Chicago Saxophonist Returns the Favor by Honoring Prescott Jazz Pioneer Milton Cannon

By Doc Jones

Sometimes, the greatest stories in jazz aren’t told on the biggest stages.

They’re written quietly over decades by people who dedicate their lives to building a community.

On July 14, 2026, the International Jazz Day AZ Foundation will present its inaugural Jazz Legacy Award to Milton Cannon, recognizing more than 30 years of service to the Prescott jazz community.

For me, this honor is deeply personal.

Milt Cannon and I share more than a love of jazz.

We both play the saxophone.

We both dedicated our lives to building jazz communities.

And we both call Chicago home—the same city that produced jazz legend Herbie Hancock, my longtime partner in promoting UNESCO’s International Jazz Day.

When I opened Doc’s Place Jazz Club in Phoenix in 2008, musician friends from across Arizona would often tell me, “You’ve got to meet Milt Cannon. He’s doing incredible work up in Prescott.”

When we finally met, I knew I had found a friend for life.

What impressed me wasn’t just his musicianship.

It was his mission.

Like me, Milt believed jazz could bring people together, strengthen communities, educate young people, and create opportunities where none existed before.

Long before jazz became part of Prescott’s cultural identity, Milt was bringing musicians from Phoenix, building audiences, founding the Prescott Jazz Society, launching the city’s early Juneteenth celebrations, and creating programs that helped establish Prescott as a place where jazz could thrive.

His work wasn’t about personal recognition.

It was about creating something that would last.

As I began planning the Northern Arizona Jazz Tour for 2027, I originally wanted to come to Prescott to talk about the future.

Then I read Milt’s story.

I realized something important.

Before we talk about building the next chapter of jazz in Prescott, we must first honor the man who wrote so much of its history.

That’s why the International Jazz Day AZ Foundation is proud to present Milton Cannon with its first-ever Jazz Legacy Award.

This award recognizes a lifetime dedicated to preserving, promoting, and advancing jazz in Prescott, Arizona.

It also symbolizes something bigger.

A passing of the torch.

Not an ending.

A beginning.

Our vision is to build upon the foundation Milt Cannon created while inspiring the next generation of musicians, artists, educators, and community leaders.

Legacies like Milt’s deserve to be celebrated, remembered, and carried forward.

Because communities don’t build cultural traditions by accident.

They build them because someone cared enough to begin.

Milton Cannon did exactly that.

And now, it’s our honor to say…

Thank you.