Thomas Woytko (trombone), Kyle Gill (guitar), Andy Peterson (saxophone), Marlena Boedigheimer (saxophone), Calvin Caron (bass), Jacob Burkhart (trumpet), Sten Duginski (drums).

April has come to a close and with it, Duluth’s Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) Concert Series. Since its founding by Smithsonian National Museum of American History curator John Edward Hasse in 2001, JAM has been an occasion for musicians across the world to get funky and loose.

This year, the Twin Ports was fortunate enough to receive its own taste of JAM. Organized by Duluth-based trombonist Thomas Woytko, the JAM Concert Series hosted regular jazz shows at different venues around the Twin Ports for the month of April. Each week, two unique concerts occurred.

Firstly, a small jazz ensemble played a 50-minute set followed by an all-inclusive jam session where any musicians from the audience were welcome to participate. Secondly, a larger, concert-style event occurred comprised of three acts: a local high school band followed by a collegiate band or jazz combo and concluding with a local professional big band.

With the help of funding from the Arrowhead Regional Arts fund and local businesses including Primo Moving Company, Fitger’s, and Duluth Fine Pianos, JAM brought all forms of jazz enthusiasts together, including students, teachers, musicians, and fans.            

“The main goal of the series was to get students involved, and to inspire students to do more of this music,” said Woytko. “The biggest reason why I play music is because of live performances. Being in the audience and watching incredible musicians play has inspired me. It’s always been, in my mind, that I want to do that for someone else.”            

Hence, it is clear why JAM’s student nights, where younger jazz musicians are encouraged to experiment and have fun with the music, are such a priority for the organizers. With performances from school groups including the CSS Jazz Band, UMD Jazz I, and Denfeld and Esko High Schools, JAM is truly for the students. These up-and-coming jazz musicians have the chance to collaborate from and learn with local jazz groups including the Analise Levesque Trio, the Andy Peterson Quarter and the Christian Moreno-Cova Collective. Since jazz music relies heavily upon spontaneity and experimentation, the JAM concerts are an ideal environment for the development of musical skills.            

“When you get to the essence of what jazz music is, it is an improvised music,” said University of Minnesota-Duluth Jazz Studies Director Ryan Frane. “Just like a conversation is improvised, […] the music happens in the moment. These students get out and they have that ‘conversation’ with other people.”            

In terms of turn-out, some of the month’s biggest nights have been the larger concerts. For example, April 15th’s concert at the Duluth cider taproom brought together jazz students, professionals, and enthusiasts for a show in which the Esko High School Jazz Band was fortunate to play right along with other bands like Post-Haste and the CMC Collective.            

“It was really sweet to see all the parents supporting their children, and also all the kids there. There was just a lot of really good feedback from the community,” said Woytko. “That’s what made it worth it.”            

The JAM series wrapped up with International Jazz Day on April 30th. Since 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated this date as International Jazz Day to celebrate the influence of this music across the globe. Fortunately, the end of this year’s JAM Concert Series is hopefully not the last that Duluthians can expect to see of the series. It is certainly not the last time Duluthians will hear about many of the performing bands, who are quite active any time of the year.            

“What you’re seeing with what Thomas is doing for this JAM series is just one of the many really great students that come through the program and the kinds of things that they do when they leave,” said Frane. “Currently there is a group of students who have been graduating last year and throughout the year who are playing around the Twin Ports are and beyond all the time.”