Jim Mair (musician)

A native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, he was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba and graduated from Silver Heights Collegiate in 1984. That same year his jazz quintet won top high school combo in Canada and he was selected lead tenor in the Canadian High School All Star Jazz Ensemble. In June 1986, he was profiled in Down Beat magazine as a young musician deserving of wider recognition. His school band directors were Wilfred Jones and Jim Mackay.

Mair graduated from the University of Mary (Bismarck, North Dakota) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education (1988) and the University of Missouri at Kansas City Conservatory of Music with a Master of Arts degree in Music (1990). He did additional studies at the Banff Summer School of Fine Arts 1988 and at the Aspen Music Festival 1989. He has studied with Loran Eckroth, University of Mary, Bismarck, ND 1984–1988, Scott Prebys, University of Mary, Bismarck, ND 1984–1988, Tim Timmons, University of Missouri at Kansas City 1988–1990, and Gary Foster and Michael Parkinson, University of Missouri at Kansas City 1988–1990.

Mair has served on the faculty at the College of Southern Idaho, the International Music Camp, and the Charlie Parker Academy of the Arts. In addition, he has served as a staff writer for the Saxophone Journal and since 1992 has served as an artist/clinician for the Selmer Instrument Company. Mair has conducted the North Dakota, South Dakota (twice) and Idaho All-State Jazz Ensembles (twice) and the Kansas City All District Jazz Band (six times). While teaching in Idaho from 1995 to 1999 his radio show "Table Down Front" was broadcast across the northwest on NPR affiliates. His performance credits include appearances at the 30th annual Havana, Cuba Jazz Festival, New York City JVC Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, IAJE Convention, JEN Convention, Carnegie Recital Hall, Birdland and Showman's Cafe in New York City and the Duchin Room in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Mair is a Professor of Music and Director of Instrumental Music and Jazz Studies at Kansas City Kansas Community College. In December 2014, his college big band performed at the 30th annual Havana Jazz Festival in Cuba. He also serves as the Artistic Director/co-founder for The Kansas City Jazz Alliance, The Kansas City Youth Jazz Orchestras, The Kansas City Jazz Quintet and is the producer of The Kansas City Jazz Summit which includes the annual Basically Basie Competition. From 2003 to 2010 he served as the Artistic Director and conductor for The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, a performance organization that he and his wife Mary co-founded. Jim is also one of the co-founders of the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.

In 1999, Mair was nominated and recognized in the state of Idaho for his outstanding contributions to the Arts. In 2010 he was also nominated and recognized by the state of Kansas. In 2013 Mair was selected as the Outstanding Faculty member at Kansas City Kansas Community College receiving the Henry Louis Teaching Excellence Award. In early 2014, he was the KCKCC recipient of the League for Innovation John & Suanne Roueche Teaching Excellence Award. In 2015, he was awarded an Honorary degree from the University of West London's, (England) London College of Music for his contributions to jazz education both in North America and in the United Kingdom. Mair was selected as Alumni of the Year at both of the universities that he attended. University of Mary in 1995 and in 2017 he received the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance Alumni Achievement award. Also in 2017 The Kansas City Jazz Alliance formed by Mair and his wife received Jazz Distinction recognition in a concert celebration at the Johnny Pacheco Latin Music and Jazz Festival at Lehman College (SUNY) in the Bronx, New York. Mair serves on the Advisory Board for the Metheny Family Foundation and the Burnett Family Foundation.

Jim and Mary are the parents of Mandy and Jameson Mair.

DOWN BEAT auditions section June 1986
JAM magazine cover story December 1991
SAXOPHONE JOURNAL cover story June 2000
JAM magazine cover story April 2004
Kansas City Art Magazine cover story May 2004
Saxophone Journal 1992-1999 reviewer of new recordings

• Winning High School Combo (leader/performer)- Gold Winner Canadian National Finals, Toronto, ON 1984
• Lead Tenor Canadian High School All Star Jazz Ensemble 1984
• Full fellowship recipient Aspen Music Festival 1989, 1990
• Winner Best Saxophonist JAM magazine readers poll 1991
• Alumni of the Year, University of Mary, Bismarck, North Dakota 1995
• Person of the Year, Twin Falls Idaho Chamber of Commerce 1998
• Idaho Governor's Award for the Arts nomination/recognition 1999
• Who's Who of American Teachers 2002
• Kansas Governor's Award for the Arts nomination/recognition 2010
• Faculty of the Year, Henry Louis Award for Teaching Excellence at Kansas City Kansas Community College 2013
• Teaching Excellence Award, League for Innovation - John & Suanne Roueche Foundation 2014
• Honorary Degree from the London College of Music, University of West London, England 2015
• Alumni of the Year, University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance 2017
• Jazz Distinction, The Kansas City Jazz Alliance, Johnny Pacheco Latin Jazz Festival, Lehman College, Bronx, New York 2017

2. www.kansascityjazz.org