Beloved jazz advocate and co-founder to champion The Nash’s long-term sustainability.
Steve Maun, President/CEO of The Nash announced today that Joel Goldenthal, co- founder of The Nash, has stepped down as Executive Director and will continue to serve the organization as a sustainability specialist.
“Joel’s steadfast leadership and deep dedication to The Nash have been vital to the organization's growth over the past twenty-five years," Maun said. “Throughout his tenure with the organization, Joel’s passion for jazz as an art form has been both evident and inspiring, helping to galvanize transformative support for The Nash. His efforts have most recently culminated in major gifts that made the expansion of our educational facilities possible. In his new role, he will continue to apply his considerable talents to this vital aspect of our future,” Maun said.
As the organization’s sustainability specialist, Goldenthal will continue developing and securing major gifts to support The Nash’s programming and education initiatives. His recent accomplishments include securing a $1 million naming gift from the John Dawson Foundation to expand the organization’s education center and honor the philanthropist's life-long support of jazz. The result is the John Dawson Jazz Education Center, a 3,200- square-foot facility dedicated to cultivating jazz musicians, ensembles, and vocalists.
“We built The Nash; they came; now’s the time to sustain,” said Goldenthal. “Preserving The Nash for future generations of audiences, musicians, and students in particular, is essential to our organization’s mission and vision, and the ultimate opportunity to ensure a legacy! I am looking forward to focusing on the cultivation of gifts that are as fulfilling to donors as they are to the talented young students whose lives they will forever change.”
The non-profit organization Jazz in Arizona was founded in 1977 to create a jazz community in the desert. Goldenthal was recruited onto its board of directors in 2000 to help the struggling all-volunteer organization. Realizing that the organization’s survival required conversion to a paid staff model, he secured the organization’s first major gift to establish a paid executive director position. In 2010, Goldenthal and prominent Valley attorney and civil rights activist Herb Ely conceived the idea of establishing a premiere jazz venue in downtown Phoenix to host jazz concerts and develop new musicians. Together with the collective vision and investment of its Board of Directors The Nash jazz club opened in 2012 on Roosevelt Row.
Since America’s most notable jazz ambassador Wynton Marsalis played the first note at The Nash, it has transformed the landscape of the Valley to include America’s emblematic cultural achievement: jazz. In a typical year, The Nash presents a robust mix of 300+ shows featuring local, regional and world-renowned jazz musicians, as well as weekly jam sessions and student performances by educational institutions across the Valley.
Concurrently, The Nash has grown its educational programs and offerings which now include 12 ensembles, a big band, and a summer camp with a stellar national faculty.
In addition to his focus on sustainability, Goldenthal will continue to serve as a spokesperson for The Nash, as a resource for institutional knowledge, and for programming consultation. A popular jazz pianist who performs under the stage name, Joel Robin, he will continue to share his musical talents at The Nash in regular performances with Francine Reed, Delphine Cortez, Dennis Rowland and more.
Presenting more than 300 events annually— including performances, jam sessions, and educational programs—The Nash features students, top local and regional musicians, and internationally acclaimed jazz artists. In 2024, The Nash expanded with a $2.5 million project that added a new 3,200-square-foot education center and renovated its original jazz club at 110 N. Roosevelt Street.
Since its founding, The Nash has been recognized every year on DownBeat Magazine’s prestigious “List of Great Jazz Venues,” placing it among the finest jazz destinations in the world.
“Joel’s steadfast leadership and deep dedication to The Nash have been vital to the organization's growth over the past twenty-five years," Maun said. “Throughout his tenure with the organization, Joel’s passion for jazz as an art form has been both evident and inspiring, helping to galvanize transformative support for The Nash. His efforts have most recently culminated in major gifts that made the expansion of our educational facilities possible. In his new role, he will continue to apply his considerable talents to this vital aspect of our future,” Maun said.
As the organization’s sustainability specialist, Goldenthal will continue developing and securing major gifts to support The Nash’s programming and education initiatives. His recent accomplishments include securing a $1 million naming gift from the John Dawson Foundation to expand the organization’s education center and honor the philanthropist's life-long support of jazz. The result is the John Dawson Jazz Education Center, a 3,200- square-foot facility dedicated to cultivating jazz musicians, ensembles, and vocalists.
“We built The Nash; they came; now’s the time to sustain,” said Goldenthal. “Preserving The Nash for future generations of audiences, musicians, and students in particular, is essential to our organization’s mission and vision, and the ultimate opportunity to ensure a legacy! I am looking forward to focusing on the cultivation of gifts that are as fulfilling to donors as they are to the talented young students whose lives they will forever change.”
The non-profit organization Jazz in Arizona was founded in 1977 to create a jazz community in the desert. Goldenthal was recruited onto its board of directors in 2000 to help the struggling all-volunteer organization. Realizing that the organization’s survival required conversion to a paid staff model, he secured the organization’s first major gift to establish a paid executive director position. In 2010, Goldenthal and prominent Valley attorney and civil rights activist Herb Ely conceived the idea of establishing a premiere jazz venue in downtown Phoenix to host jazz concerts and develop new musicians. Together with the collective vision and investment of its Board of Directors The Nash jazz club opened in 2012 on Roosevelt Row.
Since America’s most notable jazz ambassador Wynton Marsalis played the first note at The Nash, it has transformed the landscape of the Valley to include America’s emblematic cultural achievement: jazz. In a typical year, The Nash presents a robust mix of 300+ shows featuring local, regional and world-renowned jazz musicians, as well as weekly jam sessions and student performances by educational institutions across the Valley.
Concurrently, The Nash has grown its educational programs and offerings which now include 12 ensembles, a big band, and a summer camp with a stellar national faculty.
In addition to his focus on sustainability, Goldenthal will continue to serve as a spokesperson for The Nash, as a resource for institutional knowledge, and for programming consultation. A popular jazz pianist who performs under the stage name, Joel Robin, he will continue to share his musical talents at The Nash in regular performances with Francine Reed, Delphine Cortez, Dennis Rowland and more.
About The Nash
The Nash, owned and operated by Jazz in Arizona Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a premier jazz education and performance venue in downtown Phoenix. Named in honor of world-renowned drummer and Phoenix native Lewis Nash, The Nash has been a cornerstone of the city’s cultural landscape since 2012.Presenting more than 300 events annually— including performances, jam sessions, and educational programs—The Nash features students, top local and regional musicians, and internationally acclaimed jazz artists. In 2024, The Nash expanded with a $2.5 million project that added a new 3,200-square-foot education center and renovated its original jazz club at 110 N. Roosevelt Street.
Since its founding, The Nash has been recognized every year on DownBeat Magazine’s prestigious “List of Great Jazz Venues,” placing it among the finest jazz destinations in the world.
