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The driving beat in jazz performances, education and outreach.

Upcoming Events

Featured
Santa’s Swinging Christmas Party
Dec 7
Santa’s Swinging Christmas Party

Santa's Swingin' Christmas Party! 🎄🎶

Join us for a magical holiday adventure with live jazz and puppetry! 💫✨ Tinkle the Elf and Lumpy the Patchwork stuffed animal are on a mission to find their place in the world.

LIVE IN THE LOBBY: EVE of the Eve
Dec 23
LIVE IN THE LOBBY: EVE of the Eve

Celebrated trumpeter and bandleader Mark Rapp leads his group through fun and inspiring jazz arrangements of holiday classics. It’s the best way to cap off the holiday season and get ready for ol’ Saint Nick!

Loft Session: Music of Fats Waller
Jan 13
Loft Session: Music of Fats Waller

Celebrate the legacy of the amazing Harlem stride pianist, Thomas "Fats" Waller in this special Loft Session presented in partnership with Trustus Theatre!

BEGINNER ADULT JAZZ COMBO
Feb 3
BEGINNER ADULT JAZZ COMBO

Our beginner adult jazz combo class is designed to introduce you to jazz performance in a supportive, engaging environment. Led by accomplished jazz artists who make their living on the stage, you'll gain invaluable insights and hands-on experience in this uniquely American art form.

Outreach

ColaJazz Outreach offers tailored Jazz Appreciation concerts and engaging masterclasses to dynamic virtual workshops and personalized teacher support. Since 2019, we’ve enriched the lives of over 10,000 students through school visits and Jazz for Kids concerts in performing arts centers.

Education

With our ColaJazz summer jazz camps, ColaJazz Academy classes and Adult Jazz Combo workshops to our statewide radio shows on SC Public Radio, we make jazz accessible and thrilling for all ages and backgrounds.

Performances

ColaJazz never stops. From the Loft Sessions and the Main Street Jazz Fest to the “Live in the Lobby” series at the Koger Center and special club performances around town, we bring the best of jazz to every stage. Whether it's a living room concert or an educational moment in the classroom, ColaJazz creates year-round opportunities for musicians and for audiences to connect with jazz.

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JAZZ FOR ALL, BY ALL

About COLAJAZZ

ColaJazz Foundation, a 2021 Governor Award-winning 501(c)(3) organization, is a leading non-profit dedicated to enriching South Carolina through jazz. We offer diverse programs, from summer camps, statewide radio shows, festivals, concert and event programming to school and community outreach initiatives, fostering a vibrant jazz scene and inspiring our communities. Our commitment to excellence and community engagement makes ColaJazz the destination for jazz enthusiasts.

JAZZ FOR ALL, BY ALL

Testimonials

  • Craig Witherspoon, Ed.D. Superintendent, Richland One


    "I have had personal and professional experience with the ColaJazz Foundation and have found this organization to be of great benefit to this community. The impact of this organization has been felt across South Carolina and beyond... making Jazz accessible to young budding musicians and connecting musicians to audiences of all ages and communities.”

  • Regi Strickland, Arts Integration Magnet Lead Teacher, Richland Two

    "ColaJazz engaged our students in the history of jazz, integrated literacy, and facilitated music composition lessons with each class. We have hosted a multitude of resident artists over the years, and ColaJazz is by far one the very best we have ever had.”

  • LaKenna McCrorey, M.HP, Director of Volunteer Services, Lexington Medical Center Extended Care

    "The Community Center is PACKED every time they know musicians from the ColaJazz Foundation are playing that day! The residents are so happy!!! The Jazz music is bringing so much joy to our residents' lives, and we are so grateful!!! We thank the ColaJazz Foundation from the bottom of our hearts! "

CONNECTING THROUGH JAZZ.

Sponsors

Sponsoring ColaJazz events and outreach boosts a company’s image by aligning it with creativity, diversity, and community enrichment.

  • Authentic reach

  • Connecting brands with passionate, diverse audiences

  • Genuine engagement

  • Demonstrate social responsibility

  • Champions for arts and local culture

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Bill Nettles Attorney at Law
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of South Carolina
Blue Moon Ballroom
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
City of Columbia
Columbia Music Festival Association
Crescent Construction
Dick Dyer & Associates
Doctor’s Care
Dominion Energy
ETV Endowment
Freeway Music
Grace Outdoor Advertising
Heart ’n Soul Jazz
High Fidelity Recordings
Hilton Columbia Center
Historic Columbia
Hotel Trundle Columbia
Inn at USC Wyndham Garden
Innovative Percussion Inc.

Intramed Plus
Jangly Records
Joe Jacobson General Contracting
John Mann Photography
Johnson Toal & Battiste
KW Beverage
LLE Construction Group
Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Palmetto Health
Pilates Bodies by Victoria
Prisma Health
Professional Printers
Richland County
SC Arts Commission
SC Farm Bureau
South Carolina Farm Bureau
South State Bank
The Quest Group
The Whig
Total Comfort Solutions
WXRY 99.3 FM
Yamaha
Wells Fargo