The MCR Interview:
Improvising a Dream: David Rodgers and the Birth of the Nashville Jazz Festival
For pianist and composer David Rodgers, the idea of a Nashville Jazz Festival has been simmering for more than a decade. Ever since arriving in the city as a Vanderbilt student in 2013, Rodgers imagined a large-scale event that could showcase the deep pool of jazz talent living and working in Music City. Now, as Artistic Director of the Nashville Jazz Workshop, he’s making that vision a reality.
This fall’s first-ever Nashville Jazz Festival, co-curated with Grammy-winning saxophonist Jeff Coffin, brings together a dynamic mix of veteran players, rising stars, and educators who represent the breadth of the city’s jazz landscape. The two-day event not only celebrates artistry but also channels its success back into education—ten percent of proceeds will go toward NJW’s Scholarship Fund for emerging musicians.
In this interview with Joseph Morgan from the Music City Review, Rodgers discusses how the festival came together, the principles that shaped its lineup, and his hopes for what it might mean for Nashville’s musical identity. From the city’s distinctive, genre-crossing jazz sound to the growing sense of community around it, Rodgers sees this inaugural year not as a culmination, but as the starting note of something much bigger.
Joseph Morgan [JM]: What first gave you the idea for a Nashville Jazz Festival, and how long has it been in the making?
David Rodgers [DR]: It’s been a dream of mine since I moved here in 2013 as a Vanderbilt student. Ever since arriving in Nashville, I’ve envisioned a major festival that could celebrate the incredible jazz musicians who call this city home. When I joined NJW in 2024, I saw so much potential for the ways this organization could energize Nashville’s jazz scene, and over the past 20 months, we’ve seen our concert attendance more than double, the community’s enthusiasm grow, and the moment felt ripe to create something that could represent Nashville’s jazz community on a larger scale.
JM: When you and Jeff Coffin curated this first year’s lineup, what guiding ideas or values shaped your artist choices?
DR: Our guiding value was connection – uniting Nashville’s many sectors of jazz under one banner. Jeff and I wanted the lineup to reflect the full spectrum of our city’s scene: from veteran artists who’ve shaped the sound of Music City for decades to younger innovators who are redefining it for a new generation. We also wanted to feature musicians who embody both artistry and mentorship – artists who don’t just perform at the highest level but also pour into the next generation through education.
JM: How did you balance showcasing Nashville’s own jazz community with bringing in national and international names?
DR: The balance happened organically because so many of Nashville’s top jazz musicians are already world-class artists. Players like Marcus Finnie, Emmanuel Echem, and Jennifer Hartswick are touring and recording internationally, yet they call Nashville home. We intentionally kept this first year centered on our city, with just a few national guests like Tia Fuller and Cory Wong (who has deep Nashville ties) to bring in an outside voice. The result feels authentically “Nashville,” while still resonating on a national level.
JM: What are particular highlights of the festival for you?
DR: Education is always at the heart of what we do at NJW, and it’s one of the highlights of the festival. I’m especially proud that 10% of all festival proceeds go directly to our NJW Scholarship Fund, helping young artists access world-class jazz education. Another highlight is seeing our NJW Rising Stars Ensemble perform alongside our faculty and guest artists – that intergenerational exchange is what jazz is all about.
JM: What kinds of audiences did you hope to reach, is this festival for the expert, the aficionado or the regular music lover?
DR: It’s for everyone. Whether you’re a lifelong jazz fan or simply love great live music, this festival was designed to be inclusive. We want people to walk away inspired – to feel that sense of joy and community that happens when great musicians come together and truly listen to one another.
JM: Were there any unexpected challenges or happy surprises in putting together this inaugural edition?
DR: We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have so many people step up and support this first year. Ron Brice and the team at 3rd & Lindsley have been amazing partners – their generosity and expertise helped make this possible. I’ve also been deeply moved by the buy-in from sponsors and donors. To see global brands like Yamaha, Fender, and Pearl rally behind a Nashville jazz festival in its first year has been a joyful surprise.
JM: What does “success” look like to you — artistically, educationally, and community-wise — for this first year?
DR: I think we did it. Both days are closing in on totally selling out, the lineup is extraordinary, and we achieved our goal of bringing together Nashville’s diverse jazz community under one roof. Artistically, the performances will undoubtedly be inspiring; educationally, we’ve strengthened our scholarship fund and created meaningful student performance opportunities; and community-wise, the outpouring of enthusiasm proved that Nashville is ready for a major jazz festival.
JM: Do you see the festival expanding in future years (in scale, number of venues, educational components, etc.)?
DR: What that looks like remains to be seen – maybe additional venues, more student ensembles, or partnerships with local universities and schools. The possibilities are wide open, but what’s certain is that this is only the beginning.
JM: How would you characterize the Nashville Jazz Scene? How does it compare with other cities in the south?
DR: Nashville’s jazz scene is unlike any other. You have musicians who are deeply rooted in jazz but also immersed in Nashville’s broader music industry – recording, touring, composing, and producing across genres. That cross-pollination gives the city’s jazz a certain modernity and polish that feels distinct. Jazz here is both a creative outlet and a first love, and it’s informed by the incredible musicianship that defines Music City as a whole.
JM: What do you hope this festival will mean for Nashville’s identity as a jazz city in the long term?
DR: My hope is that it puts Nashville on the map as a true jazz city. Everyone knows us as the home of country music – and that’s something to be proud of – but there’s so much more to the musical story here. The Nashville Jazz Festival is about showcasing that “so much more.” I hope it helps redefine how people see Music City: not just as the center of one genre, but as a place where a wide variety of great music, including jazz, thrives.
It feels like the beginning of a new era. With the Nashville Jazz Festival, David Rodgers invites the city to listen differently—to hear the syncopation beneath the skyline, the improvisation in its rhythm of change. His project is both a tribute and a challenge: to recognize jazz not as an outlier in Music City, but as one of its most eloquent and enduring languages. The Festival happens at 3rd and Lindsley, October 25th and 26th. Schedule and Tickets available here: https://www.nashvillejazz.org/jazz-festival
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Joseph E. Morgan is a father of two, husband, teacher and recovering guitarist in Middle Tennessee.
