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The Jazz Society of Fairfield County (JazzFC) was formed to enrich the cultural life of Fairfield County by promoting the performance and appreciation of Jazz and its heritage.

We offer free or low-cost concerts by accomplished artists, outreach to under-served audiences, and educational and performance opportunities for student, amateur and emerging professional musicians. We are also committed to the maintenance and preservation of our historic 1937 Steinway Model M grand piano, formerly the house piano at the famous Village Gate jazz club in New York City, which has been played by an extensive list of iconic jazz musicians and appears on many recordings.

Presenting regular local concerts since 2015, JazzFC hosts a weekly jazz club, “Jazz at the Post”, in partnership with Westport’s Joseph J. Clinton VFW Post 399, with celebrated jazz artists such as Ethan Iverson, Antonio Hart, David Kikoski, Harvie S, and Joe Farnsworth as well as introducing our audience to the new generation of musicians moving the tradition forward.

We provide outreach to seniors, benefit performances for Veterans, and student musician clinics led by world-class professional musicians, followed by live performance opportunities by the students with their clinicians. In 2022 we launched a scholarship award for deserving students pursuing a higher education in music.

JazzFC is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization.

1937 Steinway Model M

We are tirelessly committed to the maintenance and preservation of our historic Steinway grand piano. Formerly the house piano at the famous Village Gate jazz club in New York City, it has been played by a long list of iconic jazz musicians and inspires our efforts.

Special thanks to our members for their generous contributions.  Without them, the upkeep of this valuable piece of musical history would not be possible.

President & Artistic Director

Greg Wall

Saxophonist Rabbi Greg Wall AKA (“The Jazz Rabbi”) moved to NYC in 1982, after completing his degree at the famed New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Early studies with Archie Shepp, Frank Foster and George Coleman put him on track to develop an expansive palette of Jazz expression. 
 
Greg honed his craft playing in countless bands, touring with a wide range of avant-garde and traditional projects, and at venues from Carnegie Hall, the Village Vanguard, the Blue Note, the  Bottom Line, Symphony Space, Roulette and the King Cole Room at the St. Regis, and finally finding his home in the “Downtown Scene”, a group of improvisers based at NYC’s Knitting Factory, that blurred the lines between musical genres and styles. 
 
Greg toured internationally with Hasidic New Wave, Later Prophets, Neshama Carlebach, Zion 80 and started a long musical relationship with choreographer Carolyn Dorfman, writing and recording quite a few full length commissioned scores.
He was the musical voice of Jame Earl Jones in the feature film, “On the QT”, and wrote music and appeared in Jonah Hill’s Hollywood film, “The Sitter”, and recorded with the “Unity Orchestra”, an 8 piece Pan-Global Jam Band.
 
Along the way Greg discovered his ancestral roots and started studying medieval Rabbinic texts “in his spare time” and was ordained as Rabbi in 2006. He served as rabbi at the historic 6th Street Synagogue in the East Village and founded the Center for Jewish Arts and Literacy (CJAL) in 2009. Greg also developed his skills as a producer of concerts and recordings, and produced over 60 recordings for the Pioneers for Cure project, including performances by Ben E. King, Chris Potter, David Broza, Yehoram Gaon, and NY Voices.
 
In 2013, Greg moved to Westport to become the rabbi of Beit Chaverim Synagogue. Shortly after an inaugural concert at Town Hall featuring Hasidic New Wave, Zion80 and the 18 piece Ayn Sof Arkestra, Greg started re-exploring his early love for classic Jazz and started playing at several Westport venues before joining forces with a few local Jazz lovers (who would become the founders of JazzFC) and together they created a weekly Thursday night Jazz scene in Westport featuring world class musicians , and slowly developed an audience base that is committed to supporting traditional Jazz
 
After a COVID induced hiatus from local performances (the saxophone was considered a super spreader!) Greg connected with Westport’s VFW Post 399 and Jazz at the Post was born in April of 2022. After 2 years of weekly concerts with some of the brightest stars in the Jazz World, Greg is constantly thinking of ways to increase access to America’s first original art form for new and underserved audiences.
 
