Hill Chillin’

The Jazz@Sitrus music series promises cool lounge vibes at SU’s Sheraton Hotel

The Syracuse scene for jazz music crops up at summer get-togethers like the Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival, weekly gigs at downtown restaurants such as the Syracuse Suds Factory and Pastabilities, and sporadic concerts held at Jazz Central. And no, we’re not forgetting the local participants at the annual Syracuse Jazz Fest at Onondaga Community College. But a dedicated jazz club has been sorely missed by music lovers and musicmakers.

To the rescue is Sitrus on the Hill, a slick and chic jazz lounge located in the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel, 801 University Ave. The bar kicked off Jazz@ Sitrus, a 15-date music series, on Nov. 18, with a slate of performers scheduled through next June.

The cover-free series is organized by Larry Luttinger, executive director of the Central New York Jazz Arts Foundation, Inc. “We’ll be experimenting with different room configurations as well as the lineup, which I told the hotel I deliberately designed as a sampler of local jazz cabaret artists available in Central New York,” Luttinger says. “It’s accessible to the non-jazz listener because it’s vocalbased and it’s also meant to serve the transient community that is staying at the hotel. It’ll become a hipper, more entertaining destination for everyone visiting Syracuse and staying at the Sheraton.”

The idea for a jazz club was originally presented to Luttinger by Sheraton marketing manager Richard Duda right after the conclusion of last July’s Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival. The Sheraton has become more involved with CNY Jazz since first sponsoring the summer fest in 2010, as well as the Black History Month cabaret series last February.

With plans being commissioned for the lounge’s redesign, Duda saw an opportunity. “When it was being upgraded I thought, ‘Why don’t we try a regular jazz night?’” Duda recalls. “We had such a great experience working with Larry and CNY Jazz, I thought, ‘Let’s do more.’” So Luttinger booked the talent and hyped the series, drawing CNY Jazz donors and subscribers of the CNY Jazz Cabaret Series into the new venue. Judging by the turnout for Rochesterbased singer Nancy Kelly on Nov. 18, the collaboration is on the right track. “The first hurdle was crossed,” Duda says. “The reception {of Kelly} was fan tastic and the people we spoke to plan on coming back.”

Next up is Cookie Coogan from Ithaca, who has worked with several groups around town including the J.T. Hall Jazz Consort. Coogan will swing on Friday, Dec. 9, 6 to 9 p.m. “She’s an amazing musician,” Luttinger says. “You’ve seen her sing with some modern jazz groups in our concert series and you’ve also seen her belt it in front of the big band programs like our Candlelight Series {a summertime presentation at Armory Square}.”

“ “I don’t know of any clubs or public establishments in the area that are doing that.” ”

All subscribers and donors receive a “CNY Jazz Central Club Discount Card,” which is good for garage parking at the Sheraton during CNY Jazz events and 10percent-off tabs on all Jazz@Sitrus shows.

“It’s so cool to just be able to walk in, go in the parking garage and show your discount card,” Luttinger says. “I don’t know of any clubs or public establishments in the area that are doing that.”

The combination of talented performers, benefits to regular supporters and the overall plush feel of the new club are all part of Luttinger’s greater ambition. “For this season, my goal for the series is public outreach,” Luttinger says. “I feel this is a very important series in terms of popularizing the art form for the general public.”

If the inaugural season goes well, both Luttinger and Duda hope to make the performances more frequent. “We want to establish a relationship in the jazz community,” Duda says. “We want to bring people in from out of town and solidify a relationship with both CNY Jazz and our customers.”

Sitrus on the Hill’s Jazz@Sitrus upcoming schedule includes the aforementioned Cookie Coogan on Friday; the Rick Balestra Trio (Dec. 23), Michael and Anjela Lynn (Jan. 6); Maria DeSantis (Jan. 20); the Central New York Jazz Trio (Feb. 3); Ronnie Leigh (Feb. 17); Andrea Miceli & Moss (March 9); Swing This! with Mark Hoffmann (March 23); the Jeff Houston Experience (April 13); the return of Nancy Kelly (April 27); another gig with Ronnie Leigh (May 11); Tom and Alicia Bronzetti (May 25); the SOHO Trio with Marcia Rutledge (June 1); and J.T. Hall with Colleen Prossner (June 15) For more information on Jazz@Sitrus, call 479-5299 or visit www.cnyjazz.org.

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