I was digging around the deep crevices of the internet last month, and I turned up this little gem:
ParlorJazz! Brooklyn in The Brooklyn Paper
It was the “nightlife” page from a 2007 issue of The Brooklyn Paper, and one listing caught my eye. I dug a bit deeper, and was fascinated to find that “ParlorJazz! Brooklyn” had been a series hosted by Jim Morehand and his husband David Polazzo from 2002 to 2011, featuring local artists and taking place in their living room!
Digging just a bit deeper, I found Jim on Facebook and reached out to let him know that I was eager to learn more about his experience with PJB. His response was swift and welcoming, so we ended up on a phone call, chatting for over an hour about his journey creating and sustaining a salon-style venue in Clinton Hill. The story was fascinating! And it felt so vitally resonant with Micasa that it seemed a shame not to share it with our growing community of local artists and bespoke event producers. Why hadn’t I just hit “record?”
A week later, Jim and I sat down for lunch, and we also went back through the PJB story, but this time I made sure to get a recording, which I’ve transcribed here as our very first post. I’m grateful to Jim for his unhesitating generosity, and for his wonderful wealth of knowledge, which so inspired me that I’ve decided to devote this Micasa blog to telling stories like his, stories from the past-and-present life of salon-style arts in New York City. Thanks, Jim!
LM – ParlorJazz! Brooklyn is part of a rich history of underground arts in New York. Were you influenced by any artist or event in particular?
JM – Oh yea, I mean house party jazz is nothing new. Tenants in Harlem used to hire musicians and throw “rent parties,” dancing all night and passing the hat to help make ends meet.
That goes all the way back to the 1920s, but some folks like Marjorie Eliot keep the tradition alive in Harlem to this day. Marjorie is a big part of the PJB origin story.
Before I ever thought of creating a jazz salon, I decided to try organizing gallery-style social events to promote friends of mine who were fine artists, hoping to get their work seen in as many venues as I could find. One event was at a piano showroom here in Manhattan, and I wanted to have some entertainment, so I hired a pianist. But I never thought of it like a performance . . . just someone playing the piano, you know, while people milled around and looked at the artwork on the walls.
My guest lists always included musicians, and to this particular event I’d invited a professional vocalist named Rochelle Thompson. She went right on over to the pianist, tapped him on the shoulder, and asked if he knew “Take the A train.” Next thing we knew, Rochelle was singing, and the event was a hit! Looking back on it now, I can see that Rochelle was basically on stage doing her audition for what would become ParlorJazz! Brooklyn, but we had no idea at the time. It wasn’t until Rochelle turned me on to Marjorie Eliot that the idea for PJB found its way into my head.
Rochelle was booked to sing at one of Marjorie’s parlor events, and she told me about how Marjorie held these jam sessions in her tiny apartment up in Harlem, so I said, sure I’ll come and support you! But the producer in me was intrigued; I was happy to go and support Rochelle, but I was also interested to see how she pulled it off. Yea . . . that night was eye-opening . . . everybody packed into a hallway to share in this incredibly intimate experience, it was magical. And I thought, I love this. I can do this! But I’ll do it my own way.
LM – Now it’s one thing to get inspired and to dream about creating a jazz salon in your home, but to follow through and make it happen, that’s something else entirely. What possessed you to take on such a challenge?
JM – You’re right, it takes way more than just an idea! And I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I also knew I had to try . . . because I just felt like, there are so many talented artists in New York, and a few can catapult to the top, everybody else is left to struggle.
And I had a passion! I’d been so turned off by my experiences going out to hear jazz in New York; audiences talking over the music, various sounds from the bar, piss-poor payment to the musicians, musicians hired to be “background” music and having to rely on passing a “tip jars” to supplement their pay, venue owners reneging on their promised pay because they didn’t generate enough paying guests, and the list goes on. ParlorJazz! Brooklyn was partly a reaction against what we experienced in those typical venues. Those indignities fueled my passion to get this done.
Every once in a while, in my life, I’ve done those types of things where it’s like, I have no idea how it’ll all work, but know it can be done, and it’s something I believe in. Just start. Just start!
LM – I’d imagine there must have been quite a few hurdles to leap in getting Parlor Jazz off the ground. What stands out in your memory as the toughest part?
JM – Worrying about anybody even showing up. That was the main thing, because it was our home, my husband David and me, and it’s so personal and so vulnerable. What if they don’t like it? What if they don’t like us?? Plus, I mean, we’re opening it to the general public . . . some of our neighbors just asked, “Why? Why do you want people you’ve never met coming into your private home?” and I always responded, if you’ve ever been into a jazz club, you’d know that jazz fans are a special breed. They don’t come to let loose, they come to listen. So it was risky, and it took lots of work to be ready. But we took the plunge, and it worked. People came! And people loved it.
