Mission Statement

To connect people everywhere to the passion, creativity, joy and rhythms of Big Band Jazz through outreach, education and performance.

Artistic Vision

• to create and perform world-class Jazz, in Chicago and internationally, by preserving and playing the historic contributions of past Jazz masters and by commissioning and presenting new works;
• to entertain and inform diverse audiences with engaging and affordable concerts, discussions and special events, including family-friendly programs;
• to educate rising generations of Jazz musicians, particularly through on-going mentorships between the professional Jazz musicians in the CJE and students at Columbia College Chicago and throughout the Chicagoland area;
• to collaborate with artists, organizations, venues and schools representing a broad variety of interests and working in diverse artistic arenas, including the visual, dramatic, dance and other performing arts;
• to produce and document or otherwise record Jazz concerts and collaborations;
• to establish and preserve a well-organized Jazz archive and resource center for living Jazz history;
• to develop and maintain a professional and fiscally-responsible organization capable of sustaining the CJE’s mission on an on-going basis; and
• to lead in the service, advancement and enrichment of cultural life.