Last Updated on January 12, 2023, 11:57 AM | Published: January 11, 2023
OKLAHOMA CITY — When the legendary Blue Note Lounge finally reopened in June 2022 following a much longer and more demanding renovation process than was expected, they made it clear that one of the top priorities of this “New Note” would be to significantly expand the diversity of artists on their stage.
For at least a couple decades, the Blue Note had been known primarily as a hard rock dive, the kind of place to catch a steady stream of blistering guitar solos and gut-busting bass riffs from crushing metal acts and punk rockers. And though the venue was (and still is) surely a respected and integral part of those scenes, there’s long been a sense that the bar could be restored to its former jazzy, bluesy, rootsy glory, showcasing all that Oklahoma music has to offer.
With the Note now finally firmly back on track and firing on all cylinders, that dream of widening the scope of artists and genres on the newly re-built stage has become a successful reality, and their upcoming slate of acts is the best example yet of their newly diverse vision.
David Miner – Thursday, January 12th
This Thursday sees Country & Western crooner David Miner taking the stage and reminding audiences how much country history the Blue Note can boast going back decades.
“He’s doing some real awesome, throwback Western music,” said Jon Jackson, Blue Note’s booking manager. “Like real ‘western swing’ country music.”
Over recent years, straight-up country music was one of the most unlikely things to find on the Blue Note stage, but Jackson and the owners are definitely fans, and since the 2017 closure of “red dirt” bar Wormy Dog Saloon, there’s been a definite hole in spaces for that style.
“It’s been a bit of a battle,” Jackson said of the initial struggle to spread the word and get the right audiences in for the recent country shows. “But that community has really pulled through. I know about a couple of country shows we’ve done that were nearly at capacity.”
Linda Gail Lewis with Danny B. Harvey and Annie Marie Lewis – Friday, January 20th
This is a big one, not only because of the high profile of the artists, but also because of the Note’s own deeply established history with rockabilly music, a genre arguably created by Linda Gail’s brother.
“She’s actually Jerry Lee Lewis’s little sister,” Jackson explained, “and she’s been called ‘The Queen of Rockabilly.’”
Blue Note was something of a destination for rockabilly acts during the style’s resurgence in the 80s and 90s, and current co-owner Jerry Redd has himself been a player in the genre for years.
“Redd is friends with Danny B. Harvey, who is a legendary guitarist in rockabilly,” Jackson said. “Harvey actually married Jerry Lee Lewis’s niece, Annie Marie, who is Linda Gail Lewis’s daughter, and they all got together a few years ago and did this tribute album to Jerry Lee Lewis called ‘Family Jewels.’ Redd and I have wanted to get Danny B. Harvey at the Blue Note for awhile, and it all just kind of lined up.”
“Jabee Presents…” – Saturday, January 21st
Re-establishing the Blue Note as a welcoming venue for rap and hip-hop was such a priority for Jackson, that as soon as the space was ready to re-open, he reached out to local scene leader Jabee immediately.
Following some (well-documented) controversy with Blue Note booking under previous ownership, Jabee had publicly distanced himself from the venue, as did much of the hip-hop community over the past few years.
With the new owners in place, and a proudly all-inclusive, anti-toxic ethos to guide them, Jabee is not only back on the Blue Note stage, he’s presenting a recurring monthly showcase for up-and-coming rappers backed by one of the hottest bands on the scene.
“Sarafina Byrd and her band are the live band for the night,” Jackson said. “So Jabee is bringing friends and artists from around the country to come play and giving them the option of playing with the live band or playing to their tracks.”
This month’s “Jabee Presents…” event will also see the launch of a new partnership between Blue Note and Jabee’s own Eastside Pizza House, as table reservations will now also include a complimentary pizza from the NE 23rd pizzeria.
Jazz Night – Every Sunday
Weekly jazz nights are admittedly nothing new around OKC, but there is something undeniably special about catching a full-scale jazz show at a place whose history stretches back to the original historic OKC jazz circuit of the 50s and 60s.
“It’s definitely a different crowd, and it’s bringing out a lot of new faces” Jackson says of the jazz-hungry patrons filling the bar on Sunday nights. “We’re really trying to let the public know that we’re going to be programming across the board. If it’s good music, we want it in our room. We have a very diverse clientele, and that’s been super warm and inviting, which is great.”
You can find schedules, tickets, and table-and-food reservations for all of these and any other upcoming Blue Note shows at okcbluenote.com.
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
