Glenwood Springs Art Council hosts International Jazz Day celebration in honor of late local musician

Jazz will flow through the Glenwood Vaudeville Revue on Thursday as the Art Council’s 2025 International Jazz Day celebration honors the soul of the genre and the legacy of the late Mark Johnson.

“Everything was set up for the International Jazz Day (performance) to be with him,” jazz vocalist Josefina Méndez said. “So now we’re just moving on and representing him the way he would want it — through music, celebrating life, like the New Orleans style of people that celebrate life (through music) when they pass away…this is the same thing that we want to do.”

On Thursday, Méndez and the rest of The Smooth Players — vocalist and saxophonist Chris Bank, pianist Walter Gorra, bassist Gonzalo Teppa and drummer Andy Wheelock — along with Dave Poulsen and Elements Jazz, will celebrate International Jazz Day with an evening of soulful tunes and dancing in honor of Johnson’s many contributions to the music world.

Johnson was a Glenwood Springs resident and multi-instrumentalist performer and saxophonist who mentored countless young artists. He was also the program coordinator for the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Academy.

“It’s a small pond and he was a big fish,” Méndez said. “As an educator, he has helped a lot of kids succeed to the point that they’re in universities right now…he has a couple of students that are becoming rising stars, mostly saxophonists. As an educator, he had a big impact on our valley.”

Johnson died in a two-vehicle crash on Colorado Highway 82 in Buffalo Valley in February. He was returning from a private event in Aspen, where he performed his final gig with Méndez and multi-instrumentalist Chris Bank.

Méndez was Johnson’s musical partner for over a decade.

“The tenor saxophone is like the voice of jazz, so mixing my voice with his saxophone was a really beautiful thing,” Méndez said. “The quality of his music is what I enjoyed the most. There was always room to learn.”

Elements Jazz features trumpeter Poulsen, bassist Johnathon Ballou, drummer Chris Goplerud and keyboardist Adrian Herrera.

Like many local jazz musicians, Poulsen collaborated with Johnson during his time performing in the valley.

“Playing with Mark was an honor,” Poulsen said. “His caliber of musicianship was incredibly high. He was a true professional. He was a lot of fun to hang around, with a great sense of humor and fun to hang with after the gig.”

The family-friendly celebration is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Glenwood Vaudeville Revue. Part of the ticket revenue will be donated to Johnson’s family, according to the Glenwood Springs Art Council.

“It’s sad because we miss him…he was a very high level jazz player and to perform jazz in honor of him that night will be a great experience and something I’ll remember,” Poulsen said. “I hope to play in a way that would make him smile.”