Jazz Club of Sarasota

The Jazz Club of Sarasota is one of  the most active jazz clubs in the United Sates, with over 80 concerts and lectures each year. Founded in 1980 by the late Hal Davis, the former publicist for Benny Goodman, the club has approximately 650 members and is growing in membership. The club presents the Sarasota Jazz Festival, one of the major US jazz festivals. Founded in 2010, this 17-piece ensemble features some of the area's best musicians, including professionals who have performed with top bands and jazz musicians around the world. The group's repertoire features the big band music of past luminaries like Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and Glen Miller, as well as the work of such modern composers as Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Quincy Jones and Gil Evans. Their distinctive style stems from their performance of standard jazz favorites arranged in new and exciting ways that are meant to preserve and expand this uniquely American musical art form.