When you’re talking about jazz in OKC, few venues have the history and pedigree of the Skirvin Hilton, and few organizers have the profile and respect of Christian Pearson. Skirvin Hotel / Park Avenue Grill / Red Piano Lounge Follow them on Facebook and Instagram and at their official site. The Study hosts jazz every week during their Wine Down Wednesdays. “Aside from that, it just has to be jazz.” “It’s all just about finding the musicians and players that you know you can trust and that you know will work well in the room,” she says of what she looks for in the acts she books and the rotating selection of players that come through The Study. There really isn’t room for a drummer or for a large ensemble of players, so Allen says that she focuses more on the kind of duos and trios that fit perfectly into the bar, such as Kyle Reid and Johnny Carlton or the Savoy Trio (who, much to Allen’s delight, boast a local following of dancers that will often show up for their performances.) Of course, the size and capabilities of the space are always a factor.
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“Jazz Nights have actually become some of our biggest nights,” she explained, “and it definitely appears that everyone is there for the music.” Obviously, the bar has become something of a home base for A Perfect Body, but they are also adamant about providing a venue for other local jazz artists of all styles, ages, and levels, in an environment that invites audiences to pay attention and to enjoy the music rather than just creating background noise for a night out. “The last couple of years, it seems like there’s been a lot more interest and appreciation of jazz from audiences around here.”
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“It’s definitely becoming a more appreciated art form,” Megan said. (see feature photo)Ĭo-owners Megan and John Allen also comprise one half of the local jazz outfit A Perfect Body, and they worked closely with their partners at The Study to create a spot that could host musicians in an exceptionally relaxed and casual atmosphere. With its relaxed, library-style atmosphere, and its strictly wine-focused menu, The Study in Film Row seems like it was designed and built with jazz in mind. Luckily, there is a new generation of jazz players that has taken up the torch and begun to make this city a serious destination for great jazz of all styles, and they’re being aided in that quest by a number of like-minded bars and venues that are using weekly “jazz nights” as a way of turning modern audiences onto the energetic and cathartic elements of live, improvised jazz. With such claims to jazz fame as being the home of the legendary Charlie Christian and boasting the (original, pre-gentrification) Deep Deuce area that served as an important stop on the pre-integration touring circuit for black musicians, OKC has a rich and monumental jazz legacy that is often overshadowed by the better-known histories of our Country and Indie Rock scenes.
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OKLAHOMA CITY ( Free Press) - When you think of the great American jazz cities, your mind easily and understandably goes to New Orleans, New York, and Kansas City, but make no mistake, Oklahoma City belongs on that list as well.