Hall of Fame Banquet

COMMUNITY JAZZ CENTER OF GREATER DES MOINES HONORS LOCAL JAZZ HEROES
Every city has its jazz heroes, and Des Moines is no exception. For the past 25 years, the Community Jazz Center of Greater Des Moines (CJC) has honored these heroes with its Annual Hall of Fame and Special Recognition Awards. This year’s event is scheduled for the evening of Sunday, October 26, at Noce in downtown Des Moines.

Hall of Fame honors for 2025 will be awarded to trombonist/educator/arranger Paul McKee and guitarist Willie Shay.
  • A graduate of Indianola High School, Paul McKee taught band in Marshalltown, Iowa, before landing a spot in the trombone section of Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd. He also began a lifelong career as a big band arranger at that time. Eventually, McKee became a respected instructor at universities in the Midwest, Florida and Colorado. Although his career took him far from his Iowa roots, he was always ready to share his arrangements and playing with the Des Moines Big Band. In recognition of his impact in music, Indianola High School inaugurated the Paul McKee Jazz Festival in 2023.
  • Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Willie Shay picked up the guitar at age 13 and two have been inseparable since that time. After playing on the road for several years, Shay landed in northern California where he furthered his musical education in college and as a working musician. In the early 1990s he made the move to Des Moines where he earned a reputation as one of the area’s premier solo finger style guitar players. In addition to his many solo performances, Willie has also played in bands with a who’s who of the local jazz community. In addition, he has also published four books about his style of fingerpicking.

Other awards to be presented at the event include:
  • Special Recognition Awards will be given to saxophonist/educator Michael Giles, singer Gina Gedler and Trilix, a local marketing agency that supports the organization.
  •  The Next Generation Award, which focuses on up-and-coming musicians who are making an impact on music in Des Moines, will be presented to trombonist/educator Jackson Churchill.  
  • The Bobby Dawson Award, presented to a student musician who has been involved with the CJC monthly jam sessions, will be awarded to saxophonist James Vogelaar, a junior at Northwest High School in Waukee.
This year’s Hall of Fame will be held October 26, 2025 at Noce, 1326 Walnut Street in downtown Des Moines. The Hall of Fame event will kick off at 5:00 p.m. with a reception and dinner. The awards ceremony will begin at 6:00 p.m. which will include performances from this year’s winners as well as past Hall of Fame winners and special guests.

Admission is $20 for advanced tickets and $25 at the door. Food and drinks will be available for an additional charge. Proceeds from this event fund the Community Jazz Center’s youth activities.

Tickets can be ordered here - they are also available by calling 515-279-6452 or emailing [email protected].

The CJC Hall of Fame is always a very special night jam packed with live jazz performances and tributes that you won’t want to miss!