The Nash (Jazz in Arizona)

The Nash celebrates the rich tradition and ongoing innovation of jazz by presenting quality live performances, providing unique educational programs, and building a vibrant jazz community in the greater Phoenix area and beyond.

Strategically located in the burgeoning Roosevelt Row Arts District of downtown Phoenix, The Nash was opened in 2012 by Jazz in Arizona (a nonprofit organization founded in 1977) to provide a special place for young musicians to learn about and play jazz, and to build a vibrant diverse jazz community.
The Nash is named in honor of Phoenix Native Son Lewis Nash, who is universally respected as a musician, educator and role model. The Encyclopedia of Jazz calls Lewis Nash "the most talented drummer of his generation;" and Modern Drummer Magazine regards Lewis Nash as "The Most Valuable Player in Jazz."
The first note ever played in The Nash emanated from the trumpet of Wynton Marsalis (Lincoln Center Jazz Artistic Director, Pulitzer Prize winner, NEA Jazz Master, world ambassador for jazz), who drove pro bono from New York City to open the venue. Since that auspicious beginning, The Nash has grown to present well over 300 educational programs, jam sessions and jazz performances annually - featuring student musicians, top local and regional musicians, world-renowned jazz artists and jazz royalty.
What The Nash has accomplished is unprecedented: it has assembled the jazz assets of the Valley into a vibrant jazz community populated by student musicians, local pros, educators, devoted volunteers, and widely diverse audiences numbering 30,000 annually who share a passion for jazz: America's original art form.
In addition to receiving local awards such as The New Times Best of Phoenix, The Nash has been named to Downbeat Magazine's prestigious "List of Great Jazz Venues in the World" for the last five years. And Phoenix has been designated as one of four Jazz Hubs in America under a grant from The Doris Duke Foundation, because of The Nash's extraordinary success in promoting jazz community.
What's more, The Nash impacts thousands of elementary through high school-age youth with educational outreach programs presented in schools, music and art museums, and youth centers; multi-generational jam sessions every Sunday where young musicians play with veteran musicians before a live audience; a robust summer Jazz program with more than a dozen specialty areas of study; two Nash Legacy Ensembles for top high school student musicians; collaborative youth programs with Phoenix Center for the Arts City Jazz and the Phoenix Conservatory of Music; and even a Hot Dogs & Jazz program that introduces elementary school-age children to jazz, and a Jazz/Hip-Hop camp that inspires underserved youth to blossom creatively.
To sustain the wealth of programs offered by The Nash and to secure its future, the organization is committed to resource development (board, volunteers and funding) and to securing an affordable permanent home for The Nash that can accommodate the growing demand for its unique education programs.

Testimonials

"I always wanted to play the trumpet and started to play in 5th grade school band. When I moved and changed to a school without a band, I had no place to play. If The Nash hadn't been there, I don't know if I would have been able to keep playing trumpet and get better. I love to play jazz…and I love The Nash."
~Joaquin, trumpet

"I've been playing jazz on the alto sax since sixth grade and playing regularly in jam sessions at The Nash since it opened. I get to play with older musicians who inspire me and I've heard famous musicians who I idolize. The Nash is a friendly, open, welcoming place that enables me not only to improve myself musically, but to make connections with my peers and other teachers. The Nash is a blessing."
~Alex, alto sax

"I'm so grateful for The Nash and what it has done for me. At The Nash, I went from sitting in and being nervous at jam sessions to having a lesson with an amazing teacher who helped me find my own voice, to headlining in my own Catch a Rising Star show, to meeting supportive people who have encouraged my pursuit of a full-time career in jazz. Jazz is an art form worth celebrating for generations to come; and, that's what happens at The Nash!"
~Holly, vocals