Picture this: an auditorium full of students in Grafton, North Dakota, clapping and cheering. On stage, JAS Quintet is performing. The students, grades 3 through 7, scream so loud after each solo that you’d think they were at a Taylor Swift concert.
This isn’t your typical day in Grafton, a town of 4,000. Jazz doesn’t exactly fill the airwaves here. For many of these kids, it’s their first time hearing live jazz—and they are loving it.
Bringing Jazz to Small Towns
For JAS Quintet, though, this scene is nothing new. Members of this five-piece group have been playing in rural towns across South Dakota for over a decade thanks to local touring grants.
Their mission? Introduce jazz to the next generation—kids who might never hear it otherwise. They estimate that they’ve performed for over 65,000 students over the years.
“I try to share what we’re doing, letting audiences know that what they’re hearing is unique and we’ll never play it again,” says band co-founder Joel Shotwell, speaking about improvisation and jazz. “I like to go into how this music evolved, and how American it really is.”
JAS Quintet includes Shotwell on saxophone, along with Jeffrey Paul (keys), Andrew Reinartz (bass), Daniel Heier (drums), and Jim Speirs (trumpet).
Together, they create a sound that blends original jazz pieces with timeless classics.
A Tour Fueled by Music (and a Grant)
JAS Quintet’s latest tour, made possible by a Jazz Road grant from South Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, took them through North Dakota for the first time. And at each stop, they reached new audiences of jazz listeners.
Over in Bismarck, they held workshops to coach high school musicians, helping them hone their craft. In Valley City, they played for a group of engaged college students, who peppered the quintet with questions after the show finished.
On the way home, they stopped at Aberdeen’s Red Rooster, a multi-purpose café with a stage and an art room in the back.
“Right when you walk in, you know it feels inclusive,” says Shotwell. “You’re like, oh, there are people here who probably wouldn’t fit in a lot of places in a small town in South Dakota.”
It was a particularly special gig for the band, who believe in creating spaces where everyone can listen and learn.
Coming Together for Jazz
Back home in Sioux Falls, drummer Daniel Heier hosts a monthly community jam session. It’s been going strong for almost nine years now.
Audience members of all ages can experience “sitting in” – a jazz term for improvising alongside a band.
“It’s definitely something I wish I had when I was coming up on the scene,” says Shotwell.
For JAS Quintet, it’s not just about playing music. It’s also about getting people—especially young people—excited about jazz.
“The biggest challenge is just convincing people that this music is worth their time,” he explains. “If people can get their eyes open to what jazz is, maybe they’ll be compelled to go listen again.”