Aspen's Paul JAS Center Launches Second Winter Season

Aspen —The Paul JAS Center sits in the heart of downtown Aspen, a permanent fixture that has transformed how the valley experiences live music after dark. Inside, the air hums with anticipation as holiday performances kick off what organizers are calling a second winter season. It’s a space that feels less like a sterile concert hall and more like a living room where the walls are painted with sound, a place where the community gathers not just to listen, but to exist together in the cold months ahead.

Jim Horowitz, JAS Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, told the Aspen Times that bringing this venue to life in downtown Aspen’s core has been a dream come true. He noted that the permanent and secure nature of the space allows them to serve the community in ways a temporary setup never could. For Roaring Fork Valley residents, there is a practical warmth to this announcement too: locals can purchase an “All That JAS” membership, which grants discounted tickets throughout the year. It’s a small but significant shift for folks who want to keep their cultural life vibrant without the usual price tag of a mountain town.

The season runs from Dec. 18 through April 10, and the lineup is dense with energy. The Aspen Times reported that the calendar opens with a sold-out two-night tribute to Prince on Dec. 28 and 29, featuring founding members of his band, New Power Generation. If you look closely at the dates, you’ll see a deliberate rhythm to the programming that mirrors the ebb and flow of a winter in Aspen. On Dec. 30, funk and jazz star Karl Denson brings his new “Afro-Sonic” band to celebrate Afrobeat superstar Fela Kuti. Then, the new year arrives with Morgan James returning Jan. 2 and 3. Her Jan. 3 show follows a “Supper Club” format, where the music is paired with a three-course dinner prepared by Epicure Catering, the center’s in-house team. It’s an intimate way to ring in January, one where the food and the sound are inseparable.

The energy doesn’t slow down in February. On Feb. 12, Trinidadian-born trumpeter Etienne Charles presents “Creole Carnival,” a high-energy blend of jazz and the sights and sounds of Trinidad. The release notes that guests are encouraged to wear colorful attire, with the best-dressed couple winning passes to the JAS June Experience. The next night, Feb. 13, trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis leads the Uptown Jazz Orchestra in a New Orleans Mardi Gras twist. By March, the focus shifts to Latin and Caribbean rhythms. Veronica Swift returns on March 12 with the full Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra, following their hit performance together last July. On March 17 and 18, DanceAspen dancers reunite with Okan, a Canadian Afro-Cuban jazz duo, for live, unscripted improvisation. The series closes its Cuban exploration on March 26 with the Dayamir Gonzalez Quartet, led by a virtuoso Cuban pianist.

JAS is also expanding its “Café-Dance” format in 2027, allowing guests to choose between sitting at tables or standing and dancing in designated areas. Two high-energy groups, The Breaks on Feb. 19 and Polyrhythmics on Feb. 27, will make their debuts in this format, blending jazz, funk, and soul with shifting rhythms.

The announcement ends on a note of personal conviction from Horowitz, who stated that every note he plays carries the spirit of this new era for jazz in the valley. The lights in the Paul JAS Center will stay on, and the music will keep flowing through the snow.