The Wednesday Night Jazz Jam at The Dark Room has been a staple of KAF’s community programming for over 13 years, bringing the art of jazz within reach for people of all ages and backgrounds and helping to preserve and cultivate jazz music in St. Louis.
Musician, composer and educator Bob DeBoo, who has led the Jazz Jam since its inception, is stepping away, and as of this month, legendary St. Louis drummer Demarius Hicks has taken the helm of this special weekly event. Hicks will head a core trio that also includes bassist Christopher Thomas and guitarist Eric Slaughter. They will be joined by select rising-stars and St. Louis jazz legends, as well as Nationally-recognized artists touring through the region, to provide the opening performance each week. The audience is then invited to participate, resulting in everyone from an eight-year-old budding pianist all the way up to a well-seasoned octogenarian tenor sax player joining in the fun.
As an East St. Louis native and a part of the St. Louis music scene for over 30 years, Hicks was a natural choice to take the mantle. Though he was hesitant when first approached, he recognized the deep resonance of the Jazz Jam in the community.
“Initially when the conversation started, I didn’t see any way it was going to work for me and my family, but when you look at the mission and the purpose of the thing, you find a way to make it work, because it’s about others and especially our young people,” Hicks says.
The lack of age restriction allows elementary, high-school and college-aged musicians a safe and inviting place to practice their craft—an opportunity that may not exist in typical jazz settings. Some of the younger musicians that have joined through the years have grown, gone off to school or new cities, and come back to join occasionally as now professional musicians.
“My favorite part is always playing when I get the opportunity and knowing that, after 13 years, I can be a part of a legacy in terms of the jam being not just a place of opportunity for our young people of all ages, but also a safe haven and a space where not only do they grow musically, but they also grow socially,” says Hicks.
After his first three weeks leading the Jazz Jam, Hicks says things have been going well with standing room only audiences, and he’s excited for the year ahead, jamming with regulars of the series and drawing in new players and fans. With world-class musicians from in and out of town, such as St. Louis born trumpet phenom Keyon Harrold and East St. Louis native Russell Gunn among the sit-ins, Hicks says, “You never know who will be there, so just imagine what that can feel like to our young people—not only to see them, but be able to approach them to have conversations, questions, and then to top it all off, be able to share the stage and maybe play a song or two with them.”
Jazz Jam takes place each Wednesday evening from 6-9 pm live inside The Dark Room at The Grandel. Food and drink are available for purchase and limited seating is available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Bring your instrument or just yourself and come join the jam!
