In a few weeks, the longest running jazz party in the world will return in Odessa as the 2022 edition of the West Texas Jazz Party gets set to take place.
From June 2-4, the 56th annual West Texas Jazz Party will take place with performances at the Odessa Marriott Hotel and Conference Center and Ector Theatre.
The performances will start at 7 p.m. June 2 at the Devonian Ballroom at the Odessa Marriott.
The next day, a concert will take place at 8 p.m. at Ector Theatre as a part of Hot Summer Nights.
June 4 will feature multiple performances. The first performance will be the Brunch Concert from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Devonian Ballroom.
Later that day, the closing concert will start at 7 p.m. also at the Devonian Ballroom.
“We’re very excited,” West Texas Jazz Party President Eric Baker said. “This makes it the longest running jazz party in the world,” Baker said. “What makes that special is that it started right here in Odessa, Texas.”
Since 1967, jazz music has found a home in the hearts and ears of music-loving West Texans in the Permian Basin.
The original Odessa Jazz Party began as a product of decent economic times in the Permian Basin. The Midland Jazz Classic started up in 1977
The Odessa Jazz Party was spearheaded by Dr. O.A. “Jimmie” Fulcher along with other West Texas businessmen and jazz enthusiasts such as Will Faris, Ernie Schur and Pinkie Roden.
The original jazz party took place at what is now Lincoln Tower (back when it was still a hotel and rebranded as the Inn of the Golden West).
Specifically, the party took place at the Golden Rooster at Lincoln Hotel.
“That building is still in downtown,” Baker said. “The top of that used to be the Golden Rooster and that’s where the jazz parties were held in the late 1960s. A couple of folks had a dream to bring jazz music to West Texas and it flourished.
It wasn’t long before both Odessa and Midland’s jazz parties merged into one.
Today, the Jazz Party brings in famous musicians from all across the country.
“Both Odessa and Midland have their own jazz associations,” Baker said. “In the mid 90s, they came together to form the West Texas Jazz Society. That’s been going on ever since. Each year, we bring in 20 musicians from across the world and the United States from New York to California. They come out to West Texas for the biggest concerts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday for the community and students. It’s a wonderful time to just celebrate America’s music which is Jazz. Jazz began in America.”
One of the musicians playing at this year’s West Texas Jazz Party is pianist Johnny Varro.
“They’re all complete legends,” Baker said. “Johnny has been coming to the Jazz party for decades. He’s a piano player and he began sitting in and playing with some of the jazz masters of the 1940s and 50s. Johnny has been our music director for a long time. He puts things together. He knows these musicians well enough to put them together in small groups and small bands to make them work best and shine. He gives them an opportunity to highlight their best traits with other musicians. He’ll put trumpet players and trombone players together that work well and sound good together. Johnny is one of our longtime legends. We’ll also have people who will be with us for the first time this year which is great.
Other musicians that will be performing this year include drummer Kevin Kanner and bassist Charlie Silva.
“We’re excited to welcome a few people to the jazz party this year,” Baker said. “We have both young people and some of our more traditional, seasoned members coming back.”
This year’s format will be similar to last year’s West Texas Jazz Party.
“We’ll look a lot like last year as far as the schedule,” Baker said. “We’ll start things off on Thursday night with an event from 7-11 p.m. in the Devonian Ballroom of the Odessa Marriott. We’re really excited to partner with the Odessa Marriott this year because it’s just blocks away from the first jazz party in the late 60s. It really feels like a homecoming to be back in downtown Odessa. We’ll also have the dance floor out for people who want to come out and enjoy this music and dance if they want to.”
Tickets range from $25 for general admission to $200 for a Patron Pass. The Hot Summer Night’s performance will be free.
“We’ve also collaborated with Randy Ham and Odessa Arts to bring the first Hot Summer Nights concert for 2022 to the Ector Theatre and that’s a partnership with the West Texas Jazz Society,” Baker said. “Even if people aren’t familiar with the West Texas Jazz Party, if they know about hot summer nights and they want to come out, then they’ll get a taste of what the jazz party is all about. Saturday morning from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. we’ll have a brunch that people listen to and buy a ticket for a nice brunch and then we’ll close out the concert from 7-11 Saturday.”
Baker talked about what it means for Odessa to be able to continue to host the West Texas Jazz Party as well as what it means for the arts in the community.
“I think so often our community can get pitch and hold into things like all we’re about is oil and gas and Friday night lights,” Baker said. “But Odessa specifically has such a rich and thriving arts community, primarily led by Randy Ham and Odessa Arts. We have a wonderful symphony here. We have the jazz party celebrating year number 56. We have the Ellen Noël Art Museum. There are so many things going on. There’s the Shakespeare festival at Odessa College. Those are some of the things that are unique to Odessa. Odessa is a thriving artistic community. We have new murals going up all over the place. We’re just happy to be a part of the uniquely public art scene here. It’s great to get out and spread the word.”
Tickets for the West Texas Jazz Party can be found at tinyurl.com/2s4zcuer.
If you go
- What: West Texas Jazz Party.
- When: 7 p.m. June 2, 8 p.m. June 3, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. June 4.
- Where: June 2 at Odessa Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, June 3 at Ector Theatre, June 4 at Odessa Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.
- Where to purchase tickets: tinyurl.com/77dcuksd and tinyurl.com/322ap7s8 for Ector Theatre concert.
