Jazz in January Inc dba Tucson Jazz Festival

Our mission is to influence the discovery and celebration of live jazz performance and music education through community engagement anchored by a world-class jazz festival in downtown Tucson.

The Tucson Jazz Festival (TJF) attracts jazz fans from coast to coast with world-class jazz at historic performance venues coupled with Tucson's amazing weather, scenery, and community. January 17th - 25th, 2025 will mark the 11th year of this ever-emerging and expanding destination event. This year's Artist in Residence is yet to be determined, however past years' AiR include the esteemed Ken Peplowski, Elliot Mason and Kendrick Scott just to name a few.

Accomplishments from the past festivals not only included concerts by Samara Joy, Jon Batiste, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terrence Blanchard, Bruce Hornsby, and a myriad of other amazingly talented and accomplished musicians. TJF always includes our Free Downtown Jazz Fiesta on the MLK Day holiday Monday. With multiple stages in multiple venues, several thousand attendees and a full day of jazz supporting our great local artists, it truly was a remarkable experience for all involved with our Tucson Community.

Our education initiatives have always been a cornerstone to the Tucson Jazz Festival. From our first festival in 2014, we created opportunities for local students to engage in clinics, masterclasses, and performance opportunities with our superb artists. Inspiring students with realities that they never knew existed before has made a difference in so many lives. Moving forward, we will expand our educational outreach to include a wide array of local students of all ages within our community before, during, and after the festival dates. From first-hand interactions with artists, to performances designed specifically for younger students, to specially priced tickets for students, to arts integration curriculum, our goals for education within our community are far-reaching. Through all these efforts, we will communicate the essence and cultural significance of jazz. And of course, cultivating a new audience of active listeners is a wonderful by-product of opening minds through music.

Testimonials

"The annual guest artists that the Tucson Jazz Festival brings in to the University of Arizona through their Education Program is one of the highlights of my year. Without fail, these musicians elevate the level of our ensembles through their impressive musicianship and this year was no different. Ken Peplowski was engaging, motivating, virtuosic, and hilarious. The students and I absolutely loved him. We are all extremely grateful for the opportunities that the festival brings to the local Tucson community." Angelo Versace - Director of Jazz Studies, University of Arizona

"I sincerely appreciate that the Tucson Jazz Festival was able to bring Kendrick Scott to Tucson and to enable him to provide instruction to aspiring musicians. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to work with him and to learn about his journey to becoming a musician. Performing with him pushed me to another level as a musician and forced me to extend my abilities. He is an inspiration that will not soon be forgotten." Kevin Ravellette UA Fred Fox Jazz Ensemble

"Truly, I enjoyed seeing a few of my most reserved and shy students clapping along. Even watching one of them up and dancing. One of my students is very introverted, and upon leaving and during our bus ride home, not only was another student sitting with them and talking about the show, but they were talking with other students on the bus. In class, they now are expressing more than I have seen all year." Anonymous Local School Instructor