Jazz and blues enthusiasts now have a way to play music and give back to the community.

Solo artist “Jazzy” Judy Clark, musician Stirling Hall and his wife Elizabeth are starting a new group in town that aims to serve the community through music.

The Lavender Jazz and Blues Society is a three-person organization looking to gain members that want to keep music programs in schools and maintain interest in live music.

Clark, a jazz and blues solo artist, joined the group because it allows her to pursue her style of music.

“It’s a good way for me to get out there and find places where I can play,” Clark said.

She started pursuing music in 2000 and took voice lessons but also plays the keyboard and ukulele. For this new group, she is a vocalist and performer.

Clark believes blues and jazz are a good fit for the Sequim community and has been trying to join a professional band that performs that style of music.

“I want somebody that does my style of music which is blues and jazz,” she said. “Which is exactly why I joined this because it’s right up my alley.”

Hall has been playing music for 45 years and has a small recording studio off Fir Street in Sequim called SABARS Music Campus.

“This is kind of a branch from that,” Hall said. “All of the instruments I’m using I’m borrowing from my studio.”

Hall plays drums and keyboard but is more of a producer and manager of the new group. He said he chose the name “Lavender Jazz and Blues Society” as a nod to the Sequim area.

“The town is right for it,” Hall said. “It needs a blues society.”

The group’s main focus is to provide support to local school band programs, create performance opportunities for youth, facilitate classes of historical and biographical themes in music and produce an annual Sequim Jazz and Blues Festival.

Hall said he is hoping the community will see the group’s vision of community service and, ”get the kids involved and give them some honest support from adults who care about music.”

The group is in the process of earning a formal IRS recognition as a 501(c)3 nonprofit entity to create a scholarship foundation. Hall said he wants to have fundraisers such as the annual Sequim Jazz and Blues Festival and local events to bring awareness to music and support the youth.

“The money we raise will go into that foundation,” Hall said. “We’re hoping to raise money, not make money.”

One of the future events the group would like to sponsor is a Sammies — Sequim Area Music Awards — to give recognition to local musicians.

“And to put some money into the endowment to give back to the kids who want to make music a professional choice,” Hall said.

The group’s first performance was at the Irrigation Festival at the gazebo across from 1st Security Bank and it is hoping to perform at the Lavender Festival this year from July 21-23.

For more information about the Lavender Jazz and Blues Society, contact manager Stirling Hall at 809-0231.