HISTORY:
1975 | 1977
| 1979 | 1980
| 1981 | 1982 to present
1975
In the early 1970s jazz notable Monk Montgomery (pioneer of the jazz bass guitar)
saw no jazz in the plentiful entertainment of the Las Vegas Strip's big rooms
and lounges, though the town was full of fine musicians who wanted to play it.
So Monk energetically pushed to form the Las Vegas Jazz Society; he convinced
an array of musicians and fans to form the Society and had it incorporated as
a non-profit organization April 22, 1975. Key Las Vegans got behind Monk's dream.
By August 22, 1977, a stellar support team of LVJS musicians titled the Jazz
Ambassadors at Large assembled for media coverage in a suite at Caesars Palace:
(photo, from left) Joe Williams, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Marlena Shaw, James
Moody, Monk Montgomery and (not pictured) B.B. King and trombonist Carl Fontana.
In January, 1976, a 10-member board of directors formed: Monk, Jay Cameron,
Frank Gagliardi, Ken Joy, John Lindner, Sari Phillips, Tom Severns, Dan Skea,
Judy Tarte and John Unrue.
The board took some work off Monk, the one-man campaign, holding meetings at
his home (which sometimes turned into jam sessions). From the beginning LVJS
presented concerts with jazz greats which also showcased Las Vegas' jazz talent
pool. The founders picked representatives of the Strip hotel bands in 1975 and
a Correlating Committee decided who would play in Society concerts.
The Freddie Hubbard Quintet headlined the first Las Vegas Jazz Society concert
on August 31, 1975, with Junior Cook, tenor; George Cables, piano; Henry Franklin,
bass; and Carl Burnett, drums. The late, great Joe Williams opened the show,
backed by the Dan Skea quintet: John Phillips, tenor; Dick Wright, trumpet;
Skea, piano; Bob Badgley, bass; and Don Williams, drums. At Judy Bayley Theater
at UNLV, a full house saw Joe open the show having just flown in with no rehearsal.
A Block Party on D Street kept the momentum going with several groups, including
the Bob Pierson Big Band, November 1.
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Vegas Jazz
PO Box 60396, Las Vegas, NV 89160
Message Line: 702.313.6778