14 JAZZTIMES SEPTEMBER 2019
(Ì
rom the moment one enters, it’s
apparent that the Blue LLa-
ma Jazz Club in Ann Arbor,
Michigan is a special place for live music,
purpose-built from the ground up to the
twinkling-star ceiling. It’s an intimate
space—just over 100 seats, between
the bar and the separate tables—and
every seat has a clear view of the stage.
The overall room and lighting design
are exquisite, and according to artistic
director Dave Sharp, the sound system
went through months of testing before
opening night on March 19 of this year.
Those efforts have certainly paid off; the
quality of both sound and mixing are
excellent, and full multitrack recording
is available as an option for performers.
There’s also a camera and closed-circuit
TV system that broadcasts performances
to the sidewalk outside, for passersby or
people waiting for the second show of
the evening.
The opening of the Blue LLama
has filled a major jazz vacancy in Ann
Arbor that was left when Ron Brooks’
Bird of Paradise closed in 2004 after a
two-decade run. Located right next toto have a balance of local, regional, and
international artists,” says Sharp, who’s
not only a longtime local musician
and educator but also the founder and
director of the A2 Jazz Fest, now in its
fourth year. Not coincidentally, this
year’s festival will take place at the
Blue LLama from September 19
through 22.
Other regular events on the
club schedule, Sharp notes, are
“’virtual concerts,’ where his-
torical jazz footage is presented
on a projection screen onstage.”
So far they’ve shown footage of
John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, Dexter
Gordon, Art Blakey, and Chet Baker,
with Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Johnny
Griffin coming up.
But the Blue LLama
has more to offer
than just a fantastic
environment for
seeing and hearing
live music. Marketing
VP Carolyn Pullen
notes that the two
capital Ls in the club’s
name are not a typo
and represent “our
Love of food and
Love of music.” The
food is fresh, upscale
gourmet; a musician
himself, executive chef
Louis Goral creates “jazz-inspired shared
plates,” and the menu changes often.
A beautiful, intimate room with
great sound, great food, and an audi-
ence that comes to listen—add all those
details together and it’s not hard to
imagine the Blue LLama becoming a
destination venue. JTAnn Arbor’s New Jazz Gem
The Blue LLama club pairs live music with gourmet cuisine in
an intimate atmosphere BY SEAN WESTERGAARDLLAMA FACTS
> The Blue LLama is located at
314 S. Main St., Ann Arbor, MI
48104; phone (734) 372-
> Presents a mix of national,
regional, and local musicians;
upcoming performers include
Keyon Harrold (8/10), Makaya
McCraven (8/17), and Allison
Au (10/23)
> The club hosts the A2 Jazz
Fest 9/19-
> Go to BlueLLamaClub.com for
schedule and ticketsTHE SCENE
well-known folk club the Ark, the new
venue has already showcased big names
like Ravi Coltrane, Nicholas Payton,
Kurt Elling, Rodney
Whitaker, and Joey
DeFrancesco, as well
as up-and-coming
talent like Mike
Reed’s People Places
and Things, the Nick
Mazzarella Quintet,
and the Marquis Hill
Blacktet (featuring
young vibraphone
virtuoso Joel Ross).
They’ve also hosted
the incredible Indian
slide guitarist De-
bashish Bhattacharya.
And with plenty of
local talent in and around the city, and
Detroit and Chicago close enough for an
easy drive, there’s no shortage of great
musicians to draw from when the club
doesn’t have a national act booked.
Shows run the gamut from straight-
ahead to contemporary experimental
and/or genre-crossing acts. “I’m lookingRavi Coltrane and Robert Hurst perform at
the Blue LLama in April 2019