Located in the heart of Baltimore, Keystone Korner is a local jazz bar highlighting talent and culture. With the motto, ‘take care of the music and it will take care of you,’ Keystone Korner is a place for togetherness, food, and music.
The quaint jazz bar sits on Lancaster Street, and although the Baltimore location of Keystone Korner didn’t open until 2019, the origins of Keystone date back over 50 years in San Francisco. According to their website, “Keystone Korner was a home away from home for hundreds of the most supremely swinging and creative musicians of its time, and most of the dedicated folks who worked there—servers, door personnel, bartenders, and office helpers alike—were either musicians or aficionados who were nonetheless deeply passionate about the music we presented.”
Walking into the establishment, you can see photographs of famous jazz musicians such as Billie Holiday and Cab Calloway. Alongside numerous seating options, live music can be enjoyed close to the stage, or far away for listening.
With the seating being close knit, the overall feel of Keystone fosters group enjoyment, which musician and Loyola English Professor Mark Osteen emphasizes.
“People need the experience of listening to live music and being there with it because it’s communal. So it’s not just the back and forth to the crowd, but it’s also the crowd’s interaction with other members of the crowd, you can see if this is also [what] we’re doing together,” Osteen said.
For saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, son of John Coltrane, performing on a stage like Keystone Korner is a way to connect with the audience, specifically when performing his father’s music with his sextet.
“Most people are familiar with the music that [John Coltrane] made before this period in his earlier stages of development. And that later music sometimes can frighten people…You can search [for] something more universal than just playing a style or a genre, I think the effect of it can be, you know, kind of an extreme sound,” Coltrane said.
Coltrane also notes how audience reception is important.
“So to be able to play that music and for people to connect with it in some ways, We’re playing through a lot of different types of music during this stuff. And then we get to [John Coltrane’s music] it’s a bit of a diversion from the other styles of music we were playing. People seem to react that way the most,” Coltrane said.
Live performances offer a different way for audiences to enjoy music. Osteen says that in his opinion, jazz should always be live.
“Because [jazz] unfolds in real time and no two performances are alike. You can hear the record, but you’re not really hearing them improvising on the spot. So it’s really important for jazz, because it’s an improvisational art, every performance is different,” Osteen said.
At Keystone Korner, you can find a community of music lovers with a culture that values the art of jazz and other genres of music as well. To accompany the music, Keystone Korner has a variety of dinner options, including All-American classics such as a barbecue brisket sandwich or Angus beef burger, as well as a crab cake sandwich and raw oysters—for a taste of Maryland.
For those looking to enjoy live music and good food, Keystone Korner Baltimore has a number of performances throughout the week to enjoy in person and online. The performance calendar can be found here with tickets available for purchase.
