GET TO KNOW THE NORTHWEST ARKANSAS JAZZ SOCIETY

Our Story

Since 1992, the Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society (NAJS) has been a community leader in presenting world-class jazz performers in venues across Northwest Arkansas. We're a non-profit membership organization that seeks to present, preserve, promote, and celebrate the great American art form known as jazz through education, concert presentation, and artist promotion.

Our operating funds are secured through membership fees, grants, ticket sales, and merchandise sales. We rely on the generosity of the Northwest Arkansas community and are grateful for the continued support of many. Today, our work of celebrating jazz is stronger than ever. We seek to find innovative ways to engage with new and diverse audiences and keep jazz alive and well.

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All proceeds support jazz concerts, education, and advocacy in Northwest Arkansas. 

 

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A History of WorLd-Class Presentations

 

A shortlist of talent presented over the years includes Pat Metheny, Eliane Elias, The Yellowjackets, Claudia Acuña, Bill Frisell, Kenny Barron, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Lucy Woodward, Ray Anderson, Joey DeFrancesco, Kim Prevost, Kevin Mahogany, James Williams, Frank Vignola, David Sanchez, Bobby Watson, Bob Dorough, Sheila Jordan, Aubrey Logan, Steve Wilson, Conrad Herwig, and Danilo Perez.

View Local Musicians

Bringing Jazz to NWA VENUES including... 

 

...Walton Arts Center, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, The Momentary, Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks, The Railyard, George's Majestic Lounge, Eureka Springs Auditorium, The Thaden School, and the University of Arkansas.

ACTIVITIES 

& PROGRAMS 

 

Our ongoing activities include The Summer Jazz Concert Series, Jazz All-Stars Youth Ensemble, Jazz Jam for local musicians, and artist support for performance, recording, and educational projects.

NAJS Staff

Robert Ginsburg

Founder & Artistic Director

Graham Stewart, 
Executive Director

Robert's life in music for over four decades has forged a permanent presence for jazz within the Northwest Arkansas cultural landscape.

 

In 1979 Robert began producing a jazz radio show on KUAF-FM. Today "Shades of Jazz," Robert's Friday 10 p.m. to midnight broadcast, stands as the station's longest-running program. 

 

In 1992 Robert founded the Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society, a non-profit, community-based membership organization producing a fall-to-spring series featuring major jazz musicians. A year later, Robert joined the steering committee assigned to bring focus and direction to Fayetteville's then-emerging Walton Arts Center. When the multi-venue performing arts center opened its doors that year he was named its "jazz curator" – another position he still holds.

 

 

Most recently, with the support of the Walton Family Foundation and Walton Arts Center, Robert has launched the "Jazz Education Initiative". The Initiative cultivates jazz appreciation to sustain the jazz art form through education programs integrating school performance, workshops, artists-in-residency, and public performance opportunities. The flagship of the program is the Jazz All-Stars Youth Ensemble

 

In 2010, he received the Arkansas Governor's Arts Award for Community Development, and in 2016, he was the recipient of the Jazz Journalist Association Hero Award. In 2024, Robert was inducted into the Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame.

 

 

Anna Jacobs,
Design Manager

Anna is an agency veteran with over a decade of design and brand experience. She started her studio, Jacobs&Co, in 2019. In addition to her practice, Anna adjunct teaches at the University of Arkansas’ School of Art.

Graham returned to Northwest Arkansas in 2020, retiring after a thirty-five year career in higher education. He had served primarily as a chief alumni officer overseeing public and private university alumni associations, including at Vanderbilt University, the University of Arkansas, and Ohio University.

 

An active jazz vocalist and trombonist, he has appeared with the Nashville Jazz Workshop, Fayetteville Jazz Collective, Jazz Spoken Here, and Swing Central. Early in his career, he toured and recorded with Grammy-award winning vocal ensemble The Gregg Smith Singers. Graham has performed more than 25 leading roles in musical theater and opera, and was an award-winning whistler featured in the 2005 documentary film "Pucker Up: the Fine Art of Whistling."

