Addressing the theme Keeping Jazz Alive in his keynote speech at the annual meeting of the American Federation of Jazz Societies in Costa Mesa, Past President Lew Shaw said that jazz societies need to adapt to changing times to remain a viable entity. He advocated that AFJS enlarge its niche by providing added value to its members and focusing on those services that are crucial to success and survival.

A former association executive, Shaw incorporated comments by a dozen society and festival directors, musicians and fans on the current state and future of Jazz in his remarks. "The way in which most non-profit organizations operate has changed in recent years," he stated. "Today they tend to be more businesslike; more is expected from the volunteer leadership in the way of commitment and accountability; and membership wants to have a sense of ownership and involvement in fulfilling the organization's mission.

"Jazz appeals to a limited audience representing a very small percentage of the American population. We have to find different ways to promote Jazz because we're not dealing with large numbers. In fact, the numbers are shrinking."

To balance this gloomy reality, he quoted Family Circus cartoonist and long-time jazz fan Bil Keane who observed, "While nothing lasts forever, it's not as bleak as some people make it out to be. Every generation will have interest in music, and there is always something new. Trends are a big thing and we need to broaden our outlook."

Among others, Shaw quoted April DeShields who pointed out that Dixieland Monterey approaches their Festival as a business and tries to appeal to varied audiences, not just one style. "The badge-buying public today is more choosey about what they can afford to attend and are looking for lineups that provide outstanding entertainment and more 'bang for the buck.' Each genre does not account for enough sales to support a festival completely with just one style without a substantial increase in admission prices."

From bandleader Bill Allred: We're bucking the mainstream, and it's up to jazz societies to get the message out. We must work to get more music in the schools and to make festivals more accessible to the younger crowd. Plus, Congress must not cut back on or eliminate support of the Arts."

Shaw urged the Federation to become the primary resource where jazz organizations of all types can turn when seeking information, guidance and new ideas to stay relevant, particularly in the areas of effective operation and music education.

Participating in the Conference coordinated by AFJS President Jim Jones was jazz historian Dr. Karl Koenig who gave examples of storytelling about songs' histories that can enliven club events.

Also speaking, Ken Poston, executive director of the Los Angeles Jazz Institute, noted that "Connecting with today's young audience is totally different than the way in which we reached audiences in the past." He lamented that the thousands of youngsters who were in high school jazz ensembles in the past has not translated into comparable audiences today.

Barry Anthony discussed what is unique about jazz clubs and outlined what was done to revive the L.A. Jazz Forum, of which he is president. "Determine what is the value of your organization," he advised. "Create a party atmosphere, pick the right music director, and tell stories about the music. Jazz is a fairly demanding art form but if you work at it, I believe there is an untold audience for Traditional Jazz. Just don't expect huge numbers."

"Training Young Jazz Players" panel discussion (click for full-size image)	AFJS President Jim Jones

A panel composed of Cathy and Dave Tatrow of Wally's Warehouse Waifs Jazz Band, Josh Duffee of the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society and Barry Anthony (left to right in photo above) discussed "Training Young Jazz Players," giving many innovative insights and personal experiences.

The Tatrows have conducted a successful in-school program with their band. Drawing on personal experience, Duffee said, "Too many jazz educators think Jazz started with Dizzy Gillespie. That's like learning the alphabet from K through Z". Anthony injected, "Kids today don't know about melody and improvisation. We need to teach them how to listen to Jazz. It's not what is being played; it's how it is being played."

The two-day Conference concluded with a lengthy interview of legendary arranger Frank Comstock who spun tales of his 59 years as Les Brown's orchestrator, his early days of discovering his "what if" method of arranging and his experiences with many famous musicians and fellow arrangers.