Welcome to The Wire

If you’ve found your way here, welcome!

The Wire is the editorial heartbeat of LR Jazz Underground. I started this platform with a simple, massive goal: to document the pulse, amplify the voices, and unite the scene of Little Rock jazz.

After graduating college and beginning a career in music education, I started checking out the Little Rock jazz scene. I was met with some amazing venues and incredibly talented people scattered all over the city playing jazz, but very few people seemed to know about it. I found it to be extraordinarily difficult to keep up with the who, what, when, and where of the various happenings.

As I kept exploring, I noticed how much word of mouth advertising was running the show. Let’s face it; it’s a little old school. There are a ton of young, emerging players and veterans in our scene, but typically, they don’t know who the others are or how to find them. You don’t know what you don’t know!

While searching around for places to play and people to listen to, I discovered how out of the loop I actually was and how incredible these local musicians are. I thought to myself, “Man… I need to practice..!” HA!

But truthfully, I thought about how the majority of these cats, past and present, do this on the low and completely undocumented, just out of a genuine, pure, love for the music. We live in the age of technology, where virtually everything is done online, and yet we are relying on word of mouth?!

I began thinking of ways to bridge this gap and thought, “Why not create a platform dedicated to helping people find these gigs, connecting players with music lovers, and helping unite the scene.”

Initially, I dreamt too big — trying to cover Arkansas as a whole — but I quickly realized how massive of an undertaking that would be. After some reflection and digging through the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, I realized how much soul, pride, and history is right here in Little Rock alone.

A light bulb switched on in my brain. I’m from here. I love this city, I love the people in it, and have found an immense attachment to the underground artists that have cultivated this city’s heartbeat for decades.

Little Rock is the answer.

I am no writer, and still a work in progress in my musical and personal journey, but beginning this has been absolutely invigorating.

Thank you for being here, and I hope you’ll join me on this journey.

— Joshua South, Founder, LR Jazz Underground —