Season 7 Episode 3 Jazz Forum Arts

Jazz Forum Arts in Westchester County, New York is a premier, highly successful nonprofit jazz organization with a rich history. Now, after 40 years of artistic excellence, a new era will be ushered in when Founder and Executive Director Mark Morganelli and Chief Operating Officer Ellen Prior retire on July 1st of this year. This dynamic duo leaves behind an amazing legacy that includes hosting 300-plus music performances annually at its Jazz Forum Club in Tarrytown, New York, multiple free outdoor concert series, and award-winning jazz educational programs. Mark Morganelli, a jazz trumpeter and producer, has been a major presence in the New York City and regional jazz scene since 1979, when he opened his first Jazz Forum loft club in Greenwich Village. Ellen Prior, Mark’s wife, has been a presence at JFA events since its earliest days, and formally joined the leadership team in 2015. With their retirement in the offing, the mantle of leadership is being passed on to Darrian Douglas and Clara Winder. Douglas, an accomplished jazz drummer for the past 20 years, is an educator, and arts leader, who has served as Director of Programs for Jazz Forum Arts since July 2025. Previously, he served as Executive Director and Co-Founder of Second Line Arts Collective in New Orleans. Winder, currently Marketing Director and a core member of the JFA team for nearly a decade, will become Chief Operating Officer in July 2026, overseeing the Jazz Forum club operations, marketing, audience development, and internal systems that support the organization’s continued growth. My conversation with the affable Mark Morganelli and the engaging Ellen Prior unfolds the fascinating story behind the Jazz Forum Arts.

You can listen to Season 7 Episode 3 Jazz Forum Arts online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Season 7 Episode 3 Jazz Forum Arts is an episode from All That's Jazz by Allen Scott.

This episode is 33:27 long.

This episode was published on Apr 19, 2026.

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