is the new .com address on the internet for our wonderful friends at the Hyde Park Jazz Society, please check the new link out right now!

Our Mission

Founded by James W. Wagner, the Hyde Park Jazz Society is committed to the encouragement, promotion, and expansion of jazz performance in the greater Hyde Park community and mid-south side, as well as to the education of young jazz musicians and expansion of the jazz listening audience.
The Hyde Park Jazz Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

HPJS 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 successfully sponsored CheckerJAZZ, a Sunday night jazz series at the "New Checkerboard Lounge for Blues and Jazz," and supported performance by high school jazz musicians with a Sunday afternoon school series. In June 2009, the relationship between the Hyde Park Jazz Society and the Checkerboard Lounge ended. The Sunday night jazz series continues to thrive at its new venue, ROOM 43, less than one mile north of its former location. This new venue has won praise from our audience and musicians alike.

Tributes

The Hyde Park Jazz Society and its partner, John Wright Music, began a program of honoring jazz musicians, promoters, and supporters who have made distinguished contributions to jazz in Chicago. These tributes occur periodically throughout the year and are presented at the break between the first and second sets during our Sunday JAZZ series. Follow our calendar for the next scheduled tribute.

About our Founder

It was with great sorrow that the Board of the Hyde Park Jazz Society announced 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 our very successful Sunday evening jazz series and the Hyde Park Jazz Festival. We will miss him, but will never forget him.

Hyde Park Jazz Festival

The Hyde Park Jazz Society has become a proud partner with the University of Chicago and the Hyde Park Alliance for Arts and Culture (HyPa) in presenting the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, the first of which was held on September 29, 2007 and featured 13 hours of free jazz!
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) was another great success on Saturday, September 26, 2009.
The 4th Annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival was Saturday, September 25, 2010 & had record attendance too.

Board of Directors and Committee Heads
James W. Wagner, Founder

Board of Directors
Charlie Thomas, President
Almarie Wagner, Vice-President
Judith E. Stein, Secretary
Robert Hodge, Treasurer
Bea Young, Membership Director
Anita Cooper, Education Director
Dwight Banks, Financial Director
Robert Wiley, Security Director
Carolyn Albritton,
     Music Producer, ex officio
Committee Heads
Hospitality: Duane Barnes and Betty Thomas
Security and Sound: Jimmy Toles
Sound Assistants: David Mickelson and Terry Smith
Executive Life Members
Willie Pickens
John Wright