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 is scheduled for Saturday, September 27, 2008: http://hydeparkjazzfestival.org/
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
James W. Wagner, President Bea Young, Membership Director
Charlie Thomas, Vice-President Dwight Banks, Financial Director
Judith E. Stein, Secretary Anita Cooper, Education 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 CheckerJAZZ website at www.checkerjazz.org, and check out our calendar.
Be there, or be square!