For 14 years, jazz lovers and musicians have found a home with the Fredericksburg Jazz Collective (FJC), a nonprofit dedicated to spreading the art form in the community.
The group got its start in 2011 at the University of Mary Washington’s University Cafe as a regular jazz gig for students. It grew to include local high school students and seasoned players from the local music scene, plus a few UMW professors.
IF YOU GO
Fredericksburg Jazz Collective monthly jazz jam hosted by The John Vreeland Quintet, Thursday, Sept 11, 7 p.m., Curitiba Art Cafe, 919 Caroline St., Fredericksburg.
The collective moved to Read All Over Books, then to La Petite Auberge, and landed at Colonial Tavern, where the monthly jam has taken place for the last 10 years. Now, the show calls Curitiba Art Cafe on Caroline Street its home, with sessions every second Thursday.
But it still draws a diverse group of musicians from all corners of the region. Take 12-year-old guitarist Christopher Hernandez.
“He plays his head off,” said FJC chairperson Becky Stewart of Hernandez. “His parents always come with him. That’s a very cool thing; the restaurant’s open to any and all. The James Monroe High School kids will play just with the horns, stand-up bass, and piano.
“We encourage people to come as a unit, so when you sign in you can say that you’re with a group and you want to play together. We always ask that they do two or three songs. Or you can come in as a solo player and just combine with other players.”
John Vreeland (keyboard), Bruce Middle (guitar) and Ely Younger (trumpet). (Photo by Tana Lopez)
The move to Curitiba was precipitated by the annual Jazz4Justice event, which is co-sponsored by The University of Mary Washington and FJC to support Legal Aid Works. While the event is held at UMW, an after-concert jam usually follows.
But last November, Colonial Tavern was already booked, so they moved the jam to Curitiba. The space was so welcoming that FJC decided to also move its monthly jam there. Donations collected at jams help to fund the organization.
“Everybody that went to that said, ‘Wow, this is amazing; just jazzier’,” said Stewart. “If you’re going to play jazz, let’s get it into a cool eclectic environment. We were searching for an eclectic, welcoming environment, and we found our home at Curitiba Cafe.”
Changing venues after 10 years was a shift for fans and musicians. Stewart recalled a funny story about a couple who had to find the new location.
“One family with a daughter in college who played clarinet didn’t get the notice,” Stewart said. “They were in Fredericksburg on that second Thursday, and they saw one of the James Monroe High School kids with his bass walking down the street and they said, ‘Follow that bass.’”
He led them to Curitiba.
Zephaniah Washington (drums), Steve Rabson (keyboard), Bruce Middle (guitar), Ely Younger (trumpet) at Curitiba Art Cafe. (Photo courtesy of Fredericksburg Jazz Collective)
The monthly jam opens at 7 p.m. with a host band playing a 40-minute set. Previous host bands have included The Bruce Middle Trio, The Slam Stewart Trio, The Doug Gately Trio, Pat’s Crib Band, The Geoffrey Dean Trio, and Limon and Latin Feeling.
After the host band’s set, musicians and singers sign up to join in the fun until 10 p.m., with the configurations facilitated by guitarist Bruce Middle.
“He’s our jam manager, so he pairs up the people,” Stewart said. “You usually want the foundation: the drums, piano, guitar and then several instrumentalists. He might have two or three soloists get up.”
In addition to the monthly jam, FJC aims to educate students about jazz. They are currently working on collaborating with JM band director Charlie Smith to teach master classes and perform a concert for the students.
“That’s really the goal of this whole thing,” Stewart said. “While it’s fun to get together and give everybody the chance to play jazz, our mission is to pass on the love of jazz to the next generation, to not let it get lost.”
