The next time you enjoy the big Texas-tenor sounds of Paul Carr on saxophone at a venue like Twins Jazz in Northwest, a festival or the Westminster Church’s Jazz Night, applaud him for what he does off the stage as well as on.

Carr is moving the music forward in metropolitan Washington by educating his individual students and running the Jazz Academy of Music.

So for Carr, every month, not only this February, is really Black History Month.

"I feel a responsibility to pass along the heritage of jazz in a way that preserves it authentically," says Carr. "Jazz is an American born musical art form that was created by African Americans. It deserves our respect. And in my opinion, jazz should be taught with the principles of Blues and Swing in mind."

Carr said the academy, founded in 2002, has an orchestra which rehearses every other week during the school year and plans to release its first CD this year. The academy (jazzacademy.org) holds a summer "JAM Camp" for three weeks in the summer.

The academy's Web site says, "The Jazz Academy of Music Inc, a non-profit 501c3 organization … is a manifestation of a longtime dream of Paul Carr, its Music Director, to extend the music education opportunities afforded him, as an inner city youth, to others. Paul was inspired and taught by musicians who themselves were accomplished professional musicians. These musicians included the late Arnett Cobb, Conrad Johnson, Horace Young III, Bubba Thomas and other area musicians."

Carr says of last year's summer camp, "we had nearly 70 students and Branford Marsalis was our special guest. He, like I, realize the importance and need for jazz education that is rooted in blues and swing; as most institutionalized jazz education programs have eliminated these concepts from its teachings."

The future is bright with people like Carr helping preserve and push the history of jazz along, mentoring future Paul Carrs as he goes.

"I have five students who are currently playing on the New York scene," said Carr,” and several promising students in my studio and in the academy. Several of the senior high school students I teach have received scholarships to pursue music in college."

For Sonny
A special happy Black History Month to Katea Stitt of WPFW, whose dad Sonny Stitt was born Feb. 2. The saxophone master, who toured extensively and spent a lot of time in the New York jazz scene, spent a lot of time in D.C. and passed away here in 1982. "Boss Tenors," the CD where Stitt and Gene Ammons seem to threaten to melt the grooves at times with their hot licks, riffs and gut bucket blues remains one of this listener's all time favorites.

Hearing the masters
One highlight this Black History Month is a performance of the big band works of living legend Quincy Jones by the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Feb. 8 at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History's Baird Auditorium, 10th & Constitution Ave., N.W.

Jones, one of the most prolific and highly respected composers of our time, will be honored by the orchestra's rendering under the direction of conductor David Baker, chairman of the jazz department at the Indiana University School of Music, and a noted composer and author.

The orchestra, with members including saxophonist and Howard University professor Charlie Young, trumpeter Tom Williams, pianist Russell Williams and drummer Chuck Redd, will offer a program of some of Jones' most important compositions such as “The Midnight Sun Will Never Set,” “Stockholm Sweetnin” and “Ironside,” according to Smithsonian information.

Now in its 17th year, SJMO has won praise for its recreations of big band jazz from the bands of Jimmy Lunceford, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellingtons and others. Known for swinging, brassy ensemble work spiced by talented and innovative soloists, SJMO is living history itself.

February Highlights: Nasar Abadey, Feb. 8, Westminster Church … Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Feb. 8, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History … George Botts, Feb. 15, Westminster Church … Marshall Keys, Feb. 22, Westminster Church … Latin Jazz Night, Feb. 22, Smithsonian Jazz Café … Kenny Rittenhouse, Feb. 22-23, Twins Jazz … McCoy Tyner, Feb. 24, Kennedy Center … Paul Carr, Michael Thomas, Black History Month Salute, Feb. 29, Westminster Church … Roy Ayers, Feb. 29, Blues Alley … Jim Snidero, Feb. 29, Twins Jazz.