Since 1978, jazz has been promoted in Birmingham by the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. In 1993, it opened a museum at the art-deco Carver Theatre in the city's Civil Rights District to pay tribute to jazz artists with ties to Alabama. The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame organizes concerts at the theater and throughout the city, the Annual Student Jazz Band Festival, and the monthly Jazz Jam Fest. The nearby community of Hoover also hosts the Preserve Jazz Festival, which is not affiliated with the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
Each year, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame presents the Annual Student Jazz Band Festival. The festival is open to middle school, high school, college and university jazz ensembles. The event was first held in 2003 as a one-day event to promote understanding and appreciation of jazz. Today, it is a three-day celebration of jazz and in 2011 the festival is expected to attract over 30 bands and 750 students. All performances are open to the public.
The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame organizes concerts each month as part of its Jazz Jam Fest. Concerts are open to the public and are held on the fourth Sunday of every month at the Carver Theatre. Each concert begins with a performance by an established artist, with the remaining time dedicated to jam sessions among professional and amateur musicians.
The Preserve Jazz Festival is an outdoor festival held in Hoover, approximately a half-hour's drive south of downtown Birmingham. The annual event is held during the weekend after Memorial Day. Festival-goers can leave their cars at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium before boarding free shuttles to the 10-acre green that hosts the event. In 2010, Birmingham's own Neo Jazz Collective performed in front of a crown of 2,000, along with Grammy-award winning artist Phil Davis and headliner Gerald Albright.