Arts & Culture
Jazzophiles Welcome
It’s a swingin’ good time every time you set foot in the same space as the CJO or attend one of the annual Charleston Jazz Festival performances that grace local stages each year.
Observant locals looking at our newly released Fall 2026 edition of Fig Magazine probably noticed a certain prominent Charleston personality on the cover. Yes, that was none other than local jazz legend Charlton Singleton, playing some dulcet tunes on his horn while leaning against a moody downtown wall.
And while Charleston may not have the well-known jazz chops of cities like New Orleans or Chicago, our bragging rights include musical greats and Grammy Award winners like Singleton, drummer Quentin Baxter, their band Ranky Tanky, and many more. Plus, we’ve got Charleston Jazz, a local nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to the art of jazz. And oh, what a program they run!
Charleston Jazz has been part of the broader local music scene since 2008, reaching thousands of groovy jazz aficionados each year through dynamic performances by the Charleston Jazz Orchestra and the Charleston Jazz Festival. Many well-known jazz greats have passed through our fair city, and the CJO has been known to honor legends from Count Basie to Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and so many more. It’s a swingin’ good time every time you set foot in the same space as the CJO or attend one of the annual Charleston Jazz Festival performances that grace local stages each year.
And Charleston Jazz doesn’t stop there. Its education programs and ongoing community engagement have created lasting change in the Lowcountry, igniting creativity, fostering teamwork and celebrating self-expression. The Charleston Jazz Academy, in particular, works to inspire the next generation, offering students of all backgrounds and ages a collaborative, fun and challenging environment where they can expand their repertoire and nurture their musical and improvisational skills.
Key components of jazz are front and center, including teamwork and collaboration, as students learn from some of the most talented musicians in the business. Through the work of Charleston Jazz, this truly American art form will continue growing and changing for decades to come. So, if you’ve got a hankering for some syncopated rhythms, look no further than the Holy City, and definitely check out Charleston Jazz. You’ll groove, you’ll bebop and you’ll be so happy that you did.
Want to discover more local? Follow Fig Magazine on Facebook and Instagram for inspiration.
