The Jazz Loft

What The Jazz Loft does

The Jazz Loft is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit jazz institution operating from a Town of Brookhaven landmark building at 275 Christian Avenue, Stony Brook, NY, originally constructed in the late 18th century and converted into the organization in spring 2016 after more than a decade of vacancy. It combines three operational pillars under one roof: live jazz performance (more than 250 concerts annually across resident series and festivals), preservation and museum exhibits (more than 40,000 memorabilia items including the world's largest Charlie Parker collection and significant holdings from Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Keely Smith, Bobby Darin, and Harry Belafonte across 6,000 square feet of display space), and jazz education through the Loft School of Jazz (Saturday year-round program, $3,000 annual tuition) and Summer Jazz Camp ($675 per week).

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model spanning ticketed performances, a seven-tier Friends Circle membership program ($75 to $2,500 annually), museum admission ($5–$10 with free entry for children under 12, Thu–Sat hours), venue rentals of the Milt Hinton Room, Basie Garden, Performance space, and Upstairs Gallery, education tuition with financial aid, plus grants from NYSCA, Suffolk County, foundations (Huntington Arts Council, Gardiner Foundation), and corporate concert sponsorships. The organization is staffed by approximately six employees plus a Board of Directors and is governed by President & Founder Dr. Thomas J. Manuel. Customers include local jazz enthusiasts, grades 7–12 student musicians, seniors in the Young at Heart music therapy program, individual donors, and regional corporate sponsors.

In March 2026, The Jazz Loft expanded geographically by acquiring the 144-year-old Vail-Leavitt Music Hall in Riverhead from the Town of Riverhead, and in July 2026 it launched the inaugural Jazz Loft @ Southampton Summer Jazz Festival at the Avram Theater, marking its first programming outside Stony Brook Village.

Name

The Jazz Loft

Legal name

The Jazz Loft, Inc.

Website

https://thejazzloft.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Jazz Loft is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit jazz performance venue, museum, and education center in Stony Brook, NY, hosting 250+ annual shows and housing the world's largest Charlie Parker collection across 40,000+ memorabilia items. It serves jazz enthusiasts, grades 7–12 students, and the Long Island community through performances, exhibits, and education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue and Jazz Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Music Schools & Conservatory Prep (Pre-College) (EDAMANAE), Music Camps (Band, Choir, Instrument Intensive) (EDAMALAJ), Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

Keywords

• Jazz museum
• Live jazz performances
• Jazz education programs
• Jazz memorabilia exhibits
• Performing arts venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Stony Brook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Performance Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales for evening concerts and performances featuring local, national, and international jazz artists.
2. Friends Circle Memberships: Seven-tiered membership program ranging from $75 (LI Sound) to $2,500 (Royal Roost), providing unlimited museum access, presale access, discounts, and exclusive events.
3. Education Programs: Loft School of Jazz annual tuition at $3,000 per student, and Summer Camp at $675 for the week. Includes all-inclusive coverage for concerts and events.
4. Venue Rentals: The Jazz Loft offers venue rental opportunities including the Milt Hinton Room, Basie Garden, Performance space, and Upstairs Gallery.
5. Museum Admission: General admission fees: Adults $10, Seniors $7, Students $5, Children under 12 free. Museum hours Thu-Sat 12 PM – 5 PM.
6. Grants and Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded through government grants (NYSCA, Suffolk County), foundation grants (Huntington Arts Council, Gardiner Foundation), corporate sponsorships, and individual donations.
7. Event Sponsorships: Concert sponsorships from businesses and individuals supporting specific concerts, festivals, exhibitions, and educational programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Jazz Loft is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a jazz performance venue, museum, and education center in Stony Brook, NY. It hosts 250+ live jazz performances annually across multiple series, preserves more than 40,000 items of jazz memorabilia including the world's largest Charlie Parker collection, and runs jazz education programs including the Loft School of Jazz and Summer Camp for student musicians.

