HISTORY:
1975 | 1977 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 to present

1981 Continued

The Society chartered a bus and arranged a weekend trip to the 1981 Playboy Jazz Festival in Hollywood Bowl, June 20 and 21, for $125 a person for LVJS members, including refreshments on the bus, reservations at the Montecito Hotel, two late-night jams, reserved concert seating and box lunches both days.

June 28, 1981, Monk's baby, the Western Regional Federation for Jazz, gathered together 40 representatives of 19 jazz organizations from nine states at the Tropicana Hotel to discuss goals and strategies. Discussion centered on fundraising sources and the award of a $7,500 NEA grant to the Federation was announced. The conference concluded with a late-night jam with Carl Burnett, Larry Ridley and local artists. Later, in October, the Federation met again to develop a plan for jazz tours in the Western Region.

The Jimmy Smith (left) Quartet, the Jim Trimble Jazz Orchestra and comic Peter Anthony drew an enthusiastic crowd to an LVJS concert co-sponsored with the Family Counseling Service at the Dunes Hotel, July 19.

The Society hooked another hotel in its quest to put jazz on the Strip when the Frontier hosted a late night double bill of Mongo Santamaria (left) and his Latin Band with Ernestine Anderson and the Donald Bailey Trio, Aug. 14. In August Monk also welcomed new LVJS board members Moe Mahoney (drummer and Drum Shop owner), musician and jazz advocate Chico Alvarez, and reedman Ernie Hensley.

LVJS postponed its September 6 (Labor Day weekend) Les McCann/Eddie Harris reunion concert to make way for the Buddy Rich Big Band scheduled on the same day at the Hacienda by independent promoter John Disney (an LVJS member).

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Vegas Jazz
PO Box 60396, Las Vegas, NV 89160
Message Line: 702.313.6778