Milwaukee's Bronzeville neighborhood -- along North Avenue from Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive to 7th Street -- is starting to take shape with help from entrepreneurs like Dennis Chambliss, his wife, Suzette Allen, and brother, Key, owners of Just Jazz & Blues Lounge, 634 W. North Ave.
The bar opened Aug. 21 and is one of the first new businesses to establish itself in the developing neighborhood.
"Bronzeville is a redevelopment project," says Andrea Rowe, Communications Manager for Milwaukee's Department of City Development & Housing Authority. "We're creating an African American Cultural & Entertainment District."
In a storefront that has been vacant for nearly seven years, Chambliss and his family saw an opportunity to do something positive in the community. "I had been bartending in Milwaukee for six years," says Key. "I knew it was time to have something of my own."
Inspired by the time he spent working at the now defunct House of Blues on 35th and North (not the national chain of music venues), Key envisioned his bar as the laid-back, friendly type of watering hole where people feel compelled to "have a good beer, nod their head and relax."
Walking into the fresh, cozy environment that is Just Jazz & Blues proves to be just that. The walls are a warm red, adorned with paintings by local artist Saafir depicting jazz trios and blues bands. A small table for two sits in the large picture window with plants and candles accenting the nooks and crannies.
And all the while the smooth ZZ Hill tunes fill the room.
"I've always had a taste for blues and jazz," says Key. "I never got into rap and I won't play it at my bar."
The co-owners say that they are focused on attracting a mature and laid-back crowd that can appreciate the kind of atmosphere they're going for. "Lots of people in their 20s don't know who Paul Taylor, Denise LaSalle or even Muddy Waters is. But that's the kind of music we're going to play."
Eventually, they would like to have live jazz and blues bands play at the bar. "We're working on it," says Chambliss. "It should happen in the coming months."
Until then, the owners' personal music libraries will fuel the vibe. The only time the jazz and blues might cease, however, is for their Monday night karaoke night from 8 p.m. to midnight. Other daily specials include Tuesday dollar night from 7 to 12 p.m., Wednesday gentlemen's night with drink specials, and Thursday ladies' night with two-for-one drinks.
"We just want people to have a good time here," says Chambliss. "We've got a pool table, darts and there's almost always a game of dominos going on."
Just Jazz & Blues Lounge is open every day from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., and chances are, at least one of the owners will be there to greet you from behind the bar.
"We're giving everything we've got to this," says Chambliss. "You gotta crawl before you walk."
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
