The biweekly performance and jam session "Jazz at the Mary Lou" lures students to experience live jazz.
Perched on a barstool under soft low lights, with brie and a Pinot Grigio in hand, it is easy to forget where you are. Add in a crowd of hip, black-clad students, a sleek, wood-paneled venue and performances by arguably the Triangle’s best jazz musicians—well, you just might think you’re in the Algonquin’s famed Oak Room in midtown Manhattan.
But “Jazz at the Mary Lou,” a biweekly performance and jam session co-sponsored by All-Campus Entertainment and Dining Services, is trying to make headway as a tradition unique to Duke. “People are going down the BC walkway and hearing this amazing music floating down through the [Mary Lou] Williams Center windows—it’s so inspiring; it draws people in,” said senior Linh Le, chair of ACE, which is a committee of the Duke University Union.
Structurally, the Wednesday night shows feature about an hour of performance by the designated “house band,” the Andy McKee Quartet. Featuring jazz program director and Grammy-nominated bassist John Brown, the quartet varies its routine with visiting professional musicians and a post-performance student jam session.
Brown, known to his music students and admirers as simply “JB,” has been instrumental in cultivating a jazz community at Duke. “Duke is a global community, and with that kind of structure, there is much that can be done with this program,” he said. “All levels of administrators across campus have expressed a love for this type of music—that, plus my own love for this music and this school, sets this place up for great development.”
“Jazz at the Mary Lou” originally started as a Duke Performances summer initiative called “Jazz on the Terrace,” held in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Le attended the event with friends and was inspired to incorporate something similar into school-year programming.
“The dynamic when you hear live jazz is so incredible, and we really wanted to expose students to it,” she said. Citing student apathy as a potential obstacle to the program’s success, Le noted that involving students in the planning process was key. “Jazz is perfect—there’s interest there, it’s just a matter of linking that interest to attendance.”
In an attempt to incentivize turnout, Le coordinated with Dining Services to provide free wine and hor d’oeurves. “It’s clear that the informal, beverages-available nature of these events—as opposed to more formal concerts in auditoriums on campus—makes them more accessible and probably more enjoyable,” said Kathy Silbiger, executive director of Duke Performances.
The musicians themselves agree that accessibility is important. “I’m not really into some esoteric school of musical thought. What I want to know is this: Does the music make you feel good? Does it make you want to get up and dance?” said saxophonist Andy McKee, Trinity ’01 and a current medical student. “That’s what we’ve been doing at the Mary Lou Williams Center, and I think that’s why it’s been so successful.”
As for what makes the event distinctive from other jazz outlets in the greater Durham area—Francesca’s on Ninth Street or Tallulah’s in Chapel Hill both host shows that attract the same type of crowds—Brown acknowledged the importance of student jamming, especially with big-time musicians.
“Last weekend we had Eddie Palmieri with us, a seven-time Grammy nominee and one of the greatest jazz pianists alive,” Brown said in October. “He sat down right here on my couch and taught master classes—just had conversation with the kids. It’s invaluable experience.”
Whether due to the jam sessions, the house band or the price (the show and food are free), the program has been immensely popular thus far. Crowds of more than 150 people have attended in the event’s four-show history, including visitors from outside of the immediate campus community. “There are kids coming from Chapel Hill, State, even high schools,” Le said. “This is just one outlet for people in the area to express their artistic side.”
McKee credits the format with being particularly inviting to students, describing the music itself as being like a conversation between instrumentalists.
“The thing about a jam session is that it’s always unpredictable,” he said. “You might have this idea of how you’re going to play something, but the other guys [in the band] don’t know that. You feed off each other and you absolutely challenge yourself.”
Even with the appeal of student improv, it is clear that Brown himself is a major driving force behind motivating campus musicians.
“Jazz Band here is such a huge time commitment. But when I feel like I just want to quit playing, I see [Brown] play and I know that I just can’t,” senior saxophonist Shaena Ryan said. “He reminds me how much I love it—he’s amazing.”
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