Once a month, the ballroom of Marblehead’s historic Hooper Mansion becomes an intimate jazz club, bringing acclaimed musicians and local audiences together just a few feet apart.
Jazz at the Arts has been filling the room with music since 2018, drawing performers with résumés that include the Boston Pops, Berklee College of Music and performances alongside some of jazz’s biggest names.
Behind it all is producer Gene Arnould, owner of the Arnould Gallery and Framery, whose connection to Marblehead’s jazz scene goes back decades.
Arnould previously produced Marblehead Summer Jazz for 30 years, from 1985 to 2014. During those three decades, he brought celebrated performers including Clark Terry, Gary Burton and James Moody to town. Vocalist Rebecca Parris appeared on the roster every season.
After the series ended, Arnould took a break from producing. Then, in 2018, a new opportunity presented itself.
Patti Baker, then director of the Marblehead Arts Association, approached him about producing a concert in the Hooper Mansion ballroom.
As it happened, Arnould had already been thinking about bringing jazz to a new venue.
He had made several visits to Chianti, a jazz club and Italian restaurant in Beverly, where he was struck by the caliber of the musicians — and the relatively small audiences coming to hear them.
“I realized that many of these great musicians were doing it for the love of the music,” Arnould said.
That realization gave him an idea.
Arnould approached his friend Dave Mattacks, a drummer who played with Fairport Convention in the 1970s and later worked with Paul McCartney and Rosanne Cash. Would musicians be interested in playing at the Marblehead Arts Association?
“He answered, ‘Of course!’ And thus began Jazz at the Arts,” Arnould said.
The series debuted Nov. 15, 2018, with vocalist Cassandra McKinley and her band.
The setting is part of the appeal. Jazz at the Arts concerts take place in the Hooper Mansion ballroom, which Arnould said seats only about 55 people, creating a close connection between musicians and audience members.
And then there is the piano.
“There is a tremendous 85-key Steinway concert grand piano. Probably the oldest piano in Marblehead,” Arnould said, adding that benefactor Penny Schrage recently had it refurbished.
Over the years, Arnould has brought an impressive roster of musicians through the ballroom, including Berklee faculty members, Boston Pops musicians and performers who have worked with artists including Tony Bennett and David “Fathead” Newman.
Tim Ray, Laszlo Gardony, Marshall Wood and Donna Byrne are among the musicians who have appeared in the series.
Local talents have included The Debby Larkin/Jeff Stout Quintet, a decade-long music group, which consists of guitar, upright bass, drums, trumpet, and voice.
“As musicians, after delivering our music, we always feel honored and appreciated when the show ends. We look forward to it every year,” Larkin said.
But Arnould isn’t interested only in established names. He has also made a point of introducing Marblehead audiences to emerging jazz musicians studying at Berklee and Boston Conservatory.
That combination of seasoned professionals and rising talent continues in the current Jazz at the Arts season, which has two concerts remaining.
This season has featured musicians and vocalists who have performed everywhere from local venues to New York jazz clubs. One concert featured a Florida State University student who has sung with the Count Basie Orchestra and performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Next up is saxophonist Henley Douglas Jr., a Marblehead resident, who is scheduled to perform with the Jorgan Trio on Oct. 15.
“His style tends to be heartfelt and bluesy and always straight-ahead,” Arnould said.
For Arnould, though, Jazz at the Arts is about more than assembling accomplished musicians. Nearly eight years after that first concert, what matters most is what happens when performers and listeners come together in the ballroom.
“Music of any kind brings people together. In some cases, it filters out the day-to-day troubles,” Arnould said.
Jim Murphy, a former MAA board director, said the series has become an important addition to MAA’s programs.
“It helps us expand our reach to broader audiences and fulfill the mission of this 100-year-old association,” said Murphy.
For a couple of hours at the Hooper Mansion, that may be exactly the point.
The Hooper Mansion is located at 8 Hooper St. Tickets are available at marbleheadarts.org.
