Gulf Jazz Society promotes jazz throughout the Panhandle. Members publish a newsletter and inform each other of upcoming shows. Many members are jazz musicians and have their own jazz bands, including The Swing Set and Ted Shumate. The Opti-Mystics are honorary members. The society also sponsors jazz concerts and music workshops.
Members venture into schools to introduce the style to students.
Gulf Jazz Society advocates all formats of jazz from Dixieland to blues. At each meeting, members present a jazz program. They play albums and discuss different aspects of the music. At a recent meeting, members talked about Miles Davis' impact on the genre. You just have to love jazz.