Conclusion of a two-part look at Jazz Outreach Initiative and its impact on the city’s music scene…
“Jazz Outreach Initiative is proud to be awarded the Platinum Shield rating for the fourth consecutive year! This achievement is obtained by fewer than 0.70% of all nonprofits in the US and is a testament to the quality of the work we do, the ethics we adhere to, and the strength of our Board of Directors.” – 3/29/24
It’s a movement. It’s a mission. It’s magical music and much, much more! The Jazz Outreach Initiative (aka JOI) is doing it all with a wonderful degree of success. There are plenty of exciting performances, programs, and events on the horizon, and we’re here to give you a few highlights. If you missed part one of our series, you can catch up by heading here.
In many ways, the impact of JOI is personified in the smile of Executive Director Donny Thompson. Thompson described a team effort extending far beyond its board members, instructors, musicians, and volunteers. The starting point is with his two co-founders, as Donny told VEGAS 411:
Kenny Rampton (Vegas native and member of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra) and Gary Cordell (a venerable who’s-who among local first-call musicians, educators, and arrangers) see jazz as a way of connecting people regardless of their differences. Their mission is to spread “JOI” throughout the community as they “connect the language of music to the language of life through education, outreach, and performances.”
Kenny is JOI’s Artistic Director and Gary, as Vice President of Education & Programming, leads an astonishing dozen world-class programs reaching every age and demographic. Before he joined the organization, Board President Curt Miller said, “From the outside, this looks like a massive organization. But then you realize it’s not the number of people involved, it’s the amount of passion and unique talents each brings to the effort which makes this nonprofit’s success so meteoric in just its short seven years.”
Just as JOI was about to hit its stride, the COVID shutdown occurred. Thompson used the “downtime” to acquire a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Administration from Louisiana State University. This proved invaluable when JOI programs like the LV Youth Jazz Orchestra needed to be reborn in the digital realm during the pandemic.
While moving their education and programming teams online, JOI helped local band directors navigate those same technical challenges. The group created a new infrastructure, developed a Board of Directors, wrote bylaws and policy guides, and prepared to exit the pandemic at full speed. JOI even produced online concerts via their YouTube channel. While other nonprofits struggled, theirs flourished.
The JOI organization continues to grow, meeting and greatly expanding upon its original mission. Well-known musicians like Wynton Marsalis, Jonathan Karrant, Clint Holmes, and Dave Loeb offer their talents, expertise, and time, helping JOI to prosper in ways that might have seemed impossible at its inception.
Educational programs like Summer Jazz Camp and community outreach efforts such as Buzzin’ In Brass and Essentially Ellington ensure that jazz music will always be enjoyed, taught, experienced, and shared. A new “The Joi of Jazz” podcast and radio show was launched on June 16th and will run on the third Sunday of every month. You can peruse the extensive list of current and upcoming programs by clicking here.
Experiencing the magic of JOI is as easy as attending JOI-FUL JAZZ WEDNESDAYS at Fremont Street’s NOTORIETY Live. These bi-weekly concerts attract fans from all walks of life and every age group. Along with a lengthy list of guest vocalists, JOI can now boast the recent participation of world-class drummer Tommy Igoe.
A relatively new addition to the Las Vegas community, Igoe is known around the globe for The Birdland Big Band, his work on Broadway’s THE LION KING, and four top-selling books. He took front and center at a July NOTORIETY performance, sharing his distinctive charts and arrangements with the band…and a very enthusiastic audience.
Tommy Igoe at NOTORIETY 7/17/24
Leaning into autumn, there are several events on the JOI Calendar. In addition to twice-monthly performances by the JOI Jazz Orchestra, auditions are scheduled for the ongoing Youth Jazz Orchestra. Thompson tells us that there’s even more ahead:
“…continued programs seeding jazz in the community’s youth through its Smith Center-sponsored Buzzin’ in Brass Title 1 elementary school programs, and a November two-day Jazz for Young People concert. This one will be at The Smith Center and is licensed by Jazz at Lincoln Center. Clark County School District kids from across the city will be bussed to the show.”
The JOI Jazz Orchestra returns to Smith Center’s Myron’s Cabaret on October 9th for their biggest production of the season:
Jazz Outreach Initiative’s JOI Jazz Orchestra is honored to welcome Joe Williams Every Day Foundation Trustees, vocalists Michelle Johnson and Naomi Mauro, and special surprise guest artists to celebrate Las Vegas’s own “Number One Son” with original music curated from the Joe Williams Library. Exhilarating arrangements will have Myron’s at The Smith Center swinging!
Michelle Johnson with JOI Jazz Orchestra 8/17/23
Joe Williams garnered 7 Grammy® nominations, 1 win for Best Vocal Jazz Performance, and a 1992 induction to the Grammy® Hall of Fame. He lived and performed regularly in Las Vegas, supporting jazz through its younger generations.
After his 1999 passing, wife Jillean founded The Joe Williams Every Day Foundation, which cements his legacy by offering grants and scholarships to jazz institutions centered around youth jazz education…including UNLV and Jazz Outreach Initiative.
Tickets for THE MUSIC OF JOE WILLIAMS range from $29 to $49 and can be ordered here. Showtime is 7 pm on October 9th. All ages are welcome.
The JOI JAZZ ORCHESTRA performs every first and third Wednesday at NOTORIETY Live. Tickets are $25 and proceeds benefit Jazz Outreach Initiative and its programs. Reserve your admission by clicking here. To learn more about the foundation and how you can become involved, visit their official website here.
