West of the strip bars and east of the airport, in that section of Tampa's Drew Park that doesn't seem to know whether it's residential or industrial, a tired aluminum warehouse sits atop an otherwise vacant block of grit, grass and sand spurs. Forty-five years old and currently sporting a weather-beaten primer gray, the building looks … experienced. It's as easy to imagine the place as a rural roadhouse as it is the site of some grisly Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style activity."We're gonna give her a paint job, but we'll make sure she keeps her old charm," says Rose Hampton with a sly smile. "That's what the people would expect from us."
Hampton meanders through the warehouse's dusty, cavernous 12,000-square-foot interior, pointing out various future accommodations. The Intimate Lounge, the Sports Lounge, Center Stage. Warped railroad ties map out anticipated walls. She reveals the area that's to become her family's loft-style living quarters before stepping outside to introduce Phase One — the Outdoor Pavilion, where a smokehouse and open-air bandstand are under construction.
"It's only right to do the outdoors first. That's where we come from," she says.
For more than six years, Rose and Marcus Hampton transformed their Seminole Heights back yard into a haven for jazz aficionados on the last Sunday of every month, offering up great music and even better food for those privy to the grassroots tradition. Licensed chef Rose and an army of family members would cook and serve the grub, while gifted trumpeter Marcus would occasionally sit in with performers that ranged from local regulars like Kenny Walker and "Stan" Hunter to world-famous trombonist (and Marcus' cousin) Slide Hampton.
Christmas lights provided the atmosphere. The bar sat in the middle of a dry aboveground pool. The Hampton House of Jazz offered everything that the Bay area's generic, smooth-jazz grottos don't, including a very real, and very special, sense of familial communion. "It was just a cool place to go, where musicians could be free to play the kind of music that we like, without having a club owner beat you over the head for it," says bassist Walker.
Beyond heartfelt support by local jazz-radio DJs and the Tampa Jazz Society, the Hamptons' shindigs relied largely on word of mouth, and word of mouth was more than enough to cause them to flourish. Their base of regulars swelled from 30 to around 200, and folks stopped by from as far as Michigan, Australia and Poland. Long before last year's three-day homespun jazz festival drew more than 300 attendees to see 65 performers, the Hamptons already knew they'd outgrown the back yard and began searching for a new location fit for both the old vibe and some new ideas.
Before they found one, however, a raucous set by internationally known percussionist Gumbi Oritz's Afro-Cuban ensemble The Latino Projekt brought the neighborhood cops around last February, on the first volume complaint in the Hampton House's history. Some local police were well aware of the House's burgeoning crowd, but managed to look the other way until someone actually called in.
"I don't remember exactly what happened, but everything was cool, everything was normal. Then all of a sudden, the cops came," Ortiz recalls. "I was in shock. Here we were, in an ethnic neighborhood — this should be cool! The guys in the band got a laugh out of it, because everywhere we play, the cops come. But I felt sorry for Marcus. He just wanted to have a good time."
Hampton House activity immediately went into limbo, as the couple's once-leisurely inquiries regarding a new building rose to first priority.
"This year would have been the last year (at the house) anyway," says Rose Hampton. "We were going to move, but it made us move a little faster."
Any qualms they had about being strong enough to move into a larger space were somewhat assuaged by a flood of inquiries about this year's festival, which had to be shelved as they looked for a new home. Still, the Hamptons were determined to retain the House's traditional, grassroots "membership" feel and musician-friendly aesthetic, as opposed to charging a cover and skewing the tunes toward a larger, jazz-in-the-park audience. Rose was also interested in becoming more active in a wider variety of creative arts; by the time the warehouse at 4712 N. Hesperides came into the picture, the husband-and-wife team had a game plan pretty much in place.
"We want to be a home for the arts," Rose says. "Musicians and artists that want to let their hair down, we'll be here for them."
The Hamptons have applied for nonprofit status, under the auspices of the H. H. Jazz Foundation. Marcus Hampton's long history of working with kids and pushing to improve music education programs in Tampa schools more than justifies this move, as does the inspiring number of local players who have volunteered to participate in clinics at the House of Jazz. Goings-on at the House will be open to members only, and this Sunday's open house — featuring music by a killer ad-hoc combo including drummer Eddie Graham and "Stan" Hunter on keys — marks the beginning of their membership drive. At 50 bucks a pop for a single, 70 for a family and descending rates for seniors, musicians and students, the annual memberships would be worthwhile if the House simply stuck to its former once-a-month schedule.
But they're not. As more amenities reach completion, the Hamptons will work toward providing rehearsal spaces for musician members, the incorporation of dance and theater programs, and a schedule that sees something happening from Thursday through Sunday, every week.
"By Christmas, we should be in swing mode," says Rose.
It hasn't been easy, and it won't get any easier in the coming months. The Hampton's nonprofit application is still pending, and they haven't yet found a comfortable place in Tampa's labyrinth of zoning codes and impact fees. They're also relying on the support of their scene, rather than a hefty bank loan, for funding. And they're offering meaty, interesting jazz styles to an area that seems largely ignorant of anything beyond the light and the smooth. But in the wake of such a remarkable run in their own back yard, several Bay area musicians can't help but see success for the future of the Hampton House of Jazz.
"There's a pretty good following. Marcus has had a pretty steady audience of people that support what he does," says Walker. "I would say, in this area, it's kind of an uphill struggle, but it can be done."
"Absolutely," agrees local jazz veteran Michael Ross. "People always complain about the scene everywhere. But the scene is what you make it, and that's the great thing about what the Hamptons are doing.
"They're making the scene. And because of that, they'll be successful. They'll do great."
Music critic Scott Harrell can be reached at 813-248-8888, ext. 109, or at scott.harrell@weeklyplanet.com.
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 2, 2002.
