Putting the Jazz (and a great big smile) in Jazzanooga
“Jazzanooga is different because it’s driven by the community. It’s what the community needs it to be, what they want it to be. We could’ve gone different ways with it, but I wanted to share the notion with people that if they can do it, you can do it. From being the performer on stage to being the stage tech. Whatever you want to do, you can do it.”
It’s one of the first thing Shane Morrow says to me as we sit down over brunch at The Camp House to discuss his work with Jazzanooga. One of Shane’s favorite places, The Camp House does what we as Chattanoogans should already be doing: celebrate everyone in the community, not just the community we think we are a part of.
His smile, his demeanor, spending time with Shane is like spending time with a friend you’ve always wanted, or maybe you’re already lucky to have.
He’s the co-founder of Jazzanooga, a not-for-profit that is dedicated to addressing “the art disparities in our city’s underserved communities” and in doing so, benefit those who may have unrealized dreams of performing in the arts.
“I came here in 2003 and I wondered, ‘Where can I go to feel welcomed and also be able to share my gifts and talents?’” Shane says, going on to say he comes from five generations of piano players and has always been in love with the arts, performing, and sharing his talents with his community.
What he came to find was a lack of opportunity as he reached out to various theatres and art-focused groups in Chattanooga.
“One theatre I reached out to was putting on a production of Raisin in the Sun which I performed in and won the Miss Annie Award for Best Actor.” He mentions the award humbly continuing on to say he was itching for his next opportunity.
“I asked were there anymore African American musicals or plays coming up and they were sorry to say that no, there weren’t because they were only doing one a year at the time. And I was taken aback.
“They told me that they didn’t mind for anyone to audition for any production because they were colorblind. And I took issue with that because we’re all capable of doing many different things but there are some times that you have to have a targeted focus, especially on our underserved population.”
Shane quickly realized the need for a group focused on serving those who were underserved. When asked during his first interview with Jazzanooga “What is Jazzanooga?” He was quick to respond, and holds true to this today, “Jazzanooga is what the community needs it to be.”
“There were so many figures of jazz here in the community outside of Bessie that weren’t being celebrated, weren’t being identified,” Shane says.
“For example, Clyde Stubblefield played drums for James Brown and is the single most sampled drummer in history. His song “Funky Drummer,” he did with James Brown, he created that beat and he came from the streets of Chattanooga.
“He didn’t read a bit of music, but taught himself to play on trash cans simply from listening to the sounds of factories. Yes, he received his recognition from being sampled, but wasn’t paid for that. It wasn’t until later on that Questlove from The Roots gave him the recognition he deserved.”
Shane goes on to say when Jazzanooga had the opportunity to bring Stubblefield to Chattanooga a few years before he passed away, he was so incredibly humble it was almost shocking.
“I get emotional when I think about it because he was so humble. What a humble man. It blew my mind and was one of the many things that gave me the energy to keep doing what I was doing.”
Jazzanooga officially became a 501(c)3 in 2015 so, on paper, they’re new to the game, but so far they have three national grants; a grant for NEA, Cultural Preservation and Levitt.
With the multitude of available paid for events in the city, Shane strived to have Jazzanooga’s events be totally free or “damn sure close to it.”
“There shouldn’t be a barrier financially for anyone when it comes to enjoying the arts,” he says. “If we’re working for the community to educate them on our cultural heritage, I need to give them the opportunity to explore that.”
When asked what will be the future of Jazzanooga?
“It’s a future wish for not just Jazzanooga, but for our city: it’s to celebrate our differences versus creating more barriers. And I hope that we continue to define what inclusiveness and what diversity means for us. Because we have a very rich cultural landscape here, and that needs to be celebrated. By all of us.”