Less than a year since it opened, The Shed has made a habit of hosting renowned musicians in its intimate downtown jazz venue.
Opened approximately seven months ago by saxophonist Daniel Stark, The Shed focuses primarily on jazz but also hosts many rock, hip hop, indie and electronic artists. Most notably, the venue hosts jazz pianist Ernest Turner weekly on Monday nights, with the first half of the performance showcasing Turner and the rest of his trio and the second half opening up the stage for other local musicians to play.
“There are so many musicians around that I felt like having a sort of intimate, laid-back listening lounge space might be a cool addition to the night life options in downtown Durham," Stark said.
Stark said that at times, jazz is used to cajole customers to eat and drink more at the cafe or lounge venue. However, at The Shed, Stark has maintained that music takes precedence.
“People are coming and definitely intent on listening to you play, so I guess the music can take on more of an artistic vibe than a place where you are playing more ambiance,” Turner, a Durham native, said of The Shed's atmosphere.
Turner has been playing piano since age three. He started playing jazz in high school and then went to New Orleans for college, where he eventually joined the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. Since returning to Durham, he has played in numerous locales around the city including the Sharp Nine Gallery, Beyú Café and the Pinhook.
Around the time of The Shed's formation, Stark was talking with Turner about creating a listening lounge made by musicians for people who truly wanted to come in and appreciate the music. Turner expressed interest in playing in such a club every week.
“That for me was a real shot in the arm,” Stark said. “You have this amazing artist who’s willing to come in and help you out. When you have an artist of that caliber who’s willing to play every week, then other people are going to be calling you up and asking to play there.”
In fact, after the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra finished their show in Durham earlier this year, they went right over to The Shed for an impromptu late night jam session. For Ernest Turner, that night was memorable because he was able to see a lot of people from his old band that he had been away from for ten years. Many other fans and local musicians were also able to play with the orchestra, that is made up of some of the best jazz musicians in the world.
When discussing his playing style, Turner noted that while he is influenced by a few legends such as Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, he is mostly a product of all the different things he has been exposed to, such as gospel and hip hop.
“It can definitely morph into different things,” he continued, “It’s just a combination of different styles of Black American music.”
Stark noted he plans to make The Shed more of an after hours act in the future to inspire jam sessions like the one with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. Groups playing at the Carolina Theater or the Durham Performing Arts Center may embrace it as a place to have more intimate shows for fans after the main event.
“We’ve got some tricks up our sleeve and stuff we’ve been working on, but it’s a little to early to let the cat out of the bag on some of that stuff,” Stark noted.
As it grows the club is also constantly thinking of new ideas to provide more recreation options for students. The Shed plans to host student groups from universities like Duke, as well as talking to composition teachers about hosting a series of original works from students.
“Anything that gives something to do besides go to Shooters will be a good thing for Durham, in my opinion,” Stark said.
Ernest Turner Sessions at The Shed are every Monday night from 9 to 11 pm. The Shed is located near the last stop of the Bull City Connector Line at Golden Belt, 807 E Main St.
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