There are two recommendations before you visit Treasure's Cove for the first time. First, try the chicken wings. It's hard to go wrong with any of the soul food staples to be found on the menu, but the wings come with an emphatic personal recommendation.
Second, if you're feeling bold, bring an instrument along and get ready to play. Every first and third Thursday of the month, drummer Jerry Tanenbaum leads Jerry's Jazz Jam at Treasure's Cove from 7 to 10 p.m., and he'd like you to sit in. Musicians of any age and skill level can add their name, instrument, and song of choice to the …
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There are two recommendations before you visit Treasure's Cove for the first time. First, try the chicken wings. It's hard to go wrong with any of the soul food staples to be found on the menu, but the wings come with an emphatic personal recommendation.
Second, if you're feeling bold, bring an instrument along and get ready to play. Every first and third Thursday of the month, drummer Jerry Tanenbaum leads Jerry's Jazz Jam at Treasure's Cove from 7 to 10 p.m., and he'd like you to sit in. Musicians of any age and skill level can add their name, instrument, and song of choice to the sign-up sheet at the edge of the bar and join the band (drummer Tanenbaum, pianist Jim Holton, and bassist Kenny Davis) for a number or two. Just don't be surprised if other musicians join in.
The result is some of the best live jazz Philadelphia has to offer. With its intimate setting and welcoming atmosphere, Treasure's Cove and Jerry's Jazz Jam are nurturing a thriving jazz community in Northwest Philadelphia, one jam session at a time.
And they’re not alone. As some traditional jazz venues across the city have closed their doors, a network of restaurants, cafes, and small venues across Northwest Philadelphia is breathing new life into the local jazz scene. These intimate spaces, led by passionate musicians and supportive business owners, are creating accessible environments where both veteran performers and newcomers can keep the genre thriving.
A Natural Evolution
The story of Jerry's Jazz Jam, like any good improvisation, began with incredible chemistry. Treasure's Cove started hosting live music and open mics earlier this year as a natural extension of the live dancing and events hosted at Treasures, the nightclub and event venue that adjoins Treasure's Cove.
Owners Kim and Dan Ramsey wanted to create a space where dancers at Treasures could take a breather and sit for some live music and a meal, and restaurant-goers could get up and move.
What started as a mix of various musical genres and karaoke began to take its current shape when vocalist Pamela Renee introduced jazz drummer Tanenbaum to the proceedings. Tanenbaum had a "good vibe" right away, Kim says, and became a perfect fit for the venue. Treasure's Cove diners thought so too, as Tanenbaum's trio, and jazz music, began to take center stage.
"I go by what the people say," Dan says, and what they were saying was that Jerry, and the musicians he brought along with him, were bringing something vital to Treasure's Cove.
As a result, Jerry's Jazz Jam was given stage time one Thursday a month, and then two. Since August, both the size and the diversity of the audience have grown.
Dan and Kim explain that it's partially Tanenbaum's doing; as a gigging jazz musician and music teacher, he draws in a wide circle of established jazz vets and eager young students alike. But it's also due to what Dan calls a natural gravitation. A local passion for jazz and a strong word of mouth have contributed exponentially to the success and popularity of the jam sessions.
It's not hard to see why. The atmosphere at Jerry's Jam Sessions is cozy and inviting. With only a few feet separating the performers from the audience, there's an intimacy to the proceedings, with audience members and musicians sitting side by side at the bar or the tables scattered throughout the restaurant.
"All are welcome," Tanenbaum says, from accomplished musicians to amateurs for whom the jam sessions might be their only opportunity to perform in front of others. Amateur musicians receive the same warmth and respect as local legends like Alfie Pollitt, a pianist who toured with singer Teddy Pendergrass and performed with the likes of drummer and bandleader Art Blakey, who sits in on the keys for a few numbers.
Since opening in 2011, Treasures has become "a family at heart," Kim says, and this family atmosphere permeates the jam sessions at Treasure's Cove.
Family best describes the jazz community keeping the genre alive up and down Germantown Avenue. Despite a rich legacy of jazz in this corner of the city, the future of live neighborhood jazz looked uncertain.
Keeping Jazz alive
The Covid lockdowns of 2020 forced LaRose Jazz Club, once a staple of Philadelphia's jazz scene, to shutter its doors. But local restaurants, cafes, and breweries are picking up that baton, says saxophonist Bill Schenk.
Since Jerry's Jazz Jam began in August, Schenk has become a regular performer. And every other Monday at 6 p.m., he can be found leading Jazz Night at Malelani Cafe in Mt. Airy. Much like Treasure's Cove, Schenk sees a diverse audience of jazz fans, young and old, who stop into the popular eatery to listen and jam.
Trumpet player Craig Russell shares Schenk's optimism. Russell performs every Tuesday night at Manayunk Brewing Company's Jazz Night and sees no sign of the genre losing ground. Celebrating its 22nd year this past summer, Jazz Night at Manayunk Brewing Company is the longest-running live jazz jam session in Philadelphia.
For working musicians like Schenk and Russell, these small venues are currently the lifeblood of Northwest Philadelphia's jazz community.
Looking Ahead
Despite the challenges, jazz is alive and well in Northwest Philadelphia. Just down Germantown Avenue from Treasure's Cove, Historic Germantown has just wrapped up a season of jazz and roots music concerts in their courtyard at 5501 Germantown Avenue. At the top of Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill, Woodmere has sold out eight of its ten Friday Night Jazz concerts in its Fall 2024 series. Plans are currently underway for an inaugural Germantown Jazz Festival, slated for April 2025.
In the space between festivals and larger institutions, it's passionate musicians and fans like the Thursday night crowd at Jerry’s Jazz Jam who are making a local home for this quintessential American art form.