 

Graham grew up near New York City, and went to college and lived for 30 years in Ithaca, NY. He and his wife, Tina, live in Fayetteville. They have two children and two grandkids spread between Springdale, AR and Nashville.

 

 

Kay Ellen Wilkerson, 
Financial Manager

Kay Ellen retired as a CPA specializing in utility accounting with Ozarks Electric in 2020. Prior to Ozarks she practiced with a regional firm, preparing individual and corporate income tax returns, sales and use tax returns and performing audits of non-profits and for profit businesses. She maintained memberships with AICPA, Arkansas Society of CPAs, NW Chapter ASCPA, and the National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives. Kay Ellen was a member of the NWA Jazz Society for many years before joining as the Financial Manager in 2013. Kay Ellen and her husband Tom have three children and six grandchildren. 

NAJS Board of Directors

jerry moye 
NAJS President

Jerry Moye enjoyed a 40-year career in the poultry business. An opportunity with Tyson Foods brought he and his family to NW Arkansas in 1993. He retired in 2016, having spent the previous 10 years as Tyson Group VP and President of Cobb-Vantress, Inc. in Siloam Springs. He remains active in the industry through board positions with USPOULTRY Foundation, and Hendrix Genetics, a multi-species genetic company based in Boxmeer, Netherlands.

Jerry has been involved in several community organizations including, Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce, NW AR JDRF Board, Keep Dollars in Benton County, and currently sits on the board for Circle of Life Hospice.

Jerry is originally from northern New Jersey, just across the Hudson from NYC. His wife, Cherie, is also from the east coast just outside of Washington DC. They have two children, and four beautiful granddaughters spread between Rogers, AR and KCMO.

 

Rick Salonen, 
NAJS Secretary

Rick is instructor in the Music Department at the University of Arkansas and is director of the university Jazz Orchestra and Combos. He received his doctoral degree in Higher Education and MM degree in composition from the University of Arkansas. He has two kids: Alexandra, 17, a Senior at Farmington HS and Derek, 20, a Junior at the University of Arkansas. He enjoys cooking, music, playing games, golfing, woodworking and biking. He is a prolific jazz composer and arranger of jazz for ensembles at various levels, and is an active performer of classical, jazz and pop with numerous ensembles throughout the region.

 

 

MARGARET CLARK

Margaret Clark is a retired UA Professor and public-school teacher (Pine Bluff). She received a B.A. from Arkansas A.M.& N. (UAPB), plus M.A. & Ed.D. degrees from the University of Arkansas. She received a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship to study at the University of Paris and the University of Besancon.

Margaret was the first African American president of the Arkansas Foreign Language Teachers Association, the AR Division and Fayetteville Branch of the American Association of University Women, Fayetteville Business and Professional Women, the Iota chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, the International Society for Key Women Educators, and the Arkansas-East Bolivia Chapter of Partners of the Americas. She spearheaded the chartering of the Phi Alpha Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and served as its founding president.

Margaret's numerous rewards include a MLK Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2019, a UA dormitory was named Margaret Clark Hall. The Washington County Historical Society named her "Citizen of the Year" in 2020, and in 2022 she was inducted into the AR Women's Hall of Fame.

Margaret's love for jazz began as a teenager in NYC where she was able to see many of the greats play live. She now lives in Fayetteville with her beloved dog, Mia.

 

 




alan dranow

Writer and past Sr. Director of the Walmart Heritage Group

Alan Dranow fell in love with Northwest Arkansas in 2006, following 3 years with Walmart.com in the San Francisco Bay area. Originally from Oyster Bay, New York, Alan spent 16 years in marketing creative in Silicon Valley and previously 10 years as a live showcase producer and manager in the music industry in New York. A continuously published writer since the age of 13, Alan has written best-selling interactive children’s books and has been a feature writer and editor for a wide variety of publications, including Rolling Stone, Pro Sound News, The Music Paper of NY and others.

