Jim Ivy

The Austin Traditional Jazz Society is sad to learn of the February, 2024 death of Jim Ivy during surgery. He lived in Round Rock, TX and was 81 years old. Jim was a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1965 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Clarinet Performance. He finished a Master of Music at the University of Texas in Austin in 1972.

Jim Ivy had a varied career. He taught music at the 6th grade, middle school, and high school levels. He had a long stint with Dell Computers and was a real estate agent. In later years, he turned to composing and arranging and sold a number of items to national publishers. Jim was a fixture in the Austin traditional jazz scene for many years. He was the reed player with both of Tommy Griffith’s bands, the Old Waterloo Jazz Band and the New Orleans Jazz Band of Austin. He played with Scott Bailey’s Second Line Jazz Band and took the band over upon Scott’s death. Jim played off and on with many other area jazz bands and briefly led a polka band.

At one point, Jim Ivy sought to make Round Rock a jazz mecca. He led jam sessions for several years at several coffee houses, most notably Star Coffee. He held two one-day jazz festivals honoring Louis Armstrong at Star Coffee, which were very successful. Ultimately, his efforts failed to draw support from Round Rock businesses and municipal leaders, and the Round Rock traditional jazz scene faded away.

Jim Ivy was a fine musician who will be missed. He lives on in his published arrangements and YouTube recordings.

Dave Stoddard

The Austin Traditional Jazz Society is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization
 dedicated to the preservation and performance of 
Traditional Jazz in Austin and Central Texas