Charlotte’s Jazz Arts Initiative (JAI) has been awarded a generous $30,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to support the continuation of the highly acclaimed monthly series – The Jazz Room @ The Stage Door Theater. The additional funding means the series will be moving to Friday nights in July and adding a second show each night. It will continue in The Stage Door Theater, part of Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, at the corner of 5th and College in Uptown Charlotte.

Making a very special appearance for The Jazz Room series on Thursday, June 19, will be Grammy-nominated and internationally renowned jazz trumpeter Christian Scott in a tribute to the music of New Orleans. Scott will play two shows at 6:00PM and 8:00PM. Starting in July the series will move to the third Friday of each month with two shows at 6:00PM and 8:00PM each night. The Jazz Room @ The Stage Door Theater spotlights the Charlotte region’s most gifted musicians recreating the sounds of jazz masters like Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker in a casual, intimate setting with tables and a full bar. Limited tickets are only $10 and can be purchased at www.carolinatix.org, by calling 704-372-1000, or at the door if available. Jazz Room memberships and Season 3 bundle packages are also available.

Now in its third season, upcoming shows include: saxophonist Brian Miller playing the music of Charlie “Bird” Parker on July 25; trumpeter Lynn Grissett playing the music of Lee Morgan on August 22; and pianist Ryan Saranich playing the music of George Gershwin on Sept. 19. The public is encouraged to purchase tickets early as sellouts are anticipated.

“The exceptional musicianship and quality of these shows continue to blow our audiences away,” says Lonnie Davis, president of JAI. “With every show selling out we are thrilled to be adding a second show each night to give more people the opportunity to enjoy these magical evenings of live jazz.”

“This series provides an engaging way for Charlotte to spotlight its talent, for audiences to experience jazz in an intimate setting, and for performers to have that rare center stage opportunity to find new fans,” said Dennis Scholl, Knight Foundation’s vice president for arts.

About Jazz Arts Initiative

Jazz Arts Initiative is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the promotion, education, preservation of jazz and related art forms. This entity is made up of arts patrons, educators, performing jazz artists, business leaders, and volunteers. Their mission focuses on three program development areas: Jazz Education, Performance, and Musician Support. These three elements were established to help nurture a future audience and preserve the tradition of this great American Art Form, Jazz. For more information, visit www.thejazzarts.org and follow Jazz Arts Initiative on Facebook and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thejazzarts.

About Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. They operate under the belief that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more information, visit www.knightfoundation.org.