Churchill Grounds Jazz

09/08/2026

So you think you know jazz?

Do you really know jazz?

Starting with the African rhythmic traditions kept alive partly through communal gatherings like those at Congo Square, and then moving hearts and souls with a touch of
Blues and spirituals and church music, contributing the "blue notes" and emotional phrasing central to jazz.

Do you know about Ragtime— a syncopated piano style popularized by composers like Scott Joplin, which fed directly into early jazz rhythm and structure.
Add the European harmony and instrumentation — brass band traditions (think marching band) and classical harmonic structures blended in.
Top it off with New Orleans' unique culture — the cultural melting pot of French, Spanish, Caribbean, African, and American influences, all mixing more freely than in most other parts of the U.S. at the time.

So you think you know jazz?

You don't have to know jazz to know you enjoy it, but if you'd like to know more, check out the jazz history course being offered at the brand new Mary Lou Williams Jazz Center. Details are on our website. Churchill Grounds has always done its part to keep jazz alive in Atlanta, will you do your part to help us continue that legacy?

Post. Like. Share. Thank you to those who already have spread the word. We see you and appreciate you doing your part.

09/06/2026

Master pianist Dr. Tyrone Jackson has spent his career blending jazz, funk, and Afro-Caribbean influences into a sound all his own. A student of jazz greats like Ellis Marsalis, he's shared stages with artists including Wynton Marsalis, Earl Klugh, and Marcus Miller — and composed original scores for acclaimed theatrical works, including an adaptation of Pulitzer Prize winner Natasha Trethewey's Native Guard.

Now based in Atlanta, Jackson teaches jazz piano at Kennesaw State University and continues to record and perform, with four albums to his name. Churchill Grounds is fortunate to have his support as one of the educators for our fall semester jazz education series. You can sign up for his course in the link below and you don't have to be a musician to join. Thank you in advance for helping us spread the word. This is how we keep jazz alive for generations to come.

🎶 New Orleans roots. Atlanta home. A piano as his canvas.

09/03/2026

The mission has always been about more than just the music. We are committed to continuing the culture of jazz and supporting jazz education.

As part of this commitment, Churchill Grounds is pleased to announce that the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Center will soon be the location for four exciting jazz educational programs. The courses, some held on the lower level of our new building, will be starting September 15th, which is just a few weeks away. See the link below for descriptions of the fall semester courses, combos and workshops.

It doesn't matter if you are young or young at heart. If you've ever wanted to know the stories behind the music that lifts your soul, secure your seat today. The History of Jazz and Jazz Theory I and II are designed to appeal to mature high school students and adults. Non-musicians are welcome at the Jazz History class, and any musician is welcome at Jazz Theory 1.

https://www.scruggswoodwinds.com/services-8

Be sure to check out our website for information on how to sign up! Even if you can't join us at this time, please help us spread the word. The mission of sustaining the music and the art is bigger than us and we couldn't possibly do this without you.

Scruggs Woodwinds was founded with a simple mission: to keep jazz alive by teaching it the way it was meant to be learned — through community, mentorship, and real musical connection.

08/29/2026

Happy Heavenly Birthday to Bird!
Happy Heavenly Birthday, Bird! 🎷

Today we honor saxophonist and composer Charlie Parker, born on this day in 1920.

Parker was known in some circles as "Bird" or "Yardbird" — a nickname given to him early in his career while on the road with Jay McShann's band.

One of Parker's signature contributions was his approach to composition: writing original melodies over the chord changes of existing jazz standards, a practice known as a contrafact. It wasn't unheard of before bebop, but it became a hallmark of the movement as musicians moved away from simply arranging popular songs and toward creating original material built on familiar harmonic foundations.

A couple of standout examples:

🎶 "Ornithology" — built on the chord progression of "How High the Moon," reportedly co-written with trumpeter Little Benny Harris.

🎶 "Moose the Mooche" — one of several Parker compositions based on the changes to "I Got Rhythm."

Decades later, contrafacts are still a living tradition in jazz — a direct line back to Bird's genius. 🎺 At Churchill Grounds, we are humbled to carry on the legacy and the stories of the musicians who brought this incredible music to the world.

Which Parker composition is your favorite? Drop it below 👇

08/25/2026

Churchills and Clave, a partnership of food and music. During a recent conversation, our partners shared how much they are looking forward to experiencing the next chapter of this musical journey with you! We hope you'll join us when the doors open.

"My wife and myself are both musicians, and we've been playing all our lives, and we are just so excited to be a part of this project. We jumped at the opportunity to become a partner with Churchill Grounds, within the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Center"

-Luis, owner of Clave

08/25/2026

Meet Luis & Yanin, the couple behind Clave- Our Restaurant Partner

Spend a little time talking with Luis and Yanin, and it doesn't take long before the conversation moves between food, family and music. That's probably because, for them, those things have always belonged together. Both are musicians. They grew up in homes with instruments around, raised kids who play music, and brought live music into their restaurants simply because it was something they loved.

Now they're bringing all of that to Clave, our restaurant partner inside the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Center and the team that will also be serving food and drinks inside Churchill Grounds. Even the name has music in it.

The clave is the rhythmic foundation at the heart of Afro-Cuban music. In Spanish, the word can also mean the key or the essential thing. For Luis and Yanin, it felt like the right name for a place where Cuban culture, food and music come together.

And then there's the food. Yanin calls it a "jazzy combination."

There will be traditional Cuban dishes and fresh pastelitos, but also flavors they grew up loving here and new creations inspired by the music and artists coming through the Jazz Center.

"We're going to have a base menu, but creations all the time... something that goes with the music, almost like a creative process."

Sounds a little like jazz to us.

We couldn't imagine better neighbors or partners to share this next chapter with.

Welcome to Clave.

08/21/2026

100 years of Miles

08/21/2026

100 Years of Miles Davis 🎺

Born May 26, 1926, Miles Davis didn't just play jazz — he kept reinventing it, and in the process reshaped everything music could be. From the cool, restrained lines of Birth of the Cool to the modal breakthrough of Kind of Blue (still the best-selling jazz album of all time), to the electric shock of Bi***es Brew, Miles refused to stand still. Just as you thought you understood him, he moved on to the next sound.

That restlessness rippled way beyond jazz. Rock, funk, hip-hop, ambient, electronic — you can hear his fingerprints in genres he never even touched himself, because he taught generations of musicians that space, tone, and risk matter more than showing off.

Churchill Grounds has witnessed hundreds of trumpeters come through its doors. Countless styles across generations. Every single soul they reached with every note played was in some fashion influenced by the man, the legend, Miles Davis.

Here's to the next generation of artists who will push boundaries.
Here's to the spaces, like Churchill, that provided a space for the art. Here's to every musician who continues to carry the spirit of jazz. It's not about showing off. It's always been about showing up.

100 years on, put on Kind of Blue, turn the lights down, and listen to what silence between notes can do.

🎶 Which Miles era hits hardest for you — cool, modal, fusion, or something else? 🎶

08/01/2026

We are grateful to have been featured once again by Decaturish as part of the MLWJC and we appreciate the support and interest everyone has given us over the course of this endeavor. The labor of love continues! Please click on the link below to access the article.

Cornerstone Jazz Collective purchased the historic former Decatur Post Office at 141 E. Trinity St. with plans to transform it into a multiuse jazz center. The center, opening in stages later this year, is named for Atlanta native Mary Lou Williams, the pioneering jazz pianist, composer and arranger...