Steve Jones, Community Builder

In 2011, after studying with Dave Peck and attending jazz workshops to learn how to play in ensembles, Steve started Seattle Area Jazz Musicians, a Meetup group with over 800 amateur jazz musicians who use it to find one another to find jams and form ensembles.

As of 2026, Steve's launched Community 2.0 for Seattle area jazz musicians, and it's on this very site. It's not Meetup or a flat directory of names and phone numbers that hackers can scrape. Instead, it's an active system that lets players and venues dynamically connect with the talent they need, when they need it.