Liz DeFluri, Contributing Writer
Trumpets blare throughout historic Jackson Ward, as Gallery5 hosts a free jazz night every fourth Friday to preserve the culture of the neighborhood that brought the genre to Richmond, through drum pounds and saxophone swirls.
This month’s fourth Friday show was headlined by local musician and VCU alum Kelli Strawbridge, who has been playing music since he began on the trumpet in sixth grade. He said his favorite parts of the shows are seeing the wide range of people who attend and how the scene remains alive and well throughout the city.
The melody’s momentum waxes and wanes as musicians work together to create a harmonious blend of urgency, excitement and passion that retains the audience’s attention throughout the night’s captivating musical journey.
“It seems like jazz is evolving in an interesting way, and I’m very happy about that. It seemed like it had kind of gone out [for a while], but I think having proper venues for it, like Gallery 5, which is a great place to play jazz,” Strawbridge said.
Jazz is an improvisational music style that originated within Black communities in New Orleans, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Each performance is as unique as someone’s fingerprint — no two are the same.
The genre first became a cultural entity during the Roaring Twenties, due to factors such as the Great Migration and the rise of social liberation and rebellion during prohibition.
The apex of jazz’s popularity occurred during the Swing Era from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s, and was shaped by revolutionary artists such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Count Basie.
Despite its massive popularity and cultural impact, jazz began to lose mainstream appeal in the 1980s, as other genres of music, such as pop, rock and hip-hop rose in popularity. The genre fell into a niche, but retained a devoted fanbase consisting of mostly older individuals who cherished the genre’s unique sound and musical complexity.
However, in the 21st century, jazz is being embraced by an unlikely audience who is contributing to its resurgence — Generation Z.
Strawbridge is pleased to know that younger generations have a steadfast appreciation for the music style.
“Jazz used to be the premier dance music around 80 years ago. It’s interesting that now the new generations are really adapting to this music and finding newer [musicians] like Thundercat, Anderson Paak and Butcher Brown,” Strawbridge said.
Malik Gray, a VCU music student and jazz saxophonist, said his family is fans of jazz and older music, such as Motown and soul, which got him interested in the music from an early age.
“I definitely see a lot of interest rising, even in younger kids like my little cousin, who is about six or seven; she will sit down and listen to the music with me or watch me play and enjoy it,” Gray said.
Gray also noted that the over-saturation of technology in modern times may also be a contributing factor to Gen Z’s attraction to the scene.
“I think with technology and AI and stuff coming into online spaces, the performance aspect [of jazz] and actually being there and in the moment is another thing that people are taking an interest in.”
Simultaneously, the jazz scene in Richmond has experienced a revival through accessible and oftentimes free shows at locations such as the VMFA’s Jazz Café and at the art and music venue, Gallery5.
Richmond offers many other jazz-related events, such as the Greater Richmond Bar Foundation’s “Jazz4Justice” event on Thursday, March 5, at VCU’s Singleton Center. The evening dedicated to raising awareness and funds for legal aid and jazz studies.
More information on the event and ticketing can be found on Jazz4Justice’s website.