 

At Walmart, Alan played a key role in the development, and rollout of the Walmart brand. He also led the renovation and expansion of The Walmart Museum as its Senior Director from 2009 until his “graduation” in 2025. During his time at the museum, Alan led the production of numerous jazz performances in downtown Bentonville. He is a member of the board of directors of a number of NW Arkansas non-profits. His two children, both Eli and Lana, attend Belmont University in Nashville, where Eli – as an alumnus of the NWA Jazz Society’s Youth Jazz All-Stars - has continued to carve out a solid reputation for jazz piano performance and arrangement while studying audio production and engineering; Lana is a 3L at Belmont’s School of Law.

 

 

Andy green
PAST PRESIDENT

Andy resides in Bentonville and has earned a PhD in "life on the road" – spending 50+ years in entertainment, musical, theatrical, tourism and hospitality production, and artist and event management. He has numerous gold records and spent 12+ years as the tour manager for REO Speedwagon, the Amazing Rhythm Aces, Muscle Shoals Records and All Stars, and Levon Helm; and over 20+ years as an executive director in performing facility management in Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee in the USA, and Sydney, Australia. He has produced literally thousands of events and multiple television specials including Farm Aid I, Hard Rock Rockfests '99 and 2000, and the Montreux Jazz Festival Tour as well as serving as a consultant to the Sydney 2000 and Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics. He is currently the CEO of Ozark Production Services, LLC and Mesa Verde, LLC and an active 35+ year member of IAVM. He is an avid supporter of the performing arts, and his many hobbies include hunting and fly fishing, dogs, horses, cycling, motorcycling, golf, food, wine, live music/theater/arts, and literature. He has one child, and two grandchildren.

tim mccarley 

Darren is a drummer, founding member of the Fayetteville Jazz Collective, recording engineer, and vice-president of Springdale Acoustics, Inc. He has a B.A. in Physics from the University of Arkansas and has been active in the Northwest Arkansas music scene for the past 40 years.

 

DARREN NOVOTNY

Darren is a drummer, founding member of the Fayetteville Jazz Collective, recording engineer, and vice-president of Springdale Acoustics, Inc. He has a B.A. in Physics from the University of Arkansas and has been active in the Northwest Arkansas music scene for the past 40 years.

 

bob pless

Bob landed in Northwest Arkansas from the music town of Athens, Georgia by way of Nashville and Memphis. Music is definitely in his blood!  As a young man, Bob played jazz trumpet throughout high school and college.  He played trumpet in the Georgia High School All State Jazz band (and has the vinyl album to prove it!).  Bob has had a lengthy career in the performing arts, leading operations teams at Tennessee Performing Arts Center and Walton Arts Center.  He currently resides in Bella Vista with his wife, Stevie, who is a public mosaic artist. 

 

 

Barbara E. Taylor

Originally from Seattle, Barbara is a serial entrepreneur and former New York Times blogger. She moved to Bella Vista from the Pacific Northwest in 2003, and has the distinction of opening the first drive-through espresso business in the state of Arkansas. While she grew up playing classical piano, Barbara enjoyed learning jazz standards from her grandfather, a professional jazz saxophonist in Vancouver, Canada. She is the owner and co-founder of Allan Taylor & Co. business brokerage firm (2007) and Trail Town Realty (2012). 


Barbara's two sons are both accomplished jazz musicians and alumni of the NAJS Jazz All-Stars Youth Ensemble. Barbara is passionate about supporting jazz education initiatives at NAJS and throughout NW Arkansas. She is affectionately referred to as "the Jazz Mom."

