50+ Lifestyles

Warm Up A Cold Winter’s Day With Some Hot Jazz!

By Laura Hozak
Secretary, Catfsh Jazz Society

Do you like the music of days gone by?  If so, you are in luck, The Catfish Jazz Society can help you out of the winter doldrums with music you can dance to (if you don’t have 2 left feet like me) or just sit back, relax, and listen. The Catfish Jazz Society holds a Jam/Dance at the Knights of Columbus Hall located at 1111 West 35th Street in Davenport.  The jam is held the 2nd Sunday of the month (except May), from 3-7 p.m. and is open to the public. Area musicians and high school students (who are vying for scholarship money) play Jazz and Jazz standards or “Our Kind Of Music”!

The Catfish Jazz Society offers a unique brand of fun to both the serious jazz fan and the occasional jazz enthusiast. Musicians and singers are welcome to join in the jam. All dancers are welcome to enjoy the beautiful oak dance floor.  The jam is located on the ground floor and is easily accessible with plenty of lighted parking.

It is a free jam, but you are also invited to partake in a spaghetti dinner including salads & bread provided by the Knights of Columbus for $9 per person. There is a cash bar also available. Our society was established in 1989 and started out as a gathering of local jazz musicians and fans and now has a membership of over 300. Each year we award senior scholarships and band camp scholarships to underclassmen from area high schools. To date, we have given out $37,535 to be used for jazz studies in college or to attend a jazz band camp. Catfish’s mission is to actively promote, assist and preserve all forms of jazz music.

We try to encourage our local youth to come and join in the jam, where they can interact with veteran musicians from the area.  If you have a child or grandchild who is interested in jazz, bring them along and nurture their love of this music, so it can stay alive for future generations to enjoy. If you decide you enjoy coming you can also become a member and receive the Catfish Newsletter which provides you with a calendar of local, regional, and national jazz events.

The annual cost is $15 for a single member or $20  for a family. We also have an annual picnic/jam in September and also a Holiday party in December. You can check out the Catfish Jazz Society on our Facebook page, where we post pictures of our jams. You can also contact us at catfishjazz@yahoo.com, we would be happy to answer any questions you might have about our jams.  We hope to see you there!