Jazz Artists Resource
Improvisation, Composition, Arranging, Education
Founded in 2014 and incorporated in Chicago, the mission of Jazz Artists Resource (JAR) is to support the preservation and development of jazz music. JAR has identified three main objectives to fulfill this mission:
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To provide resources to ensembles, composers, arrangers and musicians who are seeking to find new audiences for their works, through live performances and recordings.
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To implement educational outreach programs to connect students with jazz professionals, teaching all aspects of music through side-by-side mentoring.
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To support the presentation and recording of undiscovered and new music from jazz composers and arrangers whose music, though fully formed, that has not yet been in the public sphere.
Over the past seven years, JAR has supported the presentation of performances by jazz artists in the Chicago area, including the Metropolitan Jazz Octet and Jazz String Quintet. JAR has supported more than 24 jazz performances, the recording of four albums, and six original commissions. More than 1500 people have attended JAR-affiliated artist performances and 1000 have purchased, downloaded, or digitally streamed JAR-supported jazz recordings.
JAR seeks to develop an ongoing relationship between artist and audience. JAR offers support to develop jazz music that bridges gaps in age, race, economics and orientation, across a diverse population.
Over the next five years, JAR has committed to continuing to support the presentation of new works in the public sphere by supporting jazz artists; implementing educational outreach programs for students, with an emphasis on under served communities, with the specific purpose of sharing how to create, rehearse, and perform jazz music in all of it's forms.
Ensembles affiliated with Jazz Artists Resource
Jazz String Quintet (JSQ) is an integration of both jazz and classical music written for string quartet and soprano saxophone. Inspired by sources as diverse as Debussy and Ravel to Miles Davis and John Coltrane, composer and saxophonist Jim Gailloreto offers a perfect blend of classical music and jazz: structure and spontaneity.
The Metropolitan Jazz Octet (MJO) is the reawakening of a group that was originally started in the 1950’s by saxophonist/arranger Tom Hilliard. He taught three members of the current MJO to whom he bequeathed his musical library, passing the torch to the next generation.
Board of Directors
Jim Gailloreto, Executive Director
Gailloreto has a Bachelors in Music Composition from De Paul University and a Masters in Music Composition from Northwestern University. He is a recipient of the New Works: Creation & Presentation Program Grant from Chamber Music America. Gailloreto is the artistic director of “Jazz String Quintet”, comprising string quartet and soprano saxophone. The music draws from both modern jazz and contemporary classical styles. Gailloreto has composed, recorded, and performed with notable jazz performers such as Blue Note artist Patricia Barber. His string quartet arrangements can be heard on Kurt Elling's Grammy award winning CD “Dedicated to You.” Gailloreto has five solo CD’s to his credit: The Insider (Wide Sound), Shadow Puppets and Jazz String Quintet (Naim Label), American Complex (Origin Classical) plus a self produced CD with his jazz quartet, Jazzformation.
John Kornegay, Activities Director
John Kornegay is a saxophonist and woodwinds performer in the Chicago area. A graduate of De Paul University, he leads a multi-faceted career, both as a performer and as a composer and arranger. Kornegay has contributed orchestrations to numerous theatrical productions in the Chicago area, as well as music for commercials and industrial films. He composed and orchestrated music for the Academy Award-nominated Holocaust documentary “Eyewitness.” Most recently, he played, composed, and arranged music for the debut CD of the Metropolitan Jazz Octet (MJO), a project near and dear to his heart. For this project, Kornegay will manage the scheduling of rehearsals, commissioning of new Holliday-inspired works for the album, coordinate with recording studio and supervise other members of the project team.
Peter Brusen, Social Media Coordinator
Peter Brusen, having studied bassoon, saxophone, jazz, orchestral and contemporary music at the University of Iowa, began his professional career performing with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Veracruz for two seasons. Coming back to the United States, Peter joined the Chicago Civic orchestra which led him down the path of performing mainly on the bassoon and contrabassoon with orchestras such as The Lyric Opera, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Elgin Symphony, and in orchestras for the Joffrey Ballet and American Ballet Theater. Active in the commercial recording industry, his musical path expanded to include musical theater and he came to be a busy woodwind/multi-instrumentalist in the Chicagoland area and beyond. His experience playing everything from Vivaldi to Zappa is the reason why when asked, “What is your favorite musical style to perform?” The answer is always, “Whatever I’m working on at the moment.”
John Mc Cortney, Financial Advisor
Since 1976, John has been a recording engineer and recording studio owner. Since 1990, John has been the President and Chief Engineer of AirWave Recording Studios, Inc. During his career John has worked with hundreds of musicians, narrators, and organizations in many different creative audio endeavors. John's career as a recording engineer is ongoing and is currently focused on the areas of Classical, Jazz, and children's music. As part of his work with the Child's Voice School for hearing impaired children, John is the audio producer for the school's All Ears podcast. The podcast covers important topics for parents of children with hearing loss and the professionals who serve them. John also serves on the Board of Directors of the W. P. and H. B. White Foundation. The White Foundation gives donations to education and social services in the city of Chicago. John has served as Secretary for the White Foundation since joining the Board in 2004.
Support Jazz Artists Resource
Jazz Artists Resource (JAR), is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization located in Chicago, Illinois. Your tax deductible donations help create, curate and present jazz music in all of its forms; JAR also works side by side with students on specially tailored mentoring programs. All in all - JAR enables jazz to flourish; please join in!
