History

Jazz St. Louis was born in August 1995 when the late Barbara Rose (pictured) and Peter Bunce of Grand Center began presenting jazz musicians of national and international fame in a small, intimate atmosphere. The new music series was called Jazz at the Bistro. Following her death in 1998, Gene Dobbs Bradford was chosen to lead the organization. He began expanding the musical styles presented and building the education and community programs that are now an integral part of the organization. In 2006, the organization’s name was changed from Jazz at the Bistro to Jazz St. Louis to better reflect our focus on performance, education and community engagement. In October 2014 following an $8 million capital campaign, the Bistro and the adjacent building were renovated as the Harold & Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz.