People, culture behind Jazz in June: How a Norman tradition endures 40 years later

Norman's annual Jazz in June concert series will kick off tonight at Andrews Park. 

For more than four decades, Jazz in June has offered free concerts in Norman parks, relying on a small group of organizers to shape the lineup audiences see each year.

Eric Walschap, an administrative coordinator at the OU School of Music and Jazz in June's director of programming, leads the 12‑person program committee that reviews 200 to 250 bands each year and begins selecting artists more than a year in advance. 

In a Tuesday email, Walschap wrote his role includes guiding the committee through the process of evaluating potential performers.

“As the program director, I’m tasked with leading the program committee … to comb through both bands that have applied to the festival as well as bands that we think would be a good fit,†Walschap wrote.

Walschap wrote the committee looks for artists who collectively represent the genre's diversity.

“Our main goal is to identify bands that, as a whole, represent as many aspects of jazz as possible,†Walschap wrote. “From traditional to modern, funk to Latin, swing to electronic, we try to have a wide range on stage every year.â€

Walschap wrote honoring the music's African American roots remains central to the festival.

“The contributions of African Americans to not just Jazz and Blues, but all music, is so strong that no music festival as we know it would exist without the path they laid down,†Walschap wrote.

Keeping the festival free has remained a priority for organizers, who rely on sponsorships, grants, individual donors and in‑kind support to cover artist fees and production costs. Walschap wrote the same performances could cost hundreds of dollars in a traditional venue, noting that “you'll often find if you come to all three nights that you're getting about $500–$1000 worth of tickets for free.â€

Jazz in June began in 1984 as a small summer concert partly inspired by Juneteenth and as an effort to highlight African American musical contributions. In the decades since, it has grown into one of Norman's longest‑running free festivals, evolving into an independent nonprofit supported by volunteers, community partners and an organizing team that handles everything from booking artists to coordinating production for the three‑night festival. 

Jazz in June will begin tonight at Andrews Park in Norman and will run through June 20. The free, family‑friendly festival features evening performances and daytime workshops with participating musicians. The full schedule and lineup are available on the Jazz in June website.

This story was edited by Reagan Rozzi. Larkin Bock copy edited this story.