You can read about Greg’s musical/spiritual mashup here
You can see Greg in conversation with Dan Woog here

Board of Directors

Dr. Richard Epstein

Vice President
A Westport native and dentist, Richard and his wife Ina Chadwick founded Thursday night jazz when saxophonist Greg Wall moved here in 2014. Richard plays bassoon in the Norwalk Symphony, alto sax with the Westport Community Band, and is working on his jazz chops. He mentors young musicians in KEYS and other programs. He has served in leadership positions on the boards of many local arts organizations and the Westport Arts Advisory Committee. Richard has hosted “Sometimes Classical”, an eclectic music show on WPKN radio since 1977 that he calls his “ultimate play time”.

Mark Shornick

Treasurer
Mark Shornick, CPA became JazzFC’s Treasurer upon joining our Board in September 2023.  Mark has more than 40 years’ experience managing financial operations for growing technology enterprises from startup to successful exit.  A lifetime avid jazz listener, Mark’s career includes tenures in electronic sensor technology, financial risk analytics and MusicTech.   Mark also serves as Finance Officer and Adjutant for the Sons of the American Legion’s Squadron 63 in Westport, Connecticut.

Eric Bibler

Eric is a retired financial services industry professional, jazz enthusiast and founding member of JazzFC. He lives in Weston, CT, where he is an active member of the Weston Volunteer EMS and has devoted much of his time in recent years to land and forest conservation and the preservation of local character in Rhode Island, Nantucket, and Cape Cod. Inspired by the phenomenal jazz musicians who now regularly perform in Westport (and with considerable encouragement from his wife, Christina, who preceded him in pursuing a similar path on jazz piano), Eric has been learning to play the upright bass since 2018 – something that did not remotely occur to him prior to his involvement with JazzFC.

Raphael Elkind

Raphe attended Music and Art High School, studying classical piano and clarinet, in New York City but discovered jazz on WBGO radio in his early teens. It was the 1970’s and he expanded his musical tastes to include Chick Corea, Weather Report and George Benson. Thanks to JazzFC, WPKN radio and Smoke Jazz Club, his jazz journey continues. He is thrilled that now, with Jazz at the Post, Westport and Fairfield County have access to world class live jazz. Professionally, after teaching fifth grade for nearly 30 years, he continues to work individually with students as a Learning Coach. He also sits on the board of Save the Sound, our region’s most impactful environmental organization.

Elissa Moses

Elissa is a marketing strategist and research consultant with experience at corporations (Philips, Gillette, and Seagram), and agencies (BBDO, DMB&B, EMSENSE and IPSOS). She specializes in marketing to Gen Z, Innovation and Technology, and has taught in the Graduate Technology Management Program at Columbia University. She is a recognized pioneer in Neuromarketing, and has authored a book, numerous chapters, and articles. Currently she is CEO of BrainGroup Global, a strategy and research consultancy, and advisor to multiple organizations. Importantly, she is passionate about jazz and promoting the arts to youth.

Christina Morrow

Christina has been a lover of jazz since she got her first Nat King Cole 45 at the age of 3! Professionally, she is a Somatic Therapist, specifically in the field of trauma. Playing music and painting are priorities when she is not working. For her, art, music, and healing are a seamless flow. Jazz provides a current of joy and awe that restores and reconnects us to life. All of this done in the spirit of community makes Jazz on Thursday nights a nourishing gift, and as a result, Christina became one of the founding board members.

It don't support itself!

It's up to you to support live jazz in Fairfield County with a tax-deductible contribution! Consider helping us bring live jazz and its appreciation to our community with our weekly club Jazz at the Post, outreach to students and seniors, maintenance of our legendary piano, and fund scholarships and special events.
JazzFC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization.

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