Product overview

The Jazz Loft is a jazz performance venue, museum, and education center in Stony Brook, NY, celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026. The organization operates as a unified cultural institution combining three core pillars: live jazz performances (featuring over 250 annual shows across multiple series including Big Band Thursdays, Strictly Sinatra, and the Cinema Jazz Series), jazz preservation through extensive exhibits (housing the world's largest Charlie Parker collection, Ella Fitzgerald gowns, Tony Bennett memorabilia, and artifacts from Keely Smith, Bobby Darin, and Harry Belafonte), and jazz education via the Loft School of Jazz year-round program and annual Summer Camp for students grades 7-12. The Jazz Loft also produces several annual festivals including the Harbor Jazz Festival, Art of the Guitar Festival, Swing into Spring, and Stages with a Purpose (SWAP). Additionally, it has expanded by acquiring the historic Vail-Leavitt Theatre in Riverhead. The organization generates revenue through concert tickets, memberships (Friends Circle with tiers from $75-$2,500), venue rentals, and sponsorships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Loft School of Jazz: A youth jazz education program offering training in improvisation, ensemble skills, and musicianship with a devoted faculty.
• Loft School of Jazz Summer Camp
• Young at Heart
• Swing Into Spring Festival
• Harbor Jazz Festival
• John Monteleone Art of the Guitar Festival
• Stages with a Purpose (SWAP)
• Strictly Sinatra
• Cinema Jazz Series
• Jazz 101
• Big Band Thursdays
• Vail-Leavitt
• Friends Circle

Products and services

• Jazz Performances
• Jazz Exhibits and Museum
• Loft School of Jazz

Quantifiable outcome

• 250+ shows annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Town of RiverheadcoreOthers · 1 March 2026Sale of historic Vail-Leavitt Music Hall transferred from Town of Riverhead to The Jazz Loft. 144-year-old theater pending renovation and revival. Supported by Riverhead community donors, Suffolk County, and New York State funding.
• Stony Brook UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Ongoing collaboration including Dr. Thomas Manuel serving as Stony Brook University Endowed Artist in Residence; joint Pre-College Jazz Institute program; Summer Stage With A Purpose (SWAP) partnership; performances at Staller Center on campus.
• Stony Brook MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Joint partner in Summer Stage With A Purpose (SWAP) free outdoor concert series held on Jazz Loft front lawn. Collaboration reflects commitment to community cultural enrichment.
• Riverhead Community DonorsminorOthers · 1 January 2026Community donors contributed to purchase and will support renovations for Vail-Leavitt Theatre revival.
• Canopus DrumsminorOthersEndorsement relationship with Dr. Darrell Smith as drummer/performer since 2019.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Smalls Jazz Club: Intimate New York City jazz club known for nightly live programming and jam sessions. Comparable as a live-jazz-focused venue culture, but operates as a small for-profit club rather than a museum/education nonprofit.
• Birdland Jazz Club: Long-running New York City jazz club presenting live jazz performances. Comparable as a dedicated jazz performance venue, though operating as a for-profit commercial club rather than a nonprofit museum/education hybrid.

Direct peers

• American Jazz Museum: Kansas City-based jazz museum featuring exhibitions, educational programs, and live performances. Comparable as a nonprofit jazz museum combining preservation, education, and live programming — one of the small set of dedicated jazz museums in the US alongside The Jazz Loft.
• New Orleans Jazz Museum: Jazz museum located in the Old U.S. Mint in New Orleans, preserving jazz history and hosting performances and educational programming. Comparable as a historic-venue jazz museum combining exhibits and live music in a landmark building.
• National Jazz Museum in Harlem: A jazz museum and cultural center in Harlem dedicated to preserving, promoting, and presenting jazz. Directly comparable as one of the few dedicated jazz museums in the US, with exhibits, performances, and education programming serving a similar mission.

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Hall: Iconic nonprofit performing arts presenter offering concerts, education, and community programs. Comparable as a nonprofit venue combining ticketed performances, education, and donor-funded operations, though focused on classical and broader genres rather than jazz specifically.
• The Blue Note: Internationally recognized jazz club chain with venues in NYC and worldwide, presenting major jazz artists. Comparable as a high-profile live jazz venue brand, though operating commercially across multiple global locations rather than as a single nonprofit cultural institution.
• Jazz at Lincoln Center: Major nonprofit organization presenting jazz performances, education, and advocacy from Lincoln Center in New York. Comparable mission (jazz performance, preservation, and education) but operates at vastly larger scale and national reach.
• Smithsonian National Museum of American History (Jazz Collections): Houses significant jazz collections (including the Smithsonian Jazz program) within the broader Smithsonian complex. Comparable as a major institutional steward of jazz memorabilia and programming, though embedded within a much larger museum operation.

Emerging players

• Jazz Foundation of America: Nonprofit organization supporting jazz and blues musicians in need through financial aid, housing, and healthcare. Comparable as a jazz-focused nonprofit, though its mission centers on musician welfare rather than performance venue, museum, and education programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-jazz-loft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Jazz Loft