“When the steps came together in a joyous dance, it had the power to bring people together.” Big band jazz otherwise known as Swing is the music that gets people moving. While big bands of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Count Basie were swinging the tunes, people were surely dancing around the room. Another famous … Read more
The “gift of story and song” runs through the African-American experience from slavery to the speeches of the first black president of the United States—and a portion of it emerged from the South Carolina lowcountry. Performed by Gullah people, slave songs such as “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore,” “Roll, Jordan, Roll,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble … Read more
EngenuitySC, the local nonprofit that works with area leaders to make the Columbia, S.C., region a standout choice for top talent and competitive companies, will close out its annual Competitiveness Week 2020 with a celebration of one of the city’s greatest levers of growth — its thriving arts community. EngenuitySC has partnered with one of … Read more
Check out the amazing jazz films on Amazon Prime! Great jazz movies and jazz documentaries for your enjoyment and edutainment! Here are a few of our picks… The Jazz Ambassadors Bolden Bill Evans Time Remembered Count Basie – At Carnegie Hall Icons Among Us The Case Of The Three Sided Dream Sun Ra – A … Read more
We are so excited to be entering our 4th year offering a world-class summer jazz camp! SAVE THE DATE: July 16-19, 2020 Join the ColaJazz Camp’s Facebook page: https://facebook.com/colajazzcamp Stay up-to-date with ColaJazz announcements and join our Newsletter: https://colajazz.com/contact/ Do more. Be more. JAZZ more! The ColaJazz Camp is our premier jazz education event welcoming … Read more
On a Friday morning in June, about 700 kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands and the Boys & Girls Club of Kershaw County experienced jazz music! They learned about the history of jazz, the different instruments and the sounds they make, and how jazz brings us together. The concert was a … Read more
ColaJazz is one of fifteen arts organizations chosen to beta-test the new Jazz at Lincoln Center After-School Content. ColaJazz is able to present this new jazz curriculum to underserved schools and young people by partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands. “We know from proven practice that jazz is a great community … Read more
Mark Rapp, Founder and Director of Colajazz, is passionate about bringing the sounds and message of Jazz music to everyone and creating work for musicians. He stated, “Whether we are playing for one or one-thousand, ColaJazz Outreach serves our communities – period.” Recently, ColaJazz Outreach sent two jazz musicians to Discovery Village, a senior-living community … Read more