Stenton Avenue Reprise, Reprise

Reuben's Marc is movin' on up.

by Rick Valenzuela

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Published: Jul 29, 2008

Michael T. Regan (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

About 18 months ago, neighborhood virtuoso Orrin Evans began his weekly jam sessions with the goal of bringing jazz back to East Mount Airy. You may recall City Paper's cover story on these music nights, "Stenton Avenue Reprise," in the Dec. 13 issue of last year. On the last Wednesday of June, the session at Reuben's Marc, 8131 Stenton Ave., moved up another notch — and one floor. Regular jam session patrons and performers filled the upstairs tables and stood alongside the walls and bar. And on this night, the performers also celebrated the life of Evans' mother, singer and teacher Frances Juanita Evans, who passed away the previous week. Trudy Pitts, TC III and others paid tribute to her in song, with Evans accompanying on piano.

Owner Joshua Ringgold said he wanted to make a distinct departure from the downstairs bar. "The ceilings are higher, the colors are different, I have different beers up here. ... It's open space, more so than a large bar." Ringgold is booking music acts up there, and later that week, soul singer Jaguar Wright took the stage. Between songs, Evans thanked the crowd and especially the bar's owners. Not only were they keeping music alive, he said, but they were "keeping music alive without having to take Lincoln Drive, and I appreciate that."

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