Bloomington...and all that jazz

The lights dim and a sea of colored luminescent lights flood the busied café. The musicians take stage -- rhythm in the back and horns, trumpet and saxophone up front. The ensemble rustles its music then turns to the sax player who begins to snap his fingers. The room is silent save the uniform tapping of the feet to the recognized beat. The foot is understood. After the count off, the horns blare and the players begin to craft their musical art. \nFor the players in The Mike Epstein Quintet, a local IU student jazz combo, this musical ritual embodies their typical Friday night. \n"There's almost a mysticism to the people who play jazz," said Epstein, a senior and jazz drummer. "You have to keep an open mind about each performance because every time you play, it is going to be completely different from the last time. That element of spontaneity is what makes jazz exciting for me."\nEpstein and his quintet of fellow jazz studies majors are just a small part of the vast Bloomington jazz scene.\n"Bloomington is a pretty diverse place, and having jazz played here adds to the diversity and wide range of activities for students to get involved with," Epstein said.\nWhile it could be argued that the jazz scene in Bloomington dates back to the roaring '20s with the musical contributions of local jazz legend Hoagy Carmichael, the true origins of modern jazz in Bloomington as we know it date back to 1966 with the arrival of IU jazz faculty member and current director of jazz studies David Baker, said David Miller, a local jazz musician and director/founder of the weekly Jazz Fables series at Bear's Place. \n"There have been many talented jazz musicians in Bloomington throughout the years because of the IU jazz studies program and David Baker," Miller said. "He continues to be one of the most prolific of all jazz musicians." \nBaker was one of the first to pioneer jazz education and was responsible for the establishment of a Bachelor's degree in jazz studies through IU's Jacobs School of Music, said Miller. Baker, with the help of others, also helped establish a concrete music scene in Bloomington, outside of IU jurisdiction, which enables local musicians to be heard.\n"I think Bloomington has a very vibrant and healthy jazz scene," said Baker. "And this is why kids do so well when they leave here."\nToday Bloomington features a number of different venues for every kind of jazz listener. Whether you prefer the quiet concert hall settings or the busier café/bar atmosphere, Bloomington offers something for all musical palates. \n"The power that this scene has is that all these talented musicians are coming here for a reason," Miller said. "Each venue has its own appeal and niche audience, and that's healthy, as long as we don't step on each other's toes."\nBear's Place, which hosts one of the longest running jazz concert series in Bloomington, has continued to present audiences with live acts on a weekly basis. \n"We have one of the best music schools in the country, and I think that since jazz is an American tradition it's good to keep it going," said Bear's manager Jim Reef.\nBear's Thursday night Jazz Fables series, started by Miller in 1989, features nationally renowned artists, local musicians and IU jazz faculty members and serves as a jazz showcase for people serious about listening to the many different styles of jazz music -- everything from Be-Bop to more modern, Avant Garde jazz.\n"At Fables everyone understands that the prime goal is to come and enjoy the music," Miller said. "People can eat and drink, but the primary goal is to present concerts. It's about the only place that does this."\nWhile Bear's tends to cater to the more acute of patrons and is a 21 and older bar, there are a number of places that offer jazz for more passive ears. \nCafé Django, where the Mike Epstein Quintet is a regular act, offers a more relaxed environment for all types of jazz listeners and serves an assorted spread of food dishes, desserts, drinks and coffee. \nKunyang Norbu, who opened the café in 1999, says the small setting offers Bloomington residents a nice, romantic place to hear live jazz. She also believes hosting gigs is a good way to support local musicians.\n"My impression was it would be a wonderful place for music students to have a place to show their talents," Norbu said. "This is a good place to play for your friends and get used to performing in front of an audience."\nJoel Pietropaolo, the general manager of Tutto Bene wine cafe, a fairly new addition to the jazz scene in Bloomington, said supporting local jazz is crucial because of Bloomington's wealth of talent. However, he would like to see the jazz scene flourish more.\n"I think the collection of musicians we have in this town is unprecedented," Pietropaolo said. "The only thing lacking is more venues. It would be cool to have Bloomington become more supportive of the jazz scene." \nEpstein is happy with the venues here.\n"I think that we're really lucky to have places like Djangos and Tutto Béne since Bloomington is so small," Epstein said. "People generally associate jazz with big cities."\nJunior Anna Roberts, a regular at Café Django, Tutto Béne and the IU Musical Art Center's jazz events, said she enjoys the relaxed atmosphere at live jazz performances more than anything else.\n"I think jazz music is something that everyone should get more involved in," Roberts said. "People don't realize how good we have it here. Everyone should be a part of it, even if they aren't the biggest fans."\nFor those who prefer larger events and concert hall performances, the Jazz from Bloomington organization, a local society that supports Bloomington jazz musicians, offers a number of large scale events every year, ranging from concerts by musicians of national caliber like Joshua Redman and John Scofield, to showcases of local, pre-college age talents.\n"Jazz is the one and only style to be created in the U.S. without outside help," said Monika Herzig, the vice president of Jazz From Bloomington. "One of the reasons (jazz) isn't as popular is people aren't exposed to it. Once people learn about it, it's an eye-opening experience."\nThe future of the Bloomington jazz scene is uncertain. Baker and others said the music is as popular as ever and that the future of this American tradition lies in the country's youth. He is thrilled that businesses continue to support the scene and hopes that they continue their ties with the school and local musicians.\n"Someone once said, 'Keep on keeping on!'" Baker said. "As long as we do that, we're going to be in great shape"