April Organization Member of the Month

Congratulations to April’s Organization of the Month the Mystic Order of the Jazz Obsessed (MOJO)!

Founded on September 10, 2001, in the heart of the city known as “The Mother of the Mystics,” MOJO began as a bold vision by jazz enthusiast Kevin Lee. Armed with a poster of Miles Davis, a stylized saxophone, and an infectious spirit, Lee set the tone for what would become a lasting movement. He famously opened MOJO’s first gathering by striking a metal bowl with a spoon and declaring, “Hi, I’m Kevin, and I’m a jazzaholic.” The crowd responded in kind, “Hi, Kevin,” and with that, MOJO was born! A name, a mission, and a growing community united by swing, soul, and jazz.

Since that inaugural meeting, MOJO has worked tirelessly to preserve, perform, and promote jazz as a cultural cornerstone. Their commitment goes far beyond admiration, it’s a dynamic force for education, equity, and celebration. MOJO actively supports educational programs for youth and adults, performance opportunities for jazz musicians across all levels and concert production. They put emphasis on the recognition of jazz as a vital regional cultural treasure.

MOJO hosts a Jazz Jambalaya every fourth Monday, this is an evening of live jazz, delicious food, a historic ambiance, and fabulous people, with a bit of jazz history and information. This month join them Monday, April 28, 2025 at the Club 601 @ The Elks for Ryan Raziano and Friends. The Hattiesburg, Mississippi, based saxophonist whose quartet brings loads of original post-Bop work to perform for those lucky enough to catch this performance.

This month, we tip our hats to MOJO, who embodies the soul, history, and future of America’s original music. Thank you for keeping the rhythm alive and helping us all stay just a little more obsessed with jazz every month of the year.