The New Orleans style of music found its way from New Orleans to Chicago in the 1920s, arriving in Northern Colorado in the 1980s and 90s by way of Denver, with the Northern Colorado Traditional Jazz Society and the Poudre River Irregulars formed in the 1990s. How did that happen?

Our Founders

“Uncle Sam” introduced our founders to Denver, sending Bob Cooke from Kentucky to serve at Fitzsimons Army Hospital and Harney Peterson from Chicago to Lowry Field in the 40s.  Although they may not have met at that time, they were later drawn back to the Denver area, where they met and collaborated to form jazz clubs, jazz bands, and ultimately, the Northern Colorado Traditional Jazz Society. 

Bob Cooke

Bob Cooke was in Kentucky when he first became excited hearing Dixieland music on a radio signal from Los Angeles.  When in Denver, he connected with Harney in the ‘50s, and together, they began the Queen City Jazz Band (QCJB).  Bob played from 1958 to 1960 but took a brief hiatus to finish a Doctorate in Psychology.  He returned to Denver, worked at U of Colorado Hospital and continued with the QCJB.  He also organized the Platte River Jazz Band in 1975, leading the band for seven years.

Harney & Jeanne Petersen

While living in Chicago in the 1940s, Harney and Jeanne Peterson absorbed traditional jazz by listening to many of the greats—Bix Biederbecke, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and more.  In 1949, they moved to Denver, where Harney worked as a scientist at Coors and hosted a jazz classics radio show on KFML through 1966. 

Harney and Jeanne became close friends with Bob Cooke and were instrumental in developing the Denver Jazz Club in 1954, Queen City Jazz Band in 1958, and the Central City Jazz Festival in 1976.   Many of us have happy memories of Denver Jazz events from that 20-year golden age.

Arrival in Fort Collins

Around 1984, Bob Cooke and family moved from Denver to Fort Collins. There, they enjoyed being closer to the mountains and continued to gather friends who were interested in traditional jazz. 

After Harney’s death in 1990, Jeanne Peterson moved to Ft. Collins, where she worked with Bob and other local fans to begin the Northern Colorado Traditional Jazz Society (NJTJS). Bob believed in starting a jazz society side by side with a band, believing that a society could be reliable support for jazz promotions and connections in the community, as well as offering teamwork as needed for the business side of musicians.

During the same decade, Bob Cooke began to gather Northern Colorado musicians interested in a new trad jazz band. History documents note sixteen musicians, including our Ted Turner, who was one of the early Poudre River Irregulars (PRI) with his banjo.

Records at the Discovery Museum in Fort Collins show that an initial PRI concert was held at the Bar Bazaar in the Northern Hotel on April 30, 1995. 

The NCTJS would organize and finance Six Season Concerts held on the second Sunday of each month, fall through spring, at different sites in Fort Collins and Loveland. These Season Concerts involved Denver-area musicians and, occasionally, an out-of-state band. This continued well into the year 2002 until Sunday events were disbanded due to rising costs, difficulty of finding local venues, and competition from other groups sponsoring musical performances. 

Finding a Home at Avogadro’s Number

During the early 2000s, Poudre River Irregulars were “Keeping On” with rehearsals at various places.  Ted suggested they needed to rehearse in front of an audience, which led to Avogradro’s Number, a live music hotspot and restaurant in the heart of downtown Fort Collins. 

Bob Cooke and Bob Jackson approached “Avo’s”, in 1996 for rehearsals. What began as a low-key, free-to-listen-as-you-eat-and-drink event became a standing-room-only “First Friday at Avo’s” event with a cover charge and reserved tables in 2024.

Many of our members and fans remember Bob Cooke on stage at Avo’s. What a talent Bob was! He retired in December of 2010, when Len Kellogg was asked to become the next leader of the PRI.

Many fans also remember Jeanne Peterson coming to hear the PRI up to the last month of her life. What a skilled jazz fan she was!  She would come to Avo’s with her son and sit in her wheelchair at a reserved table at the back of the room. She passed away in December of 2018, taking a wealth of information with her. 

The “First Friday Happy Hour at Avogadro’s” became a standing gig—for 30 years—and still counting!

The Jazz Society for Today—and Tomorrow

The current NCTJS Board reflects on the past records of organizational purposes and events and considers the information as a prologue to future events.

How will we operate in future decades?

In the original 1996 bylaws, a purpose of NCTJS was “to provide encouragement to jazz musicians in their efforts, including providing scholarships for jazz education.”

Sunday afternoon Jam Sessions and Six Season Concerts per year were held to educate the community and to raise funds for scholarships. Records have not indicated any donation of scholarships. 

In a 2014 revision of the bylaws, a purpose was “to promote jazz education,” and scholarships were not mentioned.  Our current 2023 bylaws show purposes as “to explore opportunities for musicians of all ages and demographics to develop their talents, and assist in live performances.”  Our federal nonprofit designation is Music: Charitable and Educational. 

NCTJS has evolved from holding Sunday afternoon fundraising shows to a Third Sunday Afternoon event at Avogadro’s, under the leadership of Ted Turner.  The purpose follows the intent of our history and bylaws to provide opportunities for musicians of all ages to develop their talents.  Additionally, we continue with the First Friday Happy Hour to assist in live performances to deepen knowledge and appreciation of Traditional Jazz, under the leadership of Len Kellogg.

How fortunate we are in Northern Colorado to continue these lively, purposeful, and enjoyable events with Avogadro’s! We anticipate that Avo’s will continue to be the place where jazz lovers and friends gather, enjoy great music with good food and support talented musicians entertaining with the music we love!

We hope all members and fans will journey with us as we plan toward fifty years, while believing that “What’s Past is Prologue” will help us look back and move forward with the times.  

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For the Thirtieth Anniversary of Northern Colorado Traditional Jazz Society, The Poudre River Irregulars Jazz Band, and Avogadro’s Number.  May 2025.  Peg Isakson