The African American Jazz Caucus, Inc. is a volunteer organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and perpetuating the rich cultural heritage and legacy of jazz, which is one of our indigenous musical art forms, accentuating its Roots from Mother Africa has evolved and developed Global Fruits. Each AAJC initiative presented here at the JEN Conference is dedicated to this mission; preserving the legacy of jazz, protecting and promoting the future of jazz in the present, and preparing for the future of jazz.
With these programs and events, our goal is to celebrate the cultural heritage and historic contributions to the development and perpetuation of jazz music from the people of the African diaspora
BRIEF HISTORY (for a complete history, visit our website)
The Black Jazz Music Caucus (BJMC) of the National Association of Jazz Educators (NAJE) was founded in 1977 primarily by Larry Ridley and Anderson White at the NAJE Conference in Daytona Beach, Florida. The primary purpose of forming the Caucus was to increase the representation of African American jazz artists and educators within the larger body of the Jazz Educators Association, which originated as a spinoff of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC). Both organizations have since expanded their concepts, outreach, and parameters. As a result, they each renamed themselves the African American Jazz Caucus (AAJC). The aim of the Caucus was also to support African American jazz artists and educators at elementary, secondary, and higher educational institutions. Since the Caucus's inception, it has produced clinics, workshops, and performances annually at the NAJE/IAJE and JEN Conferences. These activities have featured highly acclaimed African American jazz artists, including the Harlem Renaissance Jazz Orchestra, Barry Harris, Stanley Turrentine, Hank Marr, Everett Greene, Cedar Walton, Ron Carter, Phil Ranelin, Billy Higgins, Stephen Foster and Friends, and many others.
AAJC, Inc. became a 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt organization in 2001. The activities of the Caucus from the late 1970s to the present continue to impact jazz education profoundly. They help to ensure that all Jazz educators recognize and acknowledge accurately the African American progenitors and their contributions made to the Jazz art form, i.e., its African, African American historical cultural, spiritual aesthetic and musical roots, stylistic individuality, diversity, improvisation, theory, composition and arranging concepts.