2026 Award Applications are Closed
Honoring the memory of John Stites and his passion for jazz music
Honoring the memory of John Stites and his passion for jazz music
Posted September 22, 2026
The John Stites Jazz Artist Organization is honored to support the Connecting Chords Music Festival’s presentation of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts. The program will be presented on Saturday, October 3 at 7:00 pm at the First United Methodist Church of Kalamazoo. The Duke Ellington Sacred Concerts are a trilogy of musical compositions created by the legendary American jazz composer and bandleader from 1965-1973. Ellington’s big band orchestration incorporates jazz improvisation, gospel vocals, choral elements, and spiritual themes. These compositions were created during the latter portion of Ellington’s career when he was moving away from secular music and incorporated influences from his earlier compositions, which emphasized praise, worship, and testimonies of personal faith. Today these compositions are performed in ecclesiastical settings worldwide.
The JSJAO is particularly pleased to be a part of this project, which supports John Stite’s mission of “expanding public awareness and appreciation of jazz”. John lived and worked in Kalamazoo for 50 years and was an active participant in the rich musical heritage of this community. He would have considered it a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate what can be accomplished when his musical friends and colleagues collaborate to undertake a project of this magnitude. Tickets can be purchased by accessing the link below: HERE
This is the first time in 60 years that the Elllington Sacred Concerts have been performed in West Michigan. JSJAO congratulates the vision of the Director of Sacred Music of Michigan and the dedication of the Director of the Western Michigan University Jazz Orchestra, along with all the vocal and dance participants, for their initiative and hard work in presenting the Ellington Sacred Concerts to the Kalamazoo community.
John was kind and patient with great attention to details. He loved good music of all sorts...
Joel Mabus
The John Stites Jazz Awards (JSJA) are funded by the John Stites Jazz Artist Organization.
The organization funds advanced studies for emerging jazz musicians, as well as personal development projects which enhance their career opportunities.