WHAT IT JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH? Jazz Appreciation Month, set in April every year, is intended to draw public attention to the glories of jazz as both an historical and a living treasure. The idea is to encourage musicians, concert halls, schools, colleges, museums, libraries, jazz presenters and public broadcasters to offer special programs on jazz every April. In August 2003, at the behest of th
e Smithsonian, the U.S. Congress passed legislation which was signed by the President: Public Law 108-72, declaring:
“(1) the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History should be commended for establishing a Jazz Appreciation Month; and
(2) musicians, schools, colleges, libraries, concert halls, museums, radio and television stations, and other organizations should develop programs to explore, perpetuate, and honor jazz as a national and world treasure.”
The purpose of Jazz Appreciation Month is to draw greater public attention to the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz and its importance as an American cultural heritage. In addition, JAM is intended to stimulate the current jazz scene and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz—to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and support institutional jazz programs. Organizations and communities all over the country are encouraged to participate in their own way. In honor of this important national initiative, a number of jazz presenters, jazz educators and jazz supporters in Dallas came together in 2012 to create D’JAM, or Dallas Jazz Appreciation Month. Each April, the volunteer collective coordinates a series of events to highlight and showcase jazz in the greater Dallas community. This collective includes nonprofit arts groups, universities, festivals, Booker T. Washington High School, cultural centers, and jazz clubs.
