In Northern Utah, an agricultural college town begins to jazz things up

A revolution of music. A different sound. A new way of looking at themselves. That’s what a group of local artists are trying to create in a small agricultural college town without an extensive history of performance jazz.

Jazz musicians in Logan are beginning to think less of themselves as students and more as artists.

Spencer Cooper, a pianist, said there is a “core group” pushing the trend along – finding more gigs and opportunities to share music. Some of the members include.

“We want to be artists and find our own sound,” Cooper said.

Guitarist Hunter Bergman said he and the other jazz musicians are taking it upon themselves to create events to play at. This way, he said, they are able to play outside the school’s curriculum without restrictions and develop their tastes as artists.

Bergman organized a jazz jam for the first time in March at the Firehouse Pizzeria.

He said Greg Chambers, the owner of the restaurant, was skeptical of the idea of a jazz jam at first. As Bergman explained his goal of creating better jazz musicians through the community, Chambers got on board.

Chambers said he had used different music performers in the past, but those events didn’t work because they were too loud to be beneficial to the restaurant’s customers.

“Jazz is more mellow than the rock venues,” Chambers said. “I think with a set schedule, they may get a pretty good following.”

Cooper never thought his organized jam session would be as successful as it was. He thought maybe 15 people would come to support him. Instead, around 30 people came to watch the event in addition to the customers who didn’t know about it.

Cooper said he remembers feeling “satisfied all around.” He said he saw six kids between the ages of four and nine sitting down in front of the musicians playing, reluctant to leave when their parents told them it was time to go.

“It’s moments like that when you realize you are doing good,” Cooper said. “You get into the mindset nobody likes to hear what you play. But then you get something like that and the reception that they are honestly enjoying it.”

Cooper said the gig was a step in the right direction. He compared himself and other jazz musicians who are beginning to perform more as the “first fish that crawled onto the beach.”

“I want to help people understand and see that it’s growing and evolving still,” Cooper said.

Lance Ruby, another guitarist, makes it a point to be self-motivated and play for the community.

Ruby said jazz is “all about the hustle.”

“Musicians are supposed to play music and share it with other people and have it be cool,” Ruby said. “I play as much as possible, because the more I get out and play, the better I sound and the more interesting people I meet.”

Ruby said the community in Logan is supportive of jazz and the musicians who choose to play it.

“We can experiment more here than if we were anywhere else,” Ruby said.

Ruby and drummer Michael Burnham both agreed jazz players need to grow through practice and performance in front of others. They also agreed the better players are the ones who seek out more opportunities to play.

“This is how a big music scene like Portland or Seattle happens,” percussionist Justice Ferguson said. “People are getting out and doing stuff and the community members are being receptive to it.”

Burnham hopes to one day come back to Logan after he graduates to open a restaurant for jazz venues.

“I want Logan to keep growing and be known for jazz,” Burnham said. “If this happens, I want to be a part of it.”

Ferguson also believes Logan could harvest a jazz community where “no matter where you go, you have live music being played.”