In 1979, Teddy Adams,
Ben Tucker, Randall Reese, Tom Glaser, and Ken Palmer started the Telfair Jazz Society. This went on to become the Coastal Jazz Association (CJA) in 1981. According to the official Savannah Jazz Festival's website, “The CJA, which is a grassroots non-profit organization that was formed in 1981 in Savannah, Georgia to help Jazz flourish in the Coastal Empire by inspiring Jazz education through various scholarships, by fellowship with other musicians with shared interests and also sponsoring live performances within the city. The CJA is responsible for the annual Savannah Jazz Festival, provides assistance to local jazz artists in need and also hosts the Savannah Jazz Hall of Fame.” ==Origins of the Savannah Jazz Festival==