Citing a diminishing population of traditional jazz fans and declining attendance, Society president and Festival director Helen Daley released a statement that the upcoming Arizona Classic Jazz Festival (Oct. 31-Nov. 3) would be the last festival in a 35-year run, and that the Arizona Classic Jazz Society, which was organized in 1984, would hold its final concert-meeting on December 1, 2024.
Authorized by the ACJS board of directors, the statement read: “There is a song entitled ‘All Good Things (Come to an End.)’ It is not a happy tune. I have to tell you now that the Arizona Classic Jazz Society/Festival will no longer exist after the end of this year, 2024. We’ve had a good run; many people say ours is the best Festival on the jazz circuit. We have experienced that music tastes change with the times and everything cycles. The Evaluation comments from the 2023 Festival suggested we offer more country music. However, that would defeat our original purpose of promoting and perpetuating classic jazz.
“Festival attendance is down from year to year, and badge prices have never paid for the Festival. If not for our wonderful sponsors and cosponsors, we would have had to close many years ago. The State of Arizona has cut the Arizona Commission on the Arts budget by 60%. Grant recipients received notice that any grant amounts would be greatly reduced or eliminated for 2025. Thi
