Co-Owner Roderick Conwell talks to Travel Track about intent, inception, approach and appreciation in regards to his new performance venue and club: Uptown Jazz Lounge in Birmingham, Alabama.
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00:17 (upbeat music)
00:45 - Well, music has been a focal point
00:50 of this city for a long time.
00:52 You know, we've had the likes of Eddie Kendrick
00:54 from Temptations, Donna Ross actually was born here
00:59 before she moved to Detroit.
01:01 So we've got music that has been birthed here
01:04 in musicians for years.
01:07 So it's always been a vital part of Birmingham.
01:09 About 30 years or so ago, it kind of fell off a little bit.
01:15 For various reasons, then picked back up.
01:17 There was one music place that everyone would go to.
01:21 And about 10 years ago, that place kind of went away.
01:29 The owner...
01:31 - Was that when you first went there or that was...
01:36 - Well, I actually have been following him for years.
01:38 I don't know if I can say the name.
01:42 Owner's music room and owner Watson,
01:45 staple of Birmingham too.
01:48 Actually looking to do something for him
01:50 and show him gratitude on what he did
01:53 for the city of Birmingham for years.
01:54 And he's still here, so we want to give him his flowers
01:57 while he's here.
01:58 But owner shut down about six, seven, eight years ago,
02:03 maybe and live music, live jazz music particularly
02:09 and the city kind of fell off from that point.
02:13 But it was still missed, it was still needed.
02:16 And it was a welcome back by Uptown Jazz Lounge.
02:19 So we wanted to make sure that we provided
02:21 that same vibe, that same energy.
02:24 And so we're trying to do that.
02:26 (upbeat music)
02:37 - Y'all still not coming to my band?
02:39 Y'all make some noise, one time, Uptown Jazz Lounge.
02:44 Y'all are so beautiful out there.
02:46 Come on.
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02:50 (vocalizing)
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03:56 - But you saw a need.
04:06 - Oh, absolutely.
04:07 - Absolutely.
04:08 - Could you talk about that?
04:09 Because, you know, but not everybody
04:11 would stand up and do that.
04:13 - Right, right.
04:14 - And go through all that and understand
04:16 what this area is, of course, you know.
04:18 'Cause it takes a little bit, it takes vision.
04:20 - Yep.
04:20 - And it takes tenacity.
04:21 - Yep.
04:22 - Could you talk about that and that path?
04:24 Both as a business, it's a creative venture,
04:26 but it's mostly a business.
04:27 - Correct, it is.
04:29 Well, so, we wanted to, the vision came
04:35 because I, too, was missing what Birmingham
04:38 was needing and missing.
04:40 It filled a void, music and live music,
04:44 and live jazz music, particularly,
04:46 filled a void in my life.
04:47 Had a lot to go on the last seven years,
04:50 a lot of unfortunate circumstances,
04:52 and music, live music, was one of those things
04:55 that kept me going and helped me to get through it.
04:59 So, I had a vision to maybe help and reach out to others.
05:05 As well as entertain myself and entertain others.
05:08 So, I said, "All right, let's see what we can do."
05:10 Lifelong friend of mine, childhood friend,
05:14 we both came up with the vision to do
05:17 Uptown Jazz Lounge, live music venue.
05:19 We both were missing that and we both wanted that
05:23 and we saw that there was a void that needed to be filled.
05:26 Why not us?
05:27 Why not us?
05:29 Born and bred in Birmingham, saw it,
05:31 the journey from one aspect to another.
05:36 So, we thought we'd help rebuild what we once experienced
05:39 when we were growing up as young men and young boys.
05:42 ♪ I knew that I had a side to take ♪
05:46 ♪ You took my love ♪
05:48 ♪ You took my love ♪
05:53 ♪ Didn't have to be ♪
05:56 ♪ One of a kind to ♪
05:59 ♪ Pretend somebody's sweeter ♪
06:03 ♪ A love that don't want to last ♪
06:05 ♪ Didn't have to tell you, baby ♪
06:08 ♪ All that I've seen ♪
06:11 ♪ Tell you, baby ♪
06:14 Sing it now!
06:15 ♪ This is so ordinary love ♪
06:20 ♪ So ordinary love ♪
06:26 ♪ This is so ordinary love ♪
06:31 ♪ So ordinary love ♪
06:54 ♪ You'll be out there in the room by the time I say ♪
06:59 - But the music scene has also changed.
07:03 - Absolutely.
07:03 - Could you talk about that from your perspective,
07:05 but also now that you're booking
07:07 and bringing these different acts in,
07:10 how your own preferences influence it,
07:13 but also how life and how Birmingham's music scene
07:17 has influenced it for you?
07:19 - Well, it's generational.
07:23 So being generational,
07:25 I enjoy all types of music, always have.
07:30 Grew up from funk and rock and roll and R&B,
07:36 gravitated to jazz as I got a little older.
07:40 I still enjoy all the genres, but I like jazz music.
07:44 Well, that same journey from one aspect of music
07:50 to another is also what we see with our customers,
07:55 our customer base.
07:56 They too grew up with a lot of different music
07:59 and different genres of music,
08:01 but now jazz is a combination of all of those.
08:04 So jazz allows us to, when I say us,
08:08 those of us that come here.
08:08 - And there's so many subsections of jazz.
08:10 - Absolutely.
08:11 You have R&B with jazz covers,
08:13 you have rock and roll with jazz covers,
08:14 then you have traditional jazz, contemporary jazz,
08:17 jazz fusion, gospel jazz.
08:20 It's just all different avenues.
08:21 So it can reach out and capture a lot of different people.
08:25 So that generation that grew up with one thing
08:29 can still hear that just with a little different twist,
08:32 a little flavor change and make it into jazz.
08:36 So it allows everyone to still recapture
08:39 some of those songs that they grew up with,
08:41 some of those songs that they danced with in college
08:44 or dated or different parties.
08:48 But now you can enjoy it in that form,
08:50 but then change it up a little bit with jazz behind it.
08:53 (upbeat music)
08:56,
08:59,
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