A jazz night at The Elephant Room where Andre Hayward leads a birthday tribute to Dr. James Polk, with the piano seat open for guest pianists.
Andre Hayward leads a birthday tribute to Dr. James Polk at The Elephant Room on Thursday, September 10. It's a night built around a specific gesture: the piano seat is left open throughout the evening, so guest pianists can step up and play a song for him. Hayward is the main feature, and the billing is Andre Hayward & friends, which fits the open-seat format.
The Elephant Room is on Congress Avenue in old Downtown Austin, a candlelit room that's been filled with Chicago, Kansas City, and New York-style jazz since 1991. Its walls are framed with famous autographs, and it's open seven nights a week, with happy hour music kicking off at 6 PM. It's a regular haunt for Austin jazz figures like Sarah Sharp, Stanley Smith, Jon Blondell, and Michael Mordecai, and it's picked up several Best of Austin Awards over the years, including Readers Poll honors in 1993.
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Because the piano seat stays open for guest players, the set will shift as different musicians take turns stepping in to play a song for Dr. Polk. It's that rotation that gives the night its shape, with Hayward leading the way and the guest spots filling in the rest. The show starts at 9 PM, so you'll have the early music at the room to warm up before the tribute gets going.
