Happy Valentine's Day! Why not be a sweetheart and help a child learn how to play jazz? Or give children the opportunity to hear some of the greatest jazz legends play at their school? Just a few weeks ago, legendary jazz drummer Jimmy Cobb, the last living member of the group who played with Miles Davis and John Coltrane on Kind of Blue, performed with the Javon Jackson Superband at Bermuda Elementary. A little boy in the front row played the "air drums" throughout the entire performance. Afterward, Mr. Cobb invited the child to sit at his drums and play them "for real." The look of awe on his face was priceless.

Inspire a child today. Please purchase a table or tickets to our Gala. The Arthur and Helen Baer Foundation has generously underwritten the event, so nearly 100% of your ticket price goes to our education and outreach programs. If you intend to purchase a table or tickets, please contact Melissa Jones at melissa@jazzstl.org or 314-289-4037 by February 19 to be listed in our invitation.

The Gala is Saturday, April 5, 2008, 7 pm at Neiman Marcus. Please join us for cocktails, dinner, a live auction, and full concert by Tony DeSare, described by the NY Times as a "lean baby Sinatra." The Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, our advanced, auditioned group, will perform during the cocktail hour and join Tony and his band onstage toward the end.

This is a night you won't want to miss! Thank you for your support of Jazz St. Louis and our mission to connect young people to our shared cultural heritage, Jazz.