Claus Walkstein is a musician and an associate professor in social psychology at the university of Nantes. His research on the first representations of jazz music and on the social conditions of those who played jazz to earn a living enabled him to forge bonds with a lot of scholars and students, as well as artists and musicians playing traditional jazz music from New Orleans.

Since its creation, the association has helped organize traditional jazz events and musician meetups, called ‘New Orleans functions’, which provide spaces for artistic expression and musical discussions that transcend linguistic barriers. It also enabled great American and French traditional jazz musicians to meet in our region. That is why, every year, the association, its partners, and volunteer musicians invite jazzmen from New Orleans to discover the Pays de la Loire region and to share their enthusiasm and their music.