Charlotte’s Jazz Arts Initiative (JAI) will kick off Season 4 of its highly acclaimed monthly series – The Jazz Room @ The Stage Door Theater – on Friday, Oct. 17, 2014. The event will feature guitarist Andy Page playing the music of Django Reinhardt – known as one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time and the “King of Gypsy Jazz.”

Special funding from the Knight Foundation has made it possible to expand the program to two shows at 6:00PM and 8:00PM in The Stage Door Theater, part of Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, at the corner of 5th and College in Uptown Charlotte.

The fall season continues on Friday, Nov. 21, 2014 with Dawn Anthony performing the music of Ella Fitzgerald. Early 2015 will bring shows featuring the music of Paul Chambers, Frank Sinatra and Oscar Peterson. Because of the overwhelming response from last year’s show, JAI is also bringing back the Jazz Room Holiday Edition: “Piano Night” featuring the music of Vince Guaraldi on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014. This special evening of holiday jazz will be held in the Blumenthal Booth Playhouse and showcase some of the region’s finest pianists performing Guaraldi’s music and other holiday favorites.

“It’s hard to believe we’re already in our fourth season,” says Lonnie Davis, president of JAI. “We appreciate the amazing support and involvement from the Charlotte community and the Knight Foundation. Having two shows means even more people can enjoy these outstanding performances that continue to blow our audiences away.”

The Jazz Room @ The Stage Door Theater spotlights the Charlotte region’s most gifted musicians recreating the sounds of the biggest names in jazz in a casual, intimate setting with tables and a full bar. Limited tickets are only $12 and can be purchased at www.carolinatix.org, by calling 704-372-1000, or $15 at the door if available. Jazz Room memberships and Season 4 bundle packages are also available. The public is advised to purchase tickets early as these shows tend to sell out quickly.

About Jazz Arts Initiative

Jazz Arts Initiative is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the promotion, education, preservation of jazz and related art forms. This newly-formed entity is made up of arts patrons, educators, performing jazz artists, business leaders, and volunteers. Their mission focuses on three program development areas: Jazz Education, Performance, and Musician Support. These three elements were established to help nurture a future audience and preserve the tradition of this great American Art Form, Jazz. For more information, visit www.thejazzarts.org and follow Jazz Arts Initiative on Facebook and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thejazzarts.