A Jazz Jam will take place at 8 p.m. tonight in the University Center Down Under. The event will be hosted by the UW-Whitewater chapter of Jazz Music Educators. This is the first event hosted by the new organization, although it is not the first jazz jam.

JEN formed after the national collapse of a different jazz educators program called International Jazz Educators. Since last year, the group has been working to restart all of the programs that existed with IJE, such as jazz jams and the swing dance.

“We encourage any students and faculty that can make it out to either come watch or play,” sophomore music major Patrick Johnson said.  “We really want to have lots of people come enjoy the great jazz music here at UW-Whitewater. I would like to remind anyone, music major or not, that they can come play if they simply enjoying playing jazz. This isn’t a set group of people, but rather a gathering of people who love jazz.”

JEN will accept donations while the event is going on. There will also be more jazz jams and upcoming jazz events in the Center of the Arts.