It’s that time of year once again! That’s right, time for Outpost’s Annual Year-End SEASON’S PLEADINGSfundraising appeal! And this year, simultaneously, we also have some very Big News to share with you: The New Mexico Jazz Workshop and the Outpost Performance Space are joining forces under the banner of Outpost Productions, Inc! This powerful new partnership brings together two of the state’s most respected arts organizations, combining over 80 years of experience in jazz education, performance, and community engagement. Together, we’ll expand opportunities for musicians of all ages, present even more extraordinary live music, and strengthen New Mexico’s vibrant cultural scene. As we close out the year, your support will help launch this exciting new chapter—uniting the spirit of jazz, creativity, and community under one dynamic banner.
Your support is truly what keeps it all happening and in light of so many exciting things planned for the new year and beyond (see more details below), we need to keep it happening PLUS SOME!Please consider giving generously to this very important Year-End Fundraiser!We can’t do it without you!MAKE A YEAR-END, TAX DEDUCTIBLE GIFT HERE ONLINE TODAY! Or, you can also send a check to Outpost Productions, Inc., PO Box 4543, Albuquerque, NM 87196! Either way, your support is greatly appreciated and we thank you in advance for your generosity!
In addition to the huge news above, there’s so much more planned for 2026 and beyond. We’ve started the exciting process of renovating the Outpost building!We’ll be sharing more about that in the coming months as those plans progress but it’s an exciting step which will position us to provide better facilities and services for our expanded programming. We also look forward to our Spring 2026 season, offering expanded class offerings at the Outpost and New Mexico Jazz Workshop locations as well as in Albuquerque schools; concerts by Fred Hersch, Dafnis Prieto, Louis Hayes, Lucrecia; Julia Keefe, the annual AfroMundo Festival and many more; Summer Thursday Jazz Nights at the Outpost and Music Under the Stars at the Albuquerque Museum. And this September marks the 20th Anniversary of the New Mexico Jazz Festival. What a year!
You can also make a big impact by becoming an Outpost member (now over 800 strong!) or by sponsoring a concert. Sponsorships start at $1,000, and this year we’re offering a 20th Anniversary New Mexico Jazz Festival Title Sponsorship at $20,000. For details, contact Outpost Director Tom Guralnick at tguralnick@comcast.net or our Sponsorship Coordinator, Alicia Ultan, at alicia@outpostspace.org.
We are excited about the year ahead and beyond and TOGETHER WE CAN KEEP OUTPOST STRONG AND SWINGIN’! Meanwhile, wishing you all VERY HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
What a great 19th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival it was! Such variety and artistry! From NEA Jazz Masters, internationally acclaimed artists, New Mexico’s own and more, it was another memorable month of music, art, film, and community. Thanks to all who came out to support and enjoy live music statewide and thanks to our sponsors, funders, partners, volunteers and all who make it happen! Now, we look ahead to the Outpost Fall 2025 Season which kicks off on Friday October 17 at Outpost with sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee & Amit Kavthekar on tabla. Then, it’s Adam Rudolph’s Sunrise Trio; Caity Gyorgy; Claudio Tolousse, The Story of, Part 2; Lorca Hart Quartet; Bébé La La’s 15 Year Anniversary Concert; George Cables Trio; Nnenna Freelon w. Alan Pasqua & Keith Ganz; Outpost’s Fall Record Fair (proceeds of which will go towards a major renovation of the Outpost building in 2026!); and much more! Check it all out and get your tickets here!
We look forward to seeing you this fall!
(Photo above- Legendary jazz pianist George Cables)
The 19th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival continues this week with several shows at the Outpost, plus more! Tuesday, September 23, it’s bassist Linda May Han Oh’s The Glass Hours. Then, on Wednesday, September 24th, it’s saxophonist David Sánchez’ Carib project (he’ll also perfrom at the Taos Community Auditorium, Thursday, Sept 25 and at Unit “B” by Chocolate Maven, Santa Fe, Friday, September 26. Next, it’s drummer Nate Smith, Thursday, September 25 (two shows!). And on Saturday, September 27,The Musician’s Greenbook film screening with a concert and Q & A – presented in partnership with AFMX. AND, the festival comes to a close with Grammy nominated vocalist Carmen Lundy, Sunday, September 28! Click Here for New Mexico Jazz Festival Tickets & Info!
The temps are heating up and we are ready for a Hot Hot Hot Summer of great music and more here at the Outpost and beyond! It’s also that time again – Outpost’s Summer Fundraising Appeal! We Have To Do It! Many of you will be receiving a letter from Outpost Director, Tom Guralnick, in the mail soon, but we want to share it with everyone because you are all part of the Outpost family and your support makes it all happen! See below letter from Tom . . .
Dear Friends,
Happy Summer 2025 to all of you — our amazing Outpost community! Because of your generosity, we’re still swinging, still strong, and still bringing you the best in live jazz, folk, world, and experimental music, along with vibrant Inpost Artspace exhibits, classes, and youth programming all year long. Thank you!
Now, I’ll get right to it: we’re asking for your support once again — this time for our Summer Fundraising Appeal. You’ve already shown up in big ways these past several months. From the Year-End Appeal to most recently, when you helped us replace the $25,000 NEA grant rescinded by the White House — we are incredibly grateful! A committed group came together to help us get back to the starting line. Now, we need your help to move forward. Your gift today helps us:
– Pay artists and teachers fair wages – Keep our Jazz & Latin Music classes for Youth and Adults affordable – Bring you the 19th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival this September
We know many of you have already stretched your giving this year — and we’re so thankful. If you’re able to take one more step, please make a tax-deductible gift here today! OR send a check made out to Outpost Productions, Inc. to PO Box 4543, Albuquerque NM 87196.
We’re especially excited about this summer’s 29th Annual Summer Thursday Jazz Nights, beginning June 26 which was curated by bassist Asher Barreras and sponsored, once again, by Southwest Gastroenterology Associates. And, mark your calendars for these other summer/fall events:
Wow! What an amazing Outpost community we have! As you probably know by now, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) rescinded a promised $25,000 grant (as they did with most arts groups in the country) for the 19th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival this September. That funding has been critical in helping us to produce the festival and something we have received and relied upon from the NEA since we started presenting the Festival in 2006. In light of this, Outpost Director, Tom Guralnick, sent out an appeal last week to ask the Outpost community to help recoup those funds, and a generous donor offered to replace that grant with a gift of $12,500 if the community could match it with the other $12,500. Well, within 4 days, in response to that appeal, you responded with donations, concert sponsorships, and memberships to the tune of $8,000, at which point another donor called and said they would finish out the match with a gift of $4,500! So, in just one week, we (YOU!) did it! We knew you could and it is truly fantastic. Our deepest thanks to all!
While that effort replaced the expected grant and brought us back to our norm, we must keep on raising money, as we do every year, to continue to do what we do – bring you the best in jazz, folk, international and experimental music, art exhibits at the Inpost Artspace, Jazz & Latin Music Classes for Youth & Adults, the month-long New Mexico Jazz Festival, and more, year-round! And, thus starts our Summer Fundraising Appeal, which we do every June. We will be sending out a letter by mail and by email very soon! Whatever you can contribute is greatly appreciated! Or, if you have already reached your level of giving we totally understand and appreciate you!
