The New Jersey Jazz Society is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $2,950 grant from The Summit Foundation to support nine Sunday afternoon Jersey Jazz LIVE! performances. The concerts are held at the Madison (NJ) Community Arts Center and include two segments — a main concert by seasoned professionals and a Rising Stars opening act featuring high school or college jazz studies students.
The Jersey Jazz LIVE! concerts bring into the community performances by jazz professionals who combine musical presentations with an appreciation of the history and legacy of America’s original art form. Recent events have included a Women’s History Month tribute to the female big band singers of the 1930s and ’40s and a Black History program honoring composer/educator/saxophonist Gigi Gryce.
The Rising Stars opening acts have not only provided a venue for emerging artists, but also an opportunity for music students to interact on the bandstand with seasoned jazz artists. The December 2025 Rising Stars opening act featured a quartet from Summit High School led by alto saxophonist Luka Milinkovic (photo above), a member of the 2025 New Jersey High School All-State Jazz Ensemble. Other opening acts last year were performed by student musicians from Montclair State University and Ridge, Mount Olive, Metuchen, and Pascack Valley high schools.
NJJS, founded in 1972, is a non-profit organization of business and professional people, musicians, teachers, students, and listeners, working together for the purpose of advancing jazz music. Its mission is to promote and preserve America’s original art form — jazz. The Society seeks to ensure continuity of the jazz art form through its commitment to nurture and champion local talent, along with showcasing outstanding national and international artists.
Since 1972, The Summit Foundation has enhanced lives in the Summit, NJ, area by addressing local needs, fostering philanthropy, and building partnerships. It invests in the community through grants, scholarships, special-purpose funds, and donor-advised distributions to advance opportunities for people to thrive.
PHOTO BY MARGUERITE LA FOUNTAINE