The Brookfield Jazz Society (BJS) is a non-profit organization set up with the aim of providing a safe place for people of all ages to relax and enjoy jazz music (there are no joining or membership fees). The idea of starting the Society came to Ian Tiele when he moved from England to live in Brookfield in 2002. The Society started out as the "Brookfield Jazz and Blues Society," later shortening this to just the "Brookfield Jazz Society."
We held our first meeting on March 24th, 2005 in the conference room at Brookfield Village Hall. In September 2005, we started holding live gigs in the Cottage (function room) at Irish Times Bar and Restaurant. In January 2006 the society moved across the road to the Cottage for all meetings until June 2014, when scheduling problems with the availability of the Cottage required us to find a new home. From July 17th, 2014 our new meeting venue is in the lower level banquet room at Sawa's Old Warsaw in Broadview. Our meetings currently run from 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. every Thursday evening.
The society has a solid membership that listens to all styles of jazz (and also some blues). It is a place where you can relax and hear great music, be entertained by informative presentations and watch jazz movies and rare concert footage. Our presenters are members, musicians, radio presenters and other enthusiasts. We also have "Jazz Social Nights," where members and guests choose the music that is played that evening.
Once a month, we stage live jazz using the cream of Chicagoland's musicians and vocalists. Check out the Events page for up-to-date details of our future live events.
If you are knowlegable on a particular aspect of jazz, why not volunteer to give a presentation? Talks are informal and you don't have to be an expert, just enthusiastic about your subject. Please contact Ian Tiele if this is something that you would be interested in doing.
Website designed by Ian Tiele
All photographs and other material used on this website are the property of Ian Tiele/Brookfield Jazz Society, unless stated otherwise, and no such material shall be used by any other persons, without our prior written consent.