Dear Friend of JazzBuffalo,
The year 2021 is ending. A year that will be remembered as challenging for all of us in many ways. Yet, a year where we came together to reinvigorate the community with new opportunities and experiences.
With your support and help, as well as, sense of community, JazzBuffalo chartered new areas that enriched our way of living in our great city. Looking back, we were able to:
- Join forces with MusicalFare Theater and produce high-quality live streams that saw nearly 100-200 households enjoy each performance
- Continue in the first half of 2021 as a national source for live stream jazz performance listings
- Become a major co-host for “Live at Emmet’s Place.” The most-viewed and longest-running weekly live stream to come out of the pandemic era featuring the Emmet Cohen Trio
- Expand our partnership with the Terrace at Delaware Park as we brought back JazzBrunch Sundays, hosted “Dinner and Jazz”, and created “Jazz in the Pan Am Room” with a new stage and baby grand piano
- Enjoyed our 5th consecutive year of JazzMondays at Tappo Restaurant Rooftop Patio where we featured My Cousin Toné and saw people celebrate, birthdays, anniversaries, and reunions
- For the third consecutive year, we partnered with Thin Man Brewery/Tappo Pizza to enjoy “Jazz at Chandlerville” with stellar jazz performances during an 8-week schedule
- Continue our partnership with The Mansion on Delaware Avenue where we held Tuesday jazz on the lawn until the rain just wouldn’t cooperate anymore, partnered on the popular Cocktails on the Lawn, and partnered on two fabulous Holiday Jazz Brunches to close the year out
- Begin a superlative partnership with Seneca One with the highly-attended “Jazz on The Plaz Series” that brought hundreds of people downtown and saw the Seneca One Auditorium become a new home for JazzBuffalo highlighted by the appearance of 9-time Grammy Nominee – The Tierney Sutton Band
- Grow JazzBuffalo.org as a digital platform and media sponsor for various events with organizations such as Pappy Martin Legacy Jazz Collective, Burchfield Penney, Northwest Jazz Festival, Kleinhans Music Hall (Art of Jazz), etc.
Despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic, it was an exciting year! A year made only possible by coming together as one as a community. Enriching our way of life in Buffalo. In addition, we are most thankful for all the musicians, technicians, photographers, supporters, donors, volunteers, partners, ticket takers and so many more that helped make many of the above happen.
As we look ahead, we are excited about the big plans for 2022! We will be launching our first-ever “Live at Seneca One Jazz Series,” see the return of “Art of Jazz,” continue the expansion of “Jazz in the Pan Am Room” at the Terrace as well as continue JazzBrunch Sundays, see the return of the Northwest Jazz Festival in Lewiston, NY, and continue to grow the digital platform JazzBuffalo.org. One endeavor we will need help on is to expand our sponsorships to support existing and new initiatives. Including securing a baby grand piano for our “Live at Seneca One Jazz Series.” We will be looking to venues and businesses to become an annual sponsor to help with community-enriching endeavors. We will also be expanding our partnerships to support enriching our community through the music we love – jazz!
One thing we do know is JazzBuffalo is about you – the audience! We cannot accomplish any of the big plans – designed for you – without your support. You can show support by buying tickets to the “Live at Seneca One Jazz Series,” sharing JazzBuffalo links on social media, encouraging others to sign up for the JazzBuffalo “Jazz in Town” newsletter, become a monthly patron of JazzBuffalo through Patreon, encouraging venues/businesses to become a sponsor for JazzBuffalo, and consider an individual donation to support the music you treasure and the community-enriching initiatives you believe in!
Most importantly, continue to take part in the JazzBuffalo Community. You can by participating online, by attending jazz concerts, inviting friends to come along, and supporting initiatives that enrich our community.
We look forward to a healthy and safe 2022 for you all. And I hope you will take the time to make music and JazzBuffalo a part of your life. In ways that will enrich your life and our community. Making Buffalo and the surrounding region one of the best places to be in the country when it comes to music, the arts, culture, and community!
Happy New Year!
Tony Zambito
Executive Director
