As I approach Tate Street Coffee House from the sidewalk, soothing music entices me to open the door. Inside, rich scents of coffee and jazz harmonies warm the cozy room.
Tate Street Coffee House is home to several dozen different coffee pots on shelves and hanging in the air. Earthy artwork covers the softly lit walls. The coffeehouse also serves as a venue for local jazz musicians, creating a classic mixture of quality coffee, refreshing music, and a comfortable atmosphere.
The Stephen Vaughan Trio performed around nine o’ clock Saturday night, filling the room with long, flowing jazz tunes. The lively audience occupied most of the wooden tables and created a constant murmur of conversation.
Stephen Vaughan, whose energetic mastery of the trumpet was impressive, also sang in a low, smooth voice that somehow reminded me of a Christmas scene in New York City. Jeff Sprickard’s guitar solos were mesmerizing, and Jon Tegnell kept the beat impeccably with his electric bass. The band plays at Tate Street Coffee approximately once a month.
The Stephen Vaughan Trio has played together for about three years, according to Vaughan. Vaughan played classical trumpet with the Greensboro, Durham, and Fayetteville Symphonies before finishing his degree at UNCG and switching to jazz.
Vaughan enjoys many bands, among them Cannonball Adderly Quintet, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Air Supply, James Brown, Miles Davis, Metallica, Soundgarden, Run DMC, and Journey. Vaughan claims to be “an eighties/nineties kid,” which many current students can relate to.
Even in a relatively large city like Greensboro, one can easily discover connections between people. Hunter Smith, a 2000 Guilford alumnus and former Guilfordian staff writer, said “This guy [Vaughan] reminds me of a guest trumpet player in a summer jazz appreciation class. He was a great musician.”
Smith walked over to the table where Vaughan and I were talking, and asked if Vaughan was indeed the guest musician from the jazz appreciation class. Vaughan affirmed that he had been the guest musician at Guilford.
At Tate Street Coffee House, a patron can listen to the clear, funky sounds of jazz every week on Sundays from 10 a.m. until around lunchtime, as well as some Saturday mornings. There are also special shows like the Stephen Vaughan Trio.
The coffeehouse offers great coffee as well as music. Michaux Kelley, an employee of over four years, described the difference between “morning coffee” and “evening coffee” in amazing detail. “Almost all of our coffees are organic,” said Kelley.
According to Kelley, “Our crowd is pretty much as varied as the university [UNCG] and the community are. It lends itself to a cultural mixing bowl.”
I left Tate Street feeling warm and fuzzy inside from the coffee and the music. I have visited the coffeehouse regularly during my past few years at Guilford, and hope to enjoy another evening there soon.
To get to Tate Street Coffee House by car, follow Friendly Avenue towards downtown Greensboro until it turns into Market Street. Take a right at the Tate Street traffic signal.
For more information about the Stephen Vaughan Trio, visit www.svtrio.com.