WHO WE ARE

The Nashville Jazz Workshop is Nashville’s community center for jazz education and performance.

Our mission is to enrich people’s lives and build community through world class jazz education and performances.

We accomplish our mission through:

A workshop environment where jazz professionals pass on their knowledge & experience in a journeyman/apprentice environment
Classes for players & non-players
Performances to promote community appreciation of jazz

We embrace diversity among our faculty, staff, and students as a means of achieving excellence in education, as a stimulus for innovation and problem solving, and for ensuring a culture of inclusion.

History

The Nashville Jazz Workshop began in 1998 as the Nashville Jazz Institute, founded by Lori Mechem and Roger Spencer. Dissatisfied with traditional academic jazz programs, they created a workshop-based model rooted in the journeyman/apprentice tradition, giving students hands-on experience performing alongside faculty.

In 2000, the organization became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, changed its name, and moved to the Neuhoff Complex in East Germantown. Over time, NJW expanded its programming to include visual art exhibits, student and faculty concerts, the Snap on 2 and 4 performance series, and a range of community events.

As NJW grew, it became a vital hub for Nashville’s jazz scene—a place where top professionals teach and perform, new artists develop, and student groups take root. The Workshop collaborates with schools, radio stations, festivals, and arts organizations, earning its reputation as Nashville’s “community center for jazz.”

Today, the Nashville Jazz Workshop is located in historic North Nashville at 1012 Buchanan Street in the heart of the Buchanan Arts District.

In 2025, we celebrated our 25th year as an incorporated nonprofit. Please check out our special feature, 25 for 25, to learn more about NJW's most memorable moments.