Topeka Jazz Workshop

Music for a Sunday Afternoon

Listen to the sounds of modern jazz from Topeka's own 18-piece big band The Topeka Jazz Workshop. The band is a collection of musicians from NE Kansas dedicated to performing & promoting jazz music.

The Topeka Jazz Workshop has been a prime factor in keeping jazz alive and well in Topeka and Northeast Kansas for five decades. Don't miss this opportunity to hear the local take on America's original art form.

Founded in 1960, the Topeka Jazz Workshop Band is the oldest continuous community-based big band in the United States! In addition to performing live big band jazz, the TJWB operates the Topeka Youth Jazz Program, which provides jazz education and performance opportunities for middle and high school students in NE Kansas. Over the years, hundreds of talented young musicians have received scholarships to jazz camps all over the county thanks to the TJWB and the financial backing of Topeka Jazz Workshop, INC.

More recently the Topeka Jazz Workshop Band had had the honor to play with current jazz stars like Byron Stripling, Mike Metheny, Bill Watrous, and Wayne Hawkins. From its inception, TJWB consisted of local musicians who often held other full time jobs but came together for the love of jazz. Currently under the director of Cale Paquette (band director at Seaman High School) and Bob Ball (retired), the legacy continues.

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