Founded in 1985, the Los Angeles Jazz Society has been contributing to the city by highlighting the great jazz artists who wanted to give LA the gift of jazz. President Flip Manne talks about the LA jazz scene, the Jazz Society and the talent of LA's musicians.

What's LA's jazz scene like?
It's quite vibrant. There are a lot of clubs opening up all the time in Hollywood. There are many places that have jazz — some only twice a week, some every night.

What does the LA Jazz Society do for the scene?
We're dedicated to promoting, preserving and perpetuating the only original American art form: jazz. We give awards to older and current jazz people at our annual Jazz Tribute and Awards Concert, and we try to create new audiences with our Jazz in School programs, and help young musicians with our Jazz Mentorship program. We installed a wonderful mural on the side of the Capitol Records building.

What kind of jazz can people expect to find in LA?
I think it's a range. It just depends. People can typically find what they're looking for. There's a great free paper called The Jazz Scene that comes out once a month and can be picked up at many places around town, and lists almost all the jazz venues in town — who's playing, addresses, etc., plus anything else that's happening.

Who's playing at the clubs? Big names? The local musicians?
It's mostly local. The big clubs still bring people in — Catalina's, Jazz Bakery, the Vic. Some of them bring in the New Yorkers. But of course, our guys. LA has always had wonderful musicians. It's really quite a lively scene. If you get hold of one of those papers, open it and you'll see they've got everybody listed. There's somebody playing every night. Always in Pasadena, Santa Monica and little clubs in between.