AKRON, OH (by Alex Schechter, Vogue) – If there were a contest for the Ohio city with the most unexpected history, Akron would win. The hamburger was supposedly invented here. Thomas Edison visited often (his wife was an Akronite). Around the turn of the century, Akron’s supremacy in tire manufacturing helped it become known as the “rubber capital of the world.”

AKRON, OH (by Katie Byard, Akron Beacon Journal) – BLU Plate opened above BLU Jazz+ on Tuesday with a Red, White, & Blu Plate celebration.
 
It features a “Southern-inspired menu” featuring po’boys, gumbo, barbecue and more, and signature cocktails. A piano bar provides a musical “appeteaser,” encouraging people to go downstairs to the jazz club.

AKRON, OH — As part of the 2017-2018 concert season, the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, one of Northeast Ohio’s most prominent & long-running big bands, will bring several shows from their subscription series at Cleveland’s PlayhouseSquare to Akron’s BLU Jazz+.

We are really excited to be featured once again in DownBeat Magazine’s 2017 International Jazz Venue Guide (alongside our friends at Nighttown in Cleveland) as one of the world’s “remarkable rooms” for live jazz!
 
Thank you DownBeat for this most special recognition – jazz fans, pick up a copy of the February 2017 issue (out now) to see the complete list of premier live jazz venues across the globe!

by Ryan Cox / Allied Van Lines – “After you have toured the zoo and science center, head out to BLU Jazz+ for some adult time. This place is upscale, and the hidden door seems to stump people every time. It is definitely not your average lounge; it is a place where the rich and famous like to hang. Do not come here in jeans and a tee; you will be out of your element. The music is lively and the art is exquisite. The venue is conveniently located in the famous Market Street area of town, so feel free to bring a group of friends and hang out. They offer a wide variety of seating options for your comfort. They often have live bands on the weekends, and the food is out of this world. No wonder people call this club a hidden gem…”

AKRON, OH (by Beth Thomas Hertz, Crain’s Cleveland Business) – Local developer Tony Troppe is moving forward with his new boutique hotel in the historic United Building at the corner of Main and Market streets in downtown Akron and has decided on a name: The United 1: A Blu-tique Hotel.
 
Troppe is developing the 65-room hotel with assistance from a $1.6 million Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit. The name is a reference to the hotel’s link to the nearby Blu Jazz+ club, which Troppe also owns, as well as the hotel’s address, 1 S. Main St. He expects the hotel to open by the fourth quarter of 2016.