The Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation (JSJBF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization open to anyone interested in supporting jazz and blues. The foundation's mission is to preserve, promote, and perpetuate jazz, blues, and other indigenous music forms in New Jersey.
In 1985 a group of musicians, writers, and educators, along with many jazz & blues music fans, produced a music festival at Sandy Hook National Park. Building on the success of that first and several subsequent festivals, while garnering the support of many NJ music fans, the grass-roots group officially became the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation a few years later. The founders of the JSJBF recognized not only an opportunity to provide quality festivals but also the chance to contribute to the NJ community in a larger sense, sharing its passion, knowledge, and organizational skills, as well as the considerable musical talents of its growing membership population. Thirty-five years later, one would be hard-pressed to spend a week in Monmouth and Ocean County without encountering some sort of JSJBF-sponsored musical programming. They continue to produce top-notch festivals annually, present at least three weekly summer concerts, and host a monthly music series at a landmark historic Red Bank building. The Foundation's efforts are rounded out by fundraisers, holiday parties, veteran programming, jam sessions and more.