Wednesday Night Jazz Jam

Bob DeBoo leads the Wednesday Night Jazz Jam at The Dark Room at The Grandel on Wednesday, October 21. It's part of a weekly series run by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, which has been going for 13 years now as a gathering devoted to St. Louis' jazz legacy and its future.

Each session follows a similar arc: it opens with a selection of standards and originals, and the night closes with a jam session open to everyone in the room. That's the part that really defines the evening—it's an inclusive, age-restriction-free space where musicians of all ages can practice and share. On any given night, you might see an eight-year-old pianist sitting in alongside an octogenarian tenor sax player. It's billed as free and family-friendly, so it's as much for the people who play as for the people who just want to listen.

While the jam is the main draw, the series is anchored by a core group. Drummer Demarius Hicks leads the jam, backed by bassist Christopher Thomas and guitarist Eric Slaughter, with rotating guest musicians filling out the sound. Arica Foster, who organizes the series, describes it as a "fellowship and a space for improvisation" that helps keep the city's jazz tradition alive.

Beyond the weekly sessions at The Grandel, the jam has a community presence too. In 2022, it partnered with the St. Louis County Library to extend the series into a monthly gathering at the Lewis and Clark Branch, hosted by Harvey Lockhart. The main event runs every Wednesday evening from 6 PM to 9 PM, and it's free.