That's a wrap!

Memoirs of the Griot and their Influences on Jazz: Past, Present,  Future. Meet Professor Roxanne Stevenson, who received the 2022 Donald Meade Legacy Award. Dr. Stevenson is Director of Bands, Music Education, and Gospel Music Coordinator at Chicago State University. She has served for 29 years after nine years as band/choral director and classroom/music teacher grades K-12. Stevenson is the HBCU-NBDC Jazz Coordinator, IAC panelist, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camps director. Stevenson started the CSU Community Concert and Jazz Bands, Gospel Ensemble, and Marching Band. The Jazz Band presented at IMEA, Midwest, National Association for Negro Musicians Centennial, JEN, and was nominated for the AAAAC’s Black Excellence, and much more. 

This year the HBCU Spotlight Ensemble selected  North Carolina Central University Jazz  Ensemble. NCCU has earned a reputation as one of the premier university programs and is directed by Brian Horton, assistant professor of Jazz Studies. They will be joined by guest soloist and one of the finest pianists of his generation Joey Calderazzo, currently serving as Artist in Residence with Branford Marsalis in the Jazz Studies Program. 

The African American Jazz Caucus aims to promote the rich musical culture legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) & Predominately Black Institutions (PBI).

Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions, the Ensemble could not join us in Dallas this year. We thank them for their continued support of AAJC and look forward to seeing them again soon. Check out NCCU in the January issue of DownBeat Magazine.

The African American Jazz Caucus aims to connect developing music professionals and students with established working professionals who specialize in performance, composition, scholarship/publication, education, music business, and arts administration. 

Established in 2016 initially as the AAJC/JEN One-to-One Outreach program, the AAJC/JEN Outreach program has developed into an annual networking session held each year at the Annual JEN conference in January. During the JEN conference, AAJC members personally invite students of African descent and/or students that attend a Historically Black College and University or Predominately Black Institution to join the meetup session. 

Executive Director Dr. Triniece Robinson- Martin hosted our annual in-person meeting.  

Everyone is welcome.

View this year's meeting on our Facebook page. 

 BOOTH T1. Join AAJC members, volunteers, and Executive Officers, and as well as VIP guests. View a  demonstration of the soon-to-be-released database available to AAJC members of Jazz educators and mentors.