbor, Harrah's Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Back to Bourbon Street Fund, the Goldring & Woldenberg Family Foundations, Entergy, the City of New Orleans, and the State of Louisiana, NOJO conducts a series of performances in one of New Orleans' most famous jazz clubs, Snug Harbor.
Most Wednesdays (check the calendar below or view the concert schedule page), NOJO's artistic director, Irvin Mayfield, will mentor and work with young jazz artists during two NOJO Jazz Jam evening sets (usually at 8 and 10 pm) before a live audience. Each week, NOJO will invite guest musicians to the NOJO Jazz Jam, including members of NOJO's big band, in an effort to expose the young jazz musicians to the wide array of professional jazz men and women who either live in or visit New Orleans. The aim is to strengthen each young talented musician's craftsmanship beyond the classroom, while also exposing them to the traditions and nuances of performing professionally in a jazz setting, as well as showcase their talents to the jazz world.
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