The Rio Grande Jazz Society

About the Society . . .

The Rio Grande Jazz Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation and promulgation of traditional jazz, Dixieland, and swing. It came into being in the late 1980s, moving through several meeting venues before settling in at the Edelweiss German-American Club, where it meets on the third Sunday of most months.

At the monthly meetings, there's usually a featured band at 1:30, followed by four or five jam sessions. The jam sessions are unrehearsed, and can be quite interesting. Much depends on how many musicians show up on a given Sunday, what instruments they bring, and what tunes they can all agree upon.

Lots of folks who aren't musicians come to the monthly meetings because they just like to listen, dance, and have a sociable libation with friends.

The Society also sponsors informal jams every second and fourth Monday, 5-7 PM at the GAC. Musicians bring their fake books, and we have a lot of fun playing familiar tunes and developing new material to play at the monthly meetings. These sessions are open to all aspiring jammers. For more information, please contact the organizer.

To encourage the continuation of jazz, the Society also gives awards to aspiring young musicians.