Maryland Meadworks isn’t just reviving mead, it’s bringing back jazz to Route 1.
The Hyattsville meadery has been holding live music events since just before it opened in 2018 featuring a range of different genres, but Friday jazz nights are one of its staples.
“We feature a variety of music, including blues, Celtic, medieval, folk, rock and bluegrass. We even have an opera night coming up!” owner Kenneth Carter told the Hyattsville Wire. “But jazz is at the core of what we like to do.”
Carter used to go to jazz shows at Bertha’s in Baltimore and the Georgetown Saloon regularly, and developed a partnership with some local jazz musicians when he opened the meadery. They put together a unique lineup for each jazz night.
“The jazz band typically plays three sets from 7 to 10 p.m. and we usually fill up to capacity, or close to capacity. Some folks stay for one set and leave and others for the whole event,” Carter said. “We have a nice mix of locals and folks from D.C., Silver Spring, Takoma Park, and the surrounding area.”
One band that has played several times is Swing 5, which plays gypsy jazz in the style of Django Reinhardt, led by Berwyn Heights resident James Key on guitar. Another group calling itself the Hyattsville Jazz Collective includes members of the Airmen of Note, the premier jazz band of the U.S. Air Force, stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in D.C.
Starting this month, the meadery will also have a blues night every second Saturday featuring members of the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation All Stars.
Maryland Meadworks recently added a food menu in partnership with Dumm’s Pizza and Subs in Riverdale Park and delivery service 2nd Kitchen, so you can order pizza or a burger or even a chicken pesto wrap, BLT or Greek salad.
Jazz has a long history on Route 1, with venues such as the former Sis’ Tavern in North Brentwood, which once hosted the likes of Duke Ellington and Pearl Bailey. The recently closed MilkBoy ArtHouse was also a jazz hotspot, part of a broader trend of bands going outside D.C. to play.
But the loosely organized jazz nights at Maryland Meadworks are a lot closer to the spirit of Sis’ Tavern than MilkBoy’s more formal bookings.
The next jazz night starts at 7 p.m. this Friday at the meadery, which is located at 4700 Rhode Island Ave. in Hyattsville.
