MISSION

Recognizing the place of Hyde Park in the history of jazz in Chicago, the Hyde Park Jazz Society is committed to the encouragement, promotion, and expansion of jazz performance in the Hyde Park community as well as to the education and expansion of the jazz listening audience. 

 

 HISTORY

In 1995, James W. Wagner formed the Committee to Restore Jazz to Hyde Park with the goal of returning Hyde Park to its glory days as a mecca for jazz musicians and fans. The committee enlisted the support of the past two presidents of the University of Chicago, Hugo Sonnenschein and Don Michael Randel, which resulted in the relocation of the Checkerboard Lounge to Harper Court in Hyde Park. The Committee to Restore Jazz to Hyde Park reconstituted itself as the Hyde Park Jazz Society in 2006 and is now successfully sponsoring CheckerJAZZ, a Sunday night jazz series at the "New Checkerboard Lounge for Blues and Jazz," and supporting performance by high school jazz musicians with a Sunday afternoon school series.   

 

HYDE PARK JAZZ FESTIVAL

The Hyde Park Jazz Society has become a proud partner with the University of Chicago and the Hyde Park Cultural Alliance in sponsoring the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, the first of which was held on September 29, 2007.

 

The 2nd Annual Hyde Park  Jazz Festival (14 hours of free jazz) took place on Saturday, September 27, 2008.  

 

The 3rd Annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival (15 hours of free jazz) is scheduled to occur on Saturday, September 26, 2009: http://hydeparkjazzfestival.org/

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

It is with great sorrow that the Board of the Hyde Park Jazz Society announces the passing of its founder, James W. Wagner, on Saturday, 10 January 2009. Through his relentless efforts and commitment, he fulfilled his dream of bringing jazz back to Hyde Park. We are grateful he lived long enough to see his dream come to fruition through CheckerJAZZ and the Hyde Park Jazz Festival. We will miss him, but will never forget him.

                                        

                                        BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

        James W. Wagner, Founder                                            

Charlie Thomas, President                                                Bea Young, Membership Director

Almarie Wagner, Vice-President                                   Anita Cooper, Education Director

Judith E. Stein, Secretary                                                    Dwight Banks, Financial Director 

Robert Hodge, Treasurer                                                     Robert Wiley, Director                                                      Carolyn Albritton, Music Producer, ex officio                                                                                                     

 

                                                                     COMMITTEE HEADS

Hospitality:  Duane Barnes, Ouida Chu, Betty Thomas

Security:     Jimmy Toles

Finance:      James Washington  

 

Please visit our Calendar http://www.hydeparkjazzsociety.org/hpjscalendar

Be there, or be square!