I should say, it was a little crazy at first. We were committed to building a following, so we started at twice a month, but then two weeks go by so fast when you have to set up and break down, and you need to promote, and sometimes almost nobody comes. There were times when we had like maybe three people, and I was embarrassed, you know, mortified!! But the musicians didn’t miss a beat, and performed like they were on stage at Carnegie Hall. One time, the audience was once again nearly empty, but the vocalist just rolled with it and said “let’s work on the new material” and they rehearsed on stage and had a great time, but yea those were some nerve-wracking nights.
Eventually we scaled back to once a month, which worked great because it left people hungry for more, and turnouts improved. We were able to begin charging 30$ for a seat, and our reputation kept growing, but one thing never changed: no matter how many people showed up, the musicians always got paid. We didn’t ever want artists to doubt that this tiny little jazz salon would be worth their time. And the artists came!
ParlorJazz! Brooklyn Advert
LM – What are some of your favorite moments from the ParlorJazz! Brooklyn experience?
JM – Well, let’s see . . there was this one night, it was our 6-year anniversary. We had Alan Onaje Gumbs booked to play, and we were all excited because he always had special guests.
You never knew who he might bring along to sit in, you just knew that you didn’t wanna miss it. Now, I’d never heard of Mem Nahadr, but he brought her up and she just blew the house down. She even came with a costume change for the 2nd set – it was wild!
There was another night, Aziza Miller, who had at one time been Natalie Cole’s music director, took the stage and told this fantastic story about the song “La Costa.” Natalie had asked Aziza (who was going by her married name Linda Williams at the time) to write a song for her, so Aziza composed the melody and sang it back to Natalie, but with swingin’ scat syllables instead of words. Natalie loved it and added lyrics, and “La Costa” went on to be a huge hit. We all were lucky enough that night to hear Aziza sing the original, wordless scat version of “La Costa,” right there in my parlor.
Mem Nahadr
Aziza Miller
LM – Running Parlor Jazz for almost a decade, you must have had quite a few regulars. Were there any characters who stand out in your memory?
JM – Yes indeed. One night a great friend of mine brought his “Aunt Helen.” She was 91 when she first visited ParlorJazz, and she quickly became the life of the party.
She always dressed in some type of African Kaftan type garment and gray dreadlocks, and she’d always sit right in the front row, cheering the musicians on with shouts of approval when they’d play a funky little riff, or deliver an irreverent lyric. She was a hoot!
Everybody adored Aunt Helen, and at some point our feisty little elder was dubbed “House Mother,” which is a reference to an esteemed title given to the eldest female member in the Black Baptist Churches of God in Christ (COGIC). Helen would always come with her nephew & his wife, but those times that they could not make it, she didn’t live too far away, so either David or I would go pick her up and bring her back home afterward. She enjoyed the music so much and we ALL enjoyed HER!
LM – Did your background in arts and design contribute in some way to your ability to make Parlor Jazz so successful?
JM – For sure. If you’ve ever seen Project Runway or any of these competition reality shows with a panel of judges of judges, then you know how they will hack you to pieces if you’re not on top of your game. 
At ParlorJazz! Brooklyn, the guests were my panel of judges, I was not gonna let them catch me slippin! So yea, my experience in design made me very critical about everything that I did.
When we produced PJB, I knew that the devil would be in the details . . . for the approval of both the musicians I would try to attract, as well as for those guests who would eventually come to enjoy them in our home. In design, you’re constantly asking “who?” and “why?” “Who’s going to see my work, and what attracts them or makes them feel comfortable?” I knew that it was the smaller or more subtle things that would matter; comfortable seats, nice lighting, the right ambience and color and layout, a nice glass of wine or plate of lasagna . . . well, the lasagna was more David’s specialty than mine!
LM – Yours is a wonderful story, and one that’s invaluable to those of us who are involved with salon-style arts here in New York. Thank you so much! Any parting words for the Micasa community?
JM – Yes! New Yorkers have always been a tough crowd to please. We’ve seen and experienced a lot! To be successful here, you’ll need a passion for asking “what?” and “why?”
That is the mental foundation that will guide you through the rough times and difficult decisions. Leave your ego at the door and don’t be too proud to seek advice from those who have the experience you lack.
Finally, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there in the world, even if you have no idea how you’ll be received. And when you do, always represent yourself well. Always put your best foot forward. The whole world is your stage, but New York can be a tough panel of judges . . . don’t let them catch you slippin!
2 Responses
Loved Parlor Jazz . It was the one arts event that my wife and I looked forward to more than most established arts venues.
Parlor Jazz was organic and built community. It was a place that you could let your hair down, be yourself, meet a diverse crowd of prigressive people.
Love Jimmy and Dave.
Great story. and yes PJB was fabulous and every time I walk down Vanderbilt Avenue on the way home, I recall those fabulous evenings of Jazz and camaraderie! Always wished it never ended!