While born and raised in Fargo, Bob had been away from the FM area for twenty-eight years. When he returned home he was amazed to find a cultural community that would bring envy to far larger communities. Bob discovered the: FM Symphony, Civic Opera, FM Community Theater, Boys and Girls Choirs, Master Choral, FM Chamber Choral Fine Arts Club as well as others. Though commendable for a community of this size, something was missing. Namely, it was America’s Classical Music ... Jazz.
In 1979 Bob began researching the feasibility of creating a non-profit performing arts organization, much like the regional symphony organization, which would be devoted exclusively to America’s only original art form, jazz. Bob attended seminars and workshops to learn as much as he could about the advisability of establishing a repertory jazz orchestra in the FM area. During his research, he learned that the concept of community based, not-for-profit jazz orchestras had begun in the late 1970’s.
Some of the pioneer organizations included the: Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, Dallas Jazz Orchestra, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and the Jazz Arts Big Band of Columbus, Ohio. Bob contacted Ray Eubanks, founder of the Columbus based organization. Eubanks provided a great deal of organizational and financial data about the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus, Ohio. Bob then convinced the Music Industry Program at MSUM to do a feasibility survey. The survey results were positive, and Bob decided the time had come to take action.
A board of directors was selected, and their first meeting was held in November 1990. The organization incorporated as a not-for-profit performing arts organization. In April 1991 the Jazz Arts Group of Fargo-Moorhead (JAG) was born.
Bob was named JAG’s first Music/Executive Director and JAG was off and running. A group of musicians was contacted, and the Jazz Arts Big Band began rehearsals. During that first season, there were few in our community that gave JAG any chance for survival. That first year, the revenue and expenses were just under $9,000. The subscription series consisted of two concerts. Ted DiSanti was hired for the third season as Music Director, and Bob continued on as Executive Director.
During the second and third season JAG expanded to three subscription series concerts, and in the fourth year expanded to four concerts. In the fourth season, Ted DiSanti took a leave of absence to work on his Doctorate, and Dr. Kyle Mack became the Music Director. He remains in that position to this day. During the ninth season (1999-2000) JAG again increased to five subscription series concerts plus a collaboration with the F-M Master Choral and the FM Communiversity in the presentation of Chicago composer Burrell Gluskin’s Lutheran Jazz Mass.
Since its founding, JAG has planned for a major thrust in the area of education. As a result, JAG immediately began to develop education programs not available anywhere else in the area. JAG began with a full day student jazz band workshop which has developed into the very popular Early-bird Student Jazz Workshop. At the same time, JAG began to present free guest artist master class/clinics featuring America’s stars of jazz. Since the inception of the JAG education program, JAG has presented 58of America’s top jazz vocal and instrumental artists for these clinic and master classes. During the 1998-1999 season JAG founded the Jazz Arts Area Youth Jazz Orchestra directed by Ted DiSanti.
This is truly an area youth band, which is made up of student jazz musicians from within a sixty mile radius of Fargo-Moorhead. For the 1999-2000 season, JAG initiated a Student Mentor Program. The mentor program has Jazz Arts musicians mentor students in composition, arranging, instrumental reeds, high brass (trumpet), low brass (trombone), and rhythm instruments (piano, drums, bass, and guitar).
JAG recently formed a subsidiary organization to make its’ musicians available in smaller group formats. The Artist Bureau makes available musical groups of enviable quality for performances, workshops, clinics, and guest performances. In September 1998, Jazz Arts announced it’s own new recording company, Fermata Records. The first Fermata release was And That’s That featuring the Jazz Arts Big Band and vocalist Connie Evingson. And That’s That has proven to be a smashing success.
Jazz Arts has now developed an enviable track record for quality performance, audience building, educational programs, and strong management by the JAG Board and staff. Since its’ inception fifteen years ago, JAG has grown nineteen fold, truly a history of progress! Earlier, we stated there were only four community repertory jazz orchestras in the country. With the founding of Jazz Arts Group of Fargo-Moorhead, JAG became a pioneer in this arts concept. JAG has become one of the unique organizations in the United States and an arts organization that is valued as a treasured asset of the ‘ALL AMERICAN CITY’ of Fargo-Moorhead.