 

 

Local Musicians

alphabetical by last name

First Name
Felipe
Last Name
Antonio
Instrument #1
Guitar
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
Elizabeth
Last Name
Bainbridge
Instrument #1
Vocals
Instrument #2

First Name
Anthony
Last Name
ball
Instrument #1
drums
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
Matt
Last Name
beach
Instrument #1
trombone
Instrument #2
Drums
First Name
Dillon
Last Name
Brouse
Instrument #1
Drums
Instrument #2

First Name
claudia
Last Name
burson
Instrument #1
piano
Instrument #2

First Name
Chase
Last Name
Cavalier
Instrument #1
Trumpet
Instrument #2

First Name
ADam
Last Name
Collins
Instrument #1
Vibes
Instrument #2
Banjo
LINK

First Name
Patrick Leslie
Last Name
DeHart
Instrument #1
Saxophone
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
GAVIN
Last Name
ENGHOLM
Instrument #1
DRUMS
Instrument #2

First Name
Austin
Last Name
Farnam
Instrument #1
Saxophone
Instrument #2

First Name
Charles
Last Name
Faulk
Instrument #1
Piano
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
Walter
Last Name
Ferguson
Instrument #1
Drums
Instrument #2

First Name
Allan
Last Name
Gibson
Instrument #1
Trumpet
Instrument #2

First Name
jeff
Last Name
gray
Instrument #1
trumpet
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
Jim
Last Name
Greeson
Instrument #1
Guitar
Instrument #2
Bass
First Name
Lance
Last Name
Grigsby
Instrument #1
Trombone
Instrument #2

First Name
michael
Last Name
Hannah
Instrument #1
Saxophone
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
Ben
Last Name
Harris
Instrument #1
Guitar
Instrument #2

First Name
jake
Last Name
hertzog
Instrument #1
guitar
Instrument #2

First Name
Jim
Last Name
Jernigan
Instrument #1
Clarinet
Instrument #2

First Name
Mike
Last Name
Johnson
Instrument #1
Bass
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
garrett
Last Name
jones
Instrument #1
double Bass
Instrument #2
Electric Bass
First Name
mickey
Last Name
McFetridge
Instrument #1
Saxophones
Instrument #2

First Name
Matt
Last Name
Nelson
Instrument #1
piano
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
Ed
Last Name
Nicholson
Instrument #1
Guitar
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
Darren
Last Name
novotny
Instrument #1
drums
Instrument #2

First Name
Liam
Last Name
O'Dell
Instrument #1
Bass
Instrument #2
Electric Bass
First Name
Roby
Last Name
PANTALL
Instrument #1
Guitar
Instrument #2

First Name
Rocky
Last Name
Parsons
Instrument #1
Drums
Instrument #2
Percussion
First Name
ALISHA
Last Name
PATTILLO
Instrument #1
SAXOPHONE
Instrument #2

First Name
Ron
Last Name
Pennington
Instrument #1
Bass
Instrument #2
Mandolin
LINK

First Name
Van
Last Name
POwell
Instrument #1
Bass
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
paul
Last Name
PRice
Instrument #1
Guitar
Instrument #2
Harp Guitar
First Name
Bill
Last Name
PUNCH
Instrument #1
Trumpet
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
drew
Last Name
rogers
Instrument #1
guitar
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
Rick
Last Name
salonen
Instrument #1
saxophones
Instrument #2
bass
First Name
Matt
Last Name
Smith
Instrument #1
Guitar
Instrument #2

First Name
Gerry
Last Name
Sloan
Instrument #1
Trombone
Instrument #2

First Name
Mark
Last Name
Steele
Instrument #1
Drums
Instrument #2

First Name
GRAHAM
Last Name
STEWART
Instrument #1
VOCALS
Instrument #2
TROMBONE
First Name
CHRIS
Last Name
TEAL
Instrument #1
DRUMS
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
Ron
Last Name
Thurston
Instrument #1
Saxophone
Instrument #2

LINK

First Name
Fernando
Last Name
Valencia
Instrument #1
Percussion
Instrument #2

First Name
Steve
Last Name
Wilkes
Instrument #1
Drums
Instrument #2

LINK