Jazz afficionado Leslie J. Stark is offering his popular jazz appreciation series at Featherstone Center for the Arts again this winter, with classes meeting from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in February and March

His own love for jazz extends more than half a century. “In high school,” he recalls, “all my friends were into rock ’n’ roll. I would go to the jazz clubs in New York city, a conspicuous young presence among the older, bearded cats who followed jazz. I would stand in the sawdust pit at Birdland, through three sets, nursing the same two-dollar glass of beer for more than five hours. In the course of any given night, many of the superstars of jazz would drop by and sit in for a set: Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Joe Williams, Sonny Rollins, Chico Hamilton, Kai Winding, Lena Horne. I got to see them and so many other living legends of classic jazz up close and personal.”

Since those formative years, Mr. Stark has come to know an even wider range of contemporary artists. “Every jazz musician (including singers) has been indelibly influenced by Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin and Duke Ellington, the three greatest giants of American jazz,” he contends.

Mr. Stark’s first class, on Feb. 4, reviews what he calls “the purest, most quintessential format, the piano trio,” featuring Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Bill Charlap and Ahmad Jamal. On Feb. 11 he covers Men with Horns, such as Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, and on Feb. 18 he returns to the piano jazz trio.

In March, Mr. Stark explores jazz and Broadway show tunes, especially the pervasive influence of George Gershwin.

In each class, Mr. Stark includes recorded classic jazz selections with his personal commentaries, making for well-rounded programs.

The cost for the series is $100, or $20 a class. For details, call Featherstone Center for the Arts at 508-693-1850 or online at featherstone@featherstonearts.org. Preregistration is suggested.

Leslie J. Stark is a year-round resident of Vineyard Haven. He has been both a performer and director at the Island Theatre Workshop and Vineyard Playhouse and is on the board of the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society.