But there is another equally cogent reason for supporting serious jazz and blues music. Jazz and blues are an integral part of that pre-eminently marketable and very varied Jackson music spectrum. Whether it’s Sonny Boy Williamson I, Christine Chatman, Big Maybelle, Gil Scott-Heron, Curtis Amy or Joe Hunter, it’s all the Jackson Sound.

So, if I have convinced you to think a little about jazz, and perhaps to listen to some, or more, of America's national treasure, a world-recognized art form, you don't have to go to New York to hear the best. The Jazz Foundation of West Tennessee is here. And we are planning quarterly concerts featuring the best in local, regional and national talent with the ultimate goal of hosting a national jazz festival in the city of Jackson.

But to continue to fulfill its mission of bringing true jazz and blues to Jackson, as well as presenting local artists and producing educational seminars for listeners, it must, like similar programs in other cities, have funding.

Membership in the Jazz Foundation of West Tennessee is a way for both individuals and corporations to help this American treasure to prosper in Jackson.

James E Cherry

Founder and President

The Jazz Foundation of West Tennessee