What we’re about
The Potomac River Jazz Club is a nonprofit society founded in 1971 whose purpose is to preserve, encourage and promote the playing and appreciation of traditional jazz. On our Web site [PRJC.org](https://prjc.org/) you’ll find information about trad jazz happenings in the Washington-Baltimore area, about our organization, about our affiliated jazz bands, about jazz history, and about many other items of interest to jazz fans. And be sure to check out what PRJC is doing to encourage young musicians to play traditional jazz with the Capital Focus Youth Jazz Band. Please look around the site, and if you want to make a comment or a suggestion, ask a question or just say “Hi,” please send us an e-mail. The PRJC can also be reached at 484-626-0887.
If you like traditional jazz, if you listen to Hot Jazz Saturday Night on WAMU, if you enjoyed the DC Tweed Rides' 1920s-themed after-parties, if you are listening to this kind of music online, you will enjoy the music at PRJC events.
While membership in this PRJC Meetup group is free to all, we encourage you to purchase a full Potomac River Jazz Club membership (annual dues $30 individual, $45 couple) to receive our monthly newsletter Tailgate Ramblings and $5 discount on admission to our events. Attend six events (we have typically 20+ per year), and you're gotten back the cost of your membership. Member ticket prices referred to in our event listings means people who have a paid membership in PRJC. Membership info is at https://prjc.org/joinprjc.html.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- The Conservatory Classic Jazz Band and the Monthly Jam SessionAlfio's La Trattoria, Chevy Chase, MDUSD 15.00
The Conservatory Classic Jazz Band opens and closes the music, with a Jam Session at the end of each set. All are welcome to sit in or just sit back and enjoy!
The Conservatory Classic Jazz Band was formed in 2003 to present the sounds of traditional jazz to Washington DC audiences. A seven-piece group, they play New Orleans style, Chicago style, small-group swing, and mainstream. CCJB members include Dave Robinson, leader/cornet/trumpet, Brian Priebe on trombone, Gary Gregg on clarinet/sax, Dan Hall on bass, Jeff Reynolds on guitar/banjo, Brian Alpert on drums.
Visit the band's website for additional information.
The PRJC Monthly Jam Session is held at Alfio's La Trattoria in Chevy Chase. Attendance there has exceeded the maximum capacity of our previous space. There is plenty or room for you and your friends. I am told we could fit 100 people in there. That said, we do recommend, if you want a table for your group, arrive early. We will get you in, but can't promise seating groups together if the space has filled up.
Alfio's has free valet parking (tips are appreciated). Street parking is free but unobtainable. There is a full menu and bar.
We welcome suggestions for possible event venues anywhere in the DMV. Our requirements include space for at least 70 people, plenty of parking, and a conveniently accessible location; near Metro is a plus.
Admission:
Non-Jammers (PRJC members $10, non-members $15), Youth & Jammers (Free). If you play, you don't pay!
Cash, checks or PayPal at the door, or in advance on Eventbrite. - PRJC Concert/Dance: The Alan Dale New Legacy Jazz Band9707 Rosensteel Ave, Silver Spring, MDUSD 25.00
Here’s a swinging afternoon of hot jazz with drummer Alan Dale’s New Legacy Jazz Band belting out New Orleans jazz and swing from the 20’s and 30’s. NLJB has performed for heads of state, congressmen, and embassies – and now, for The Potomac River Jazz Club. Sunday, June 8, 2-4pm at Rosensteel Hall, 9705 Rosensteel Ave., Silver Spring.
The New Legacy Jazz Band is one of America's premier full-time professional ensembles. Appearing throughout the mid-Atlantic states, The New Legacy Jazz Band performs at festivals, weddings, corporate and other private receptions, casinos, colleges and theaters. Drummer/Leader Dale sets a blazing tone. He was a protégé of the renowned master drummer Louis Bellson.
Potomac River Jazz Club (PRJC) is a non-profit organization founded in 1971 whose mission is to support and preserve original New Orleans jazz music. Our monthly concerts are held at Rosensteel Hall in Silver Spring, MD. The venue is near the Forest Glen metro (red line), has plenty of parking, table and chair seating, a large dance floor, and a cash bar with some snacks.
Come out and join us for this special show!
Admission: PRJC members ($20 (this means dues-paying members of PRJC, not this free Meetup group), General admission $25 at door, $22.50 if purchased online in advance. Youth with valid student IDs: Free. Sales at door are by cash, check or PayPal only.
- PRJC Zoom Jazz Talk: "Jazz à la Creole" featuring author Caroline VézinaNeeds location
FREE ONLINE via Zoom: "Jazz à la Creole: French Creole Music and the Birth of Jazz" is a captivating exploration of the roots and evolution of jazz music.
PLEASE NOTE: RSVP ON MEETUP DOES NOT REGISTER YOU FOR THIS EVENT! YOU MUST REGISTER USING THIS LINK BY 5 PM ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT TO RECEIVE THE LOGIN INFORMATION TO ATTEND THE EVENT!
Jazz à la Creole: French Creole Music and the Birth of Jazz (University Press of Mississippi, 2022).
Winner of the 2023 Award for Excellence for Best Historical Research in Recorded Jazz from the Association for Recorded Sound Collections.
During the formative years of jazz (1890–1917), Creoles musicians played a significant role in its development as teachers, bandleaders, instrumentalists, singers, and composers, Indeed, free or enslaved, the French Creoles all danced, played music or sang on multiple and diverse occasions, whether on plantations, at home or at church, in orchestras or even in the military, and their music incorporated African, European, and Caribbean elements decades before early jazz appeared.
They also composed or improvised Creole songs, some of which became part of their professional repertoire. As such, they belong both to the Black American folk music that gave birth to jazz, and to Franco-American folk music, thus reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Louisiana as they are still being played and recorded today.
Based in Montreal, Caroline Vézina is an independent scholar specializing in the study of music and culture. She holds a BFA specialized in Jazz Studies and a MA in Music and Culture (2014). After graduation, she split her time between her hometown and New Orleans for many years to further her research on the music of the French Creoles. She is now completing a Certificate in Songwriting with Berklee Music Online.
Register before 5:00p.m. the day of the presentation to receive the Zoom link. This is a FREE talk, but we appreciate contributions toward the program via "Donation Tickets" which help offset the cost of the program.
The PRJC has been bringing trad jazz and swing music to the DC area for 52 years in the way of concerts, jams, and talks. Our Jazz Talk series centers around early jazz topics and features top musicians and historians. As these are all hosted on Zoom, you can enjoy them wherever you are.
The PRJC began its Jazz Talk series during the pandemic shutdown as a way to support musicians who were less able to work. The series has blossomed into an ongoing project featuring speakers from across the country focusing on trad jazz and swing topics.
Registration for this talk is required by 5pm the night of the event. You will receive the link by email about 30 minutes before the program begins.
You can support the PRJC or our Educational Talks and Concerts with a donation using the Paypal link.
More info is on the Events page of the PRJC web site.
Video recording of the event will be posted on the PRJC YouTube channel after it is completed.
PRJC’s programs are supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County.
