Name: Jazz Vespers
Start: 2026-02-08T17:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-02-08T18:00:00-06:00
Location: 1501 W Chautauqua St, Carbondale, IL, United States, Illinois 62901

Jazz Vespers at Epiphany is a monthly one-hour evening prayer service, led by Pastor Brian Coffey, and interspersed with inspirational jazz performed by members and guests of the New Arts Jazztet. Since April 2019, the reflective service has been held at 5:00 pm on the second Sunday of each month, and includes a psalm, scripture, a short reflection, and prayer, along with several jazz meditations. A jazz prelude precedes the service and a jazz postlude follows. All are welcome.
Jazz, born over a century ago, is a musical art form embraced as a universal force for peace, dialogue, and unity, regardless of borders, distance, or differences. From its beginning, a number of highly regarded artists have identified with the sacred in jazz—Duke Ellington, Duke Pearson, Mary Lou Williams, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Donald Byrd, John McLaughlin, Seawind, Take 6, Brian Blade, and Kamasi Washington, among many others. While they may or may not be considered religious individuals, they seem to have a deep spiritual sense, perhaps humbly serving as vessels for expressions of the Spirit.
It is in this rich tradition that Jazz Vespers at Epiphany Lutheran Church is undertaken. The musical works chosen and the performances of them are to the glory of God. They also honor those who may have originally written and performed them with sacred purpose. And it is hoped that they will bless and inspirit all who hear them.
For this service, members and guests of the New Arts Jazztet—Bob Allison, trumpet and flugelhorn: Isaac Lausell, guitars; Mel Goot, piano and keyboard; Phil Brown, bass; and Darlene DuFay, drums—will perform works by Clifford Brown, Gabriel Mark Hasselbach, Keith Jarrett, Hubert Laws, Gerry Niewood, and Richard Niles.
Epiphany Lutheran Church is located near the roundabout in Carbondale, Illinois, at 1501 W Chautauqua St. Please join us.