The event was a sellout, attracting a large, ethnically diversified audience to Scottsdale.   People without tickets had to be turned away at the entrance.  Attendees included national visitors from the east and west of Arizona as well as from Mexico. As such it met one of the goals of the City of Scottsdale, namely to extend the shoulder period of tourism following Spring Training.  Further, the audience consisted of many people who seldom, if ever, visit Scottsdale. Jazz again demonstrated that this uniquely American form of music brings people of all types together.  It was an economically, linguistically, and ethnically diverse audience aging from young to old.   Another goal of the Festival was to provide support for young people by encouraging them to learn, play and enjoy Jazz.   Preceding the formal opening of the Festival at 3:15 pm the Molina 32^nd Street All-Star Youth Jazz Band from Phoenix Country Day School performed their final gig for the year. While this was not the first Scottsdale Jazz Festival, it was by far the most successful.  The 2020 event had to be canceled due to the onslaught of the pandemic in 2020.  The 2021 event was held just as a few people began to feel comfortable mingling.  This 2022 event was ten times the size of last year’s and set a threshold for an even larger event in 2023. Important to the community, this event was a grass-root organized one.  It was not a commercial, for-profit group that made it happen in Scottsdale.  Led by William “Doc” Jones, the organizing team consisted of jeweler Alfredo Molina for financial and moral support, and for attracting a VIP audience; Andrew Birgensmith for all production details; 602 AZ Multimedia for national and local promotion; and Doc as the recruiter of the jazz bands for the program.

 The success of the event is also attributed to the support of the cities of Paradise Valley, Tempe as well as Scottsdale.  The three mayors agreed that having an event centered in Scottsdale will attract visitors to all three cities.   They actively promoted the event and participated in selected events. 

 This Scottsdale Jazz Festival concluded International Jazz Appreciation Month in the area.  The valley began the celebration of the month with an official kick-off at TEMPE JAZZ DAY at the Tempe Center for the Arts on April 8.  This was followed by JAZZ AT LUCH on April 20 on the lawn of the Arizona State Capital.   On the evening of April 29, the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa held a Kierland After Dark Premiere party of Jazz.

Plans are underway for meeting the other goal of this event: to make it an annual event. International Jazz Day will be celebrated in April 2023 with an even bigger event than this year.  The city and the Festival organizers will have more room for the event.  The extensive renovation of the Scottsdale Civic Center will have been completed.  They also have a success to build upon.  Doc Jones, the lead event organizer stated, “I believe we can make it ten times more successful than this year.”