Purpose

The Jazz Foundation of West Tennessee, non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, was formed to provide for the study, research, promotion and preservation of jazz and blues music culture unique to Jackson and west Tennessee. The Foundation is committed to the development of the jazz and blues tradition in west Tennessee, and increased public awareness of the existence and value of that tradition.

Why establish the Jazz Foundation of West Tennessee? The answer is why subsidize the symphony, the ballet, the theatre guild. Jazz is America's classical music; it is recognized around the world as the fine-arts music of this country. As such, it deserves a prominent place in the hierarchy of the arts that compose the cultural ambiance of great cities like Jackson.