The Return of Smooth Jazz

Live smooth jazz performances every 2nd and 4th Sunday at CS3 -

“We’re looking for a culture change.”

In a measured, methodical and musical manner, Elise Entertainment is plotting nothing short of a revolution in Fort Wayne.

Bassist Darron “Cookie” Moore, the musical force, and Michelle Moore, the marketing and finance component, are the husband and wife team behind Elise Entertainment, producer of  Smooth Jazz @ Calhoun Street – a twice-monthly, live jazz initiative adding a new spark to the local music scene.

“I think we have a great market here that likes smooth jazz,” Darron says. “So, when it came down to the venue, we thought, ‘Why not create a venue.’”

In fact, more than music, more than even a venue, Darron and Michelle want to create an experience that people remember and look forward to time and time again.

“You will get a show but we really are creating a culture – an experience that people have not seen here in Fort Wayne,” Michelle explains. “I want people to feel that they’ve experienced something that’s going to make them enjoy the rest of their week.”

“I want them to remember the sounds, the atmosphere, the connections they’ve made with the music and the people,” she adds. “I want them to smile when they remember the experience.”

Both Darron and Michelle are Detroit natives. Compared to their hometown they say there are too few places to enjoy live, smooth jazz in Fort Wayne. Like others who enjoy the music, the Moore’s travel to bigger cities like Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit for smooth jazz shows. However, with the presence of Smooth Jazz @ Calhoun Street, Darron and Michelle want the road to a quality smooth jazz performance to have to go no farther than 1915 Calhoun Street, the address of Calhoun Street Soups, Salads & Spirits, and the home stage for Smooth Jazz @ Calhoun Street.

“The experience that we’re bringing is a place that you can come and just chill, network, have a good time, dance if you want to, just sit back if you want to relax, eat a little food, or have a drink, and just have a good time and really enjoy the music and the environment,” Michelle says.

“I want them to have a sense of relief,” Darron says. “We no longer have to drive to Detroit or Chicago or Indianapolis to have live entertainment.

Elise Entertainment presents Smooth Jazz @ Calhoun Street every second and fourth Sunday of every month. Performances begin at 6:00 p.m. and run until 8:00 p.m. and are reasonably priced at $10 per person. Food and drink are available for purchase. Darron and Michelle promise that every detail is aimed at producing a relaxed, enjoyable, high quality experience.

“Everyone who is a part of this – from the ladies at the door to the people on stage – I want them to know that we’re putting on a production,” Darron says. “You can’t just come in with blue jeans and a raggedy t-shirt. We’ve got to look a certain way so that everybody who comes to the venue knows that this is at a higher level.”

Since arriving in Fort Wayne nearly four years ago, Darron “Cookie” Moore has been making a name for himself as a performer and recording artist. Michelle, who has been in Fort Wayne for the past 14-years, is a vocalist and musician, too, but her career has been in finance and marketing communication. The couple has been married for about a year-and-a-half. They say they are enjoying the added dimension that the business collaboration brings to their relationship, but the spiritual side of their bond is what guide them.

“We both love God and we put God in the forefront of everything that we do,” Darron says.

As the owner/operators of a new business in a sometimes fickle town, the couple didn’t into this project with any illusions. They were well aware of the fact that music promotion is a tough business, and smooth jazz in particular has had a rough road in Fort Wayne. A smooth jazz radio station came and went. Major concerts by nationally-known smooth jazz artists have struggled. And while diehard fans are devoted to the genre, there are still those who don’t quite understand what smooth jazz is really about.

“I’ll never forget – the first year I was in Fort Wayne, I asked a young lady, ‘Do you like smooth jazz?’ She said, ‘I don’t like that stuff.’ I never got that reaction before, so I asked her what she considered smooth jazz. She said, ‘Frank Sinatra,’” Darron chuckles. “I’m bitting my lip thinking, Frank Sinatra is not smooth jazz. No wonder she would says she didn’t like smooth jazz.”

But Darron and Michelle remain convinced that there is a core fan base for smooth jazz and an even larger audience of adults who will come out for a unique experience. Part of the strategy for drawing both audiences to Smooth Jazz @ Calhoun Street will demand consistently high-caliber performances. To that end, Darron consistently works to book some of the region’s top musicians.

“If you go to a live show, you go to be entertained. Let’s be real,” Darron says. “There is level of showmanship, professionalism and musicianship that I’m looking for.”

Again, however, Smooth Jazz @ Calhoun Street is about more than just the music. It’s about a sense of place. It’s about atmosphere. It’s about feeling. Realizing the challenges, Elise Entertainment has been working on the project since last fall working months in advance of the series’ debut show back in February.

“This isn’t something where we woke up one day and said, ‘Hey, let’s put on a show next week,” Darron says. “We’ve been working on this since October.”

They also enlisted the help of partners and sponsors. Local media expert Geno Burgess of Frequency, Inc. is providing his expertise in marketing and promotion, while local businesses like Freeman Jewelers have signed on as sponsors.

“We need our community to be involved,” Darron says. “We need our smooth jazz lovers who are business owners to get behind our sponsorships.”

“We have an opportunity to have something great here,” Darron adds. “It’s going to take the community’s help to sustain this at a high level.”

Sustainability is another key goal for Elise Entertainment. Understanding that some people in Fort Wayne tend to take a “wait-and-see” attitude toward new initiatives, Darron and Michelle understand that maintaining a consistent, sustainable showcase is critical. That will require maintaining high standards and always working to meet high expectations.

“We welcome people’s higher expectations. We’re not trying to lower the bar. You’re going to feel good at every stage of this experience. We’re looking for excellence,” Michelle says.

“If you grade us from one to ten – ten being the highest – I want to be eleven,” Darron laughs.

“In the long run, this is for our community. When you spend money here, it helps Fort Wayne,” Darron explains. “If you’re spending your money in Indianapolis or Chicago, they’re not sending anything back to Fort Wayne.”

However, if the Moore’s have their way, Fort Wayne will soon be the destination spot for smooth jazz lovers from Detroit, Chicago and Indianapolis – not just the other way around.

“We plan on being consistent and staying connected to our community,” Michelle says. “We want people to be proud that Smooth Jazz @ Calhoun Street is part of the community.”

For more information on sponsorship opportunities, call (260) 255-4701.