The Nash wants you to relax at its new weekly event

The Nash opened in downtown Phoenix in 2012 to become a hub for jazz lovers and the jazz-curious to congregate and listen to live music from area acts to international performers.

Mission accomplished. A slew of world-class acts have graced the stage, the place has expanded in size and the programming and educational evolution continues.

Jazz Casual Thursdays is a new weekly series on the venue’s calendar. Taking place on, you guessed it, Thursdays, the night was inspired by a TV show from the ‘60s called Jazz Casual that put jazz into viewers’ homes, where they could soak up the sounds in comfort. It was a roster of legends, John Coltrane, Elvin Jones, Mel Tormé and Dave Brubeck were just a few. The program ran sporadically between 1961 and 1968 on National Education Television, which was succeeded by PBS.

The Nash wants to recreate that sense of ease, where you’d be taking it easy at home and could pop on the tube for quality tunes. At this event, there’s a $10 cover and a come-as-you-are vibe encouraging locals and visitors to pop by and check out musicians from their artist-in-residency program playing different jazz styles. One night, it might be contemporary improv, and another night, swinging standards might be on tap.

Co-founder Joel Goldenthal reiterates one of the primary purposes of adding this ultra-relaxed night to the roster that Steve Maun, president and CEO, stated in a press release — to make world-class jazz accessible to everyone. “We understand that there’s a mystery to jazz,” Goldenthal says, “But we don’t want that to stop anyone from coming in. In fact, it’s the opposite. We want people to come in and enjoy all of it.”

Goldenthal says it has already received a warm welcome. “We had a great crowd (on a recent Thursday), and it was so nice to see so many people enjoying the intimacy and vibe.” Beer, wine, cocktails and light snacks are on the bar menu.

In addition to the new series, another significant change at The Nash is Goldenthal’s shift in roles. He has stepped down as the executive director to become the nonprofit’s sustainability specialist. “We’ve raised money to expand and create new music and education opportunities and we want to continue to build our offerings for a wonderful future.”

Jazz Casual Thursdays happen weekly at 7:30 p.m. at The Nash. Admission is $10.