25 Memorable Moments
to Celebrate 25 Amazing Years as
Nashville’s Community Center for Jazz

25 for 25

25 years ago Nashville Jazz Workshop was officially founded.  

But its story doesn't begin with a business plan. It begins with a "lightbulb moment" in a university office , a pro-bono lawyer calling "out of the blue," and a flash of pure "kismet".  

It's a story of vision—of founders looking at a "bombed out" underground machine shop and seeing a world-class venue. It's a story of profound community—of "angel" landlords , "obsessive listeners" , and student volunteers who showed up with toolbelts to paint pipes, stick foam to the ceiling, and buy a Steinway piano one key at a time.  

Over the next two-and-a-half decades, that "fledgling institute" would earn a global reputation , survive an existential pandemic by taking its entire community online , and find a triumphant rebirth in a new home on Buchanan Street.  

This is the story of that journey, told in 25 defining moments.

Scroll down to explore the "25 for 25" list and discover the moments that built a home for jazz in Music City.

  1. The “Lightbulb Moment” and the Institute

The idea for the Workshop came from its future students. While Lori Mechem was teaching at Belmont University, two students, Jerry Navarro and Chris West, came to her. They were frustrated that the school's commercial-focused curriculum wasn't teaching them "how to play through tunes" from a real book. Lori began holding informal $10 lessons in her office, and the "light went on" when the students insisted on continuing their lessons over the summer, driving 35 miles to Lori and Roger's log cabin. This proved the powerful, unmet demand for a new model. In 1998, they formed the "Nashville Jazz Institute" (NJI), subletting a "rough" space at 5th and Lafayette from the Nashville Percussion Institute and starting with just two classes.

2. The First Classes (1998-2000)

Classes at the Nashville Jazz Institute were an immediate draw, and students of all ages came to study with top Nashville professionals, including Beegie Adair, Rod McGaha, Jeff Coffin, Charles Dungey, and of course, founders Lori Mechem and Roger Spencer. Vocal literature classes focused on the Great American Songbook, ensembles covered styles of legendary bandleaders such as Art Blakey, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock, and improvisation classes dealt with topics such as the blues, “rhythm changes,” and styles of jazz masters such as Charlie Parker and Wes Montgomery. The number and variety of classes quickly grew and enrollment swelled.