With the forthcoming Savannah Jazz History and Hall of Fame Exhibit, set to open in September of 2020 in the Savannah History Museum, the Coastal Jazz Association’s role as the stewards of Savannah’s jazz legacy is expanding, and Coastal Jazz Association will now be known as Savannah Jazz.  The new name trumpets the importance of the City’s past and continuing contributions to America’s art form of jazz music.  The exhibit will fully tell the story of Savannah’s rich jazz history, which is as old as that of New Orleans’.

With support of the City of Savannah, Savannah Jazz will continue to be internationally known for producing the Savannah Jazz Festival going on 38 years, bringing acclaimed jazz performances to its highly diverse audiences. Many of these fine performers are in the Savannah Jazz Hall of Fame, which will continue to be overseen by Savannah Jazz. 

“We have been the guiding force for jazz in Savannah since its near-death in the 1960s.  When I returned from Asia in 1979, there were jazz musicians, but no place for us to play, so a few us, including Ben Tucker, Randall Reese, Tom Glaser, and Ken Palmer got together to do something about this and started the Telfair Jazz Society.  This went on to become Coastal Jazz Association in 1981,” explains Teddy Adams.

The Coastal Jazz Association and the Savannah Jazz Festival websites are now merged into the new site at www.savannahjazz.org and the old website addresses will drive to the new site.

“With the growing size of our Annual Savannah Jazz Festival, and the forthcoming exhibit on Savannah’s jazz history it is time for our name to fully recognize Savannah’s important contributions to jazz,” said Howard Paul, Board President of Savannah Jazz.