The smell of woodsmoke hangs in the air. The blue and purple lights are dimmed. The sounds of cocktails being shaken accompany Nacio Herb Brown’s “You Stepped Out of a Dream.” Good music has brought people into Walker’s and made them stay.
Late last month, Walker’s Jazz Lounge, located in Old Town, welcomed guests to watch performances by various ensembles from the Wichita State University Jazz Program.
The Saxophonics, directed by assistant professor James “Jim” Pisano, opened up the last program of the week with “Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise” by Sigmund Romberg and arranged by WSU grad student Hannah Kavanaugh, who plays the baritone saxophone.
“I thought it went well,” Nathaniel Tompkins, who plays the alto saxophone, said. “I always enjoy playing.”
After Saxophonics, Latin Jazz Combo, Orders up, and C.S.T (Central Swing Time) followed. These performances included songs with Cuban carnival rhythms and a tribute to the late American record producer and composer Quincy Jones. Jazz was used as a way to connect with various cultures and people.
Ivré Cooper plays trombone for Orders up. Cooper, a WSU graduate, uses jazz to connect with family.
“My grandfather listened to a bunch of it,” Cooper said. “I never had a taste of it until my teens. I always listened with my grandpa, I always listened with my grandmothers. And, my great-grandfather was a saxophone player.”
The Jazz Program wasn’t the only part of Walker’s with WSU alumni. June Green, Walker’s full-time bartender, is an alumna of the Elliott School.
“I’m a student of jazz in my own time,” Green said. “I played in a jazz ensemble in my senior year of college … ended up being asked to do the ensemble. So a year ago I got to play a show here.”
That show led to Green connecting with the owners of Walker’s, which ended up with her picking up shifts and eventually being brought on full-time.
While the February performances have come to an end, the Jazz Program will be back at Walkers starting Monday, April 28. WSU students get a discount on tickets when presenting their Shocker ID.
