- December 4, 2025
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Chris Cournoyer listened to his first real jazz records at the age of 16 or 17, thanks to Selby Public Library, which was then located at 1001 Blvd. of the Arts.
He checked out one vinyl of Charles Mingus, another of Oscar Peterson, and another of Modern Jazz Quartet.
It was perhaps fitting that he could be found at the library’s current location, 1331 First St., as he lent the sound of his bass to Jazz Jam SRQ on Aug. 18.
Cournoyer said he has been coming to the event because it was “a good thing to commit to” and a chance to be involved in the community.
Held twice a month and sponsored by the Sarasota Jazz Club, the jazz jam sessions allow people of different skills levels to gather for an improvised musical session, while providing a free experience for those who come to listen.
Recently, Jazz Jam SRQ has also expanded to serving those learning the fundamentals of jazz.
The event is part of the Music in the Libraries series of events by Sarasota County Libraries, which features free performances for the public.
The event “started by accident,” according to its founder Ron Kushner.
Kushner, an intermediate jazz pianist, said when he moved to the area in November 2021, he didn’t know anyone, so he created a group on the website Nextdoor for fellow jazz jammers.
Within two weeks, 40 people had responded.
Still, around spring 2022, the group encountered the need for a venue that wasn't cost-prohibitive because of insurance.
Selby Library, where the group was considered eligible to perform without insurance, turned out to be a fit.
“We’re really thankful for the libraries, to allow us to use their space,” said Prince Knight, who took over leadership of the program from Kushner about a month ago
Since October 2022, the event has been held on a twice-monthly basis.
“What we were interested in is not just having jam sessions every now and then, but trying to build a community of people who like to play jazz, so that was really the objective that I had in mind,” Kushner said.
Indeed, the music itself is described by performers as a conversation between people.
One individual is designated as the lead, calling the tune, key, rhythm and tempo, and then improvising on the music before passing their role off to someone else.
The group will find a way to bring the song to a close, and performers alternate across the course of the event.
“It’s all about listening to what other people are doing, and when you do that, you don’t interrupt," said Dave Becker, a professional musician who plays with the group and is working towards playing jazz. "You try to avoid interrupting, or you try to guide them verbally or nonverbally to go with you in a certain direction. There’s a conversation, and when it’s working, there’s conversations back and forth, musical conversations.”
Although there is a core group of musicians that attends, visitors are common as well. Knight says the events draw up to 30 musicians and anywhere from 50 to 150 people.
There are even professional musicians who will stop in to play with the group.
And then, there are those people who attend but are intimidated by the prospect of performing, an issue which the club created a program to address.
Eight months ago, it began offering a fundamentals group, which hosted its first performance for the public on Aug. 18 at the start of the jam session.
These sessions are part of its educational outreach that also includes sessions for more experienced players, which can delve deeper into theory.
Leading the fundamentals group is John Hill, a former professor of percussion at Murray State University in Kentucky.
Hill found his way into the role while filling in for the part of a drummer, and says his inner educator revealed itself when he began offering advice and corrections to other members.
As a result, he was hired to serve as an instructor.
“What is so cool about the jam session is we have many levels,” Hill said. “There's some people that are pros and some people are not, and it's a jam session, so there's no mores per se, other than try to play better…. Sometimes, it sounds amazing. I’ve had some Mondays here, I walked out and went, ‘That was awesome. That really was awesome.”
He's says he's also found a family in the group.
“They welcome me with open arms, and they're a lot of fun," he said. "They have a good sense of humor... Everybody just tries to do their best, and it’s just a real joy to come here.”
Ken Carle attended the fundamentals group for his third time on Aug. 18.
“I just enjoy playing with the other guys there, and it’s just a lot of fun,” he said.
He also praised Hill's leadership.
“John, the leader of our group is very good,” he said. “He’s very encouraging, as well as very knowledgable as far as what to tell everybody. You always go away from the group here feeling that you’ve accomplished something.”
