Story and Photos By Brent Thompson
It’s a Tuesday in Crestwood. You park your car and walk toward True Story Brewing Company. The sounds of horns are bleeding through the walls, and you know it’s going to be a hot night. The club’s weekly jazz jam—led by Alabama Jazz Hall of Famer Jose Carr and anchored by members of his quartet Bernard McQueen on bass and Timothy Huffman on drums with revolving keyboard players—has become a Birmingham institution.
But True Story Brewing wasn’t always a music venue. When the space next door—previously occupied by Seasick Records—became available, True Story owner Craig Shaw jumped at the opportunity to expand and fulfill his vision of featuring eclectic live music. “Margaret Wilson [of Margeaux and The Cat’s Meow] has been on the scene for a long time. She was the very first person to play here—it was before we had the side room,” Shaw recalls. “She played out front on the sidewalk, and we blocked off some parking spots. I was hoping something would open up for us, and it did. We got the side with the stage, and she knew the jazz players we are with now, Jose Carr and his band. Jose and Bo Berry are both hall-of-fame guys, and they were looking for a new home. She suggested it, and I thought it would be a good thing. It started off a little slow, but it’s been steady for three years now. We’ve probably only missed a handful of
Tuesdays in three years.”
Carr, a trumpeter and 2015 Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame inductee, serves as the weekly jam’s emcee. He exudes coolness in his playing style, between-song remarks and fashion sense. He is a commanding presence and inclusive bandleader at the same time. Carr’s storied career includes stints as band director at several area schools as well as being the music education director for the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. On Tuesday, March 24, True Story Brewing will show the Jose Carr documentary So You Say You Play Jazz? Jose Carr’s True Story, directed by Matthew J. Bellisario, at 6 p.m. with the weekly jam immediately following.
While jazz has seen a resurgence in several Birmingham venues of late, the Tuesday night scene at True Story has a unique, timeless feel. A typical night’s set includes material from the catalogs of John Coltrane, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Lee Morgan and Cannonball Adderley among many others. “There are some places starting to do it, but it’s not really the same,” Shaw explains. “These guys are old-school. They dress the part; they play the part. As Jose says, “You come here to play, not practice.”
And while the local legends highlight each night’s performance, a new generation (or even generations) is being welcomed onstage by Carr and his bandmates as well. In addition, musicians from other cities, including Gadsden, Atlanta and Chattanooga, consistently drive to Birmingham to take part in the weekly horns jam. “There are some high school kids who come in that are really talented. It’s just fun to see all the different people that get on the stage with that old crew and do their thing. It’s magical,” Shaw says.
True Story Brewing’s music lineup isn’t strictly centered on jazz. Punk, bluegrass, indie, fusion, heavy metal and even comedy shows fill its diverse monthly calendar. On the third Thursday of each month, the Magic City Blues Society hosts an open jam that is wildly popular. Shaw has given these genres—some of which struggle to find venues—a place to call home. “It is pretty crazy,” Shaw says. “One night we have jazz, then metal, then bluegrass the next. You get to meet a lot of different people.”
But while Shaw—formerly with Avondale Brewing Company—has seen his dream of business ownership come to life, he readily admits to the struggles that come along with it. To that end, he smiles and points to the saying on his t-shirt, the famed Monty Python line, “It’s Only a Flesh Wound.”
“Always challenges,” he offers. “You just keep fighting. There are the challenges of making enough money and paying the licenses and fees. Everybody’s got their hand in the pot.”
Since True Story Brewing is unique in its diverse musical offerings, I ask Shaw if that was always his intention. “It became that way,” he says. “We weren’t really sure, but we knew we wanted live music. Then we found people like the punk rock guys and the metal guys, and they wanted residencies. They’re taking a day of the month each month, and it’s just grown naturally. We have our own P.A. system—[bands] will bring amps—but we have a really nice soundboard, so we run sound and do the whole thing.”
Driven by a desire to book quality acts and keep things fresh, Shaw has found a way to blend his passion with his profession. “Live music is a cool way to be a part of the scene without knowing how to play an instrument or sing,” he says with a laugh.
Meanwhile, the jazz cats keep blowin’ every Tuesday at True Story Brewing, and as George Gershwin said, “Life is a lot like Jazz—it’s best when you improvise.”
