JAS has just released its 25th anniversary coffee table book and it’s been great to see the early reactions. A lot of wide eyes and wows ….you can just thumb through it and feel the weight of the years, and the incredible range of fantastic musical moments produced by great Artists in front of adoring Aspen Snowmass audiences. It’s wonderful to have this chronicle of our first 25 years for the historical record and to recognize not only the great Artists who have graced our stages, but all the incredible people who have helped to build the institution of JAS over these last 25 years.
The editor of 25 Years at Jazz Aspen Snowmass Ms. Dena Kaye, a long time supporter of JAS who helped build our summer JAS Academy offered a wonderful perspective on anniversaries like this one which feels just right where this book is concerned: Anniversaries are a wonderful time to equally look backward at where we have come from and equally forward to where we can dream to go in consideration of where we are in fact today. While the book is mostly a chronicle of the 25 year journey of JAS from 1991–2015, for me it is equally a setting of the table for the many great musical moments to be realized in the next 25 years and beyond.
The pleasure of the book in the end however, is that it can be browsed and enjoyed without regard to what precedes and what follows. It is a collection of many moments. Each page is its own story. Quotes and highlights give hints to the content, but the photos undoubtedly lead the narrative, and not the reverse. It IS a coffee table book. You can drop in any time and anywhere and feel the magic that was chronicled.
Looking back at 25 years of JAS I am truly humbled by the body of work…it’s hard to believe we’ve been around THAT long. But here we are.
Explore Books is hosting a book signing with yours truly and a chance to grab your very own copy of “25 Years of Jazz Aspen Snowmass” and say hello, this Wed July 29th at 5pm. Hope to see you there. If not, please consider picking up a copy for your coffee table or library for just a $50 donation to JAS Music Education Programming. You can purchase your copy here.