Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis has described live jazz as “the power of now,” where music is created almost instantaneously through telepathic conversations between the musicians. Due to jazz club closures during the pandemic, audiences have had fewer opportunities to see these melodic conversations. But in the Valley, renewed interest in the genre has created spaces for musicians to connect with audiences where few if any existed before.
Glendale’s Westside Blues and Jazz, which closed its doors in 2023, reopened last year. Ravenscroft, a state-of-the-art facility in North Scottsdale, came on the scene in 2021, while The Nash, the beloved venue on Roosevelt Row that opened in 2012, just completed a $2.5 million renovation.
“Having [jazz drummer and Phoenician] Lewis Nash as our namesake helped us attract top-tier talent,” says Joel Goldenthal, the executive director of The Nash.
It also helps that both Ravenscroft and The Nash operate as nonprofits. Ravenscroft, named after philanthropist, jazz pianist and teacher Bob Ravenscroft, is an extension of his faith-based ministry, Music Serving the Word. The Nash focuses on music education. According to Goldenthal, the demand for their programs for children and adults necessitated last year’s grant-funded expansion, which also included The John Dawson Jazz Education Center, located just steps away from the club.
Ravenscroft also has a teaching outreach component. The club’s director, David Bauer, says that many of the state’s gifted music educators are dedicated to their craft on their own time, setting Phoenix apart from other cities.
“I think that’s one of the reasons you’re seeing such a heavier penetration of jazz in town. It’s pretty exciting to see these people get out and play,” Bauer says. “They want to see jazz succeed in Arizona.”
– Jason Keil
