Episode 2-Stephanie Matthews & A Tribe for Jazz: The Image of Jazz

Strictly Jazz Sounds

The jazz scene in Columbus, Ohio is an eclectic one. Like many big cities Columbus has a 24-hour jazz radio station that plays mostly smooth and R&B-tinged jazz peppered with some classic jazz from the 50s, 60s and 70s; it has establishments that host jazz groups and at least two bona fide jazz clubs. Then, there are two nonprofit organizations: Jazz Arts Group or JAG and A Tribe for Jazz, the newest in town. A Tribe for Jazz is the topic of this episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds.

Stephanie Matthews is the executive director for A Tribe for Jazz. Under her leadership and passion, A Tribe for Jazz keep all eyes on jazz’s delicate legacy. Stephanie says it’s all about the image, identifying and sharing the stories that matter through video recordings or live shows reaching for a diverse audience that includes young people as well as Columbus’s rich racial and ethnic diversity.

To preserve the legacy of jazz and to advance the future of jazz, Stephanie Matthews says that adding to the image of individual musicians advances not only the individual artist but the artform as well. Stephanie Matthews believes that their image can benefit from a boost and draw more attention to their work and possibly improve fan base and sales and subsequently maybe jazz as a genre will also benefit.

A Tribe for Jazz does something else that’s spectacular. Jazz education in the Columbus elementary and middle schools has also been a focus. By using the music from saxophonist Jon Irabagon, “Legacy: Jon Irabagon, A Solo Tenor Odyssey”, in a project in Columbus elementary and middle schools produced by Stephanie Matthews, A Tribe for Jazz was nominated for a major Columbus community award for their program that engaged young people with jazz to tell their own stories through visual media. The results were awe-inspiring tales that revealed so much about these students and their struggles during the pandemic.