Swindon Jazz Society was originally established in 1962 as a Charitable Organisation under the auspices of the Swindon Public Libraries. For some 30 years our home was the Art Centre in Devizes Road but since the beginning of 2001 our meetings have been held at the Kings Arms Hotel in Wood Street. Our monthly recital evenings take place on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm and are open to all. Our officers are all fanatical record and CD collectors and between them probably have access to a library of more than 12,000 recordings as well as a wide range of written material, musician biographies, histories, etc., as well as several hundred original photographs taken at concerts and festivals.

Although we are primarily a record appreciation society we have a long history of promoting live jazz in Swindon. At the Art Centre we have presented concerts by such musicians as pianists Teddy Wilson and Art Hodes, trumpeter Bill Berry, saxophonists Al Cohn and Sonny Stitt and guitarist Al Casey who used to play with Fats Waller's Rhythm. Under the umbrella of the Thamesdown / Hambro Festival in the early 1980s we were instrumental in bringing such stellar artists as Oscar Peterson, the Count Basie Orchestra and the Peanuts Hucko Pied Piper Quintet to the Town. At the Sheraton Suite we presented the American trombonist Kai Winding and also a re-creation of the Bruce Turner Jump Band.

From the time of the society's formation in 1962 until his death in November 2000, Tony Hazell was the leading light of the Society and also one of the main champions for jazz in Swindon. He was the prime mover behind Swindon Jazz Front, which for a decade in the late 80s and early 90s presented the cutting edge of the new jazz at the Link Centre. Since the demise of Jazz Front there has been no regular venue for live jazz of a high quality in Swindon. It is mainly thanks to a legacy from Tony that the Society was in a position to launch a new venture.

From September 2002, Swindon Jazz Society has been running a monthly programme of live jazz events in the upstairs room at the Kings Hotel in Wood Street. We are grateful to the management of the Kings for giving us the use of the venue and also to Pianoforte of Faringdon for providing us with a piano on free loan. We are a non profit making organisation and any surplus we do make, is ploughed back into improving the future programme.

During our first 18 month of live gigs, we have brought to the Kings musicians like Art Themen, Craig Milverton, John Crichinson, Alan Barnes, Henry Lowther, Dave Newton, Clark Tracey and Alec Dankworth. Vocalists Maggie Reeday, Clare Teal, Tina May, Lee Gibson and Marlene Verplanck have all appeared.

To improve the quality of the artists at our monthly gigs, or to again invite a big name to Swindon, we would welcome sponsorship from any Company that feels that jazz at this high level would promote their image in the town.