Bringing jazz back to coffee shops
Jazz musician returns to Chico coffee shop scene
Jonathan Stoyanoff was once heavily invested in the Chico jazz scene. He initiated a monthly jazz show at local coffee shops where he collaborated with other musicians to bring distinctive shows for three and a half years with the support of radio station KZFR.
Though he moved to Sacramento four years ago, he still plays in Chico 10-15 times a year.
On Saturday, Feb. 1, he will play at Tender Loving Coffee as the lead of a trio featuring drummer Michael Curtis and guitarist Arlyn Anderson.
Stoyanoff’s mother put him in piano lessons when he was 6 years old.
“At that age, it was just another thing my parents were making me do,” he said.
Today, though, he appreciates the way in which the instrument is laid out in consecutive octaves. “It’s laid out incredibly well for helping somebody understand theory,” he said. “With a piano, you can effectively have an entire orchestra at your fingertips.”
It wasn’t until he turned 21 that he found the instrument that would change the trajectory of his life: the bass. He studied music at Chico State in the ’90s.
On a whim, he put a demo tape together and sent it off to Berklee College of Music in Boston.
To his surprise, he got accepted with a full ride performance scholarship, all within barely any time of picking up the bass.
There, he majored in both performance and music education.
After graduating, he hit the road to tour across the country with various bands, averaging over 200 shows a year. “The most I logged was with a band called Global Funk,” he said. “We did 244 shows.”
Online magazine “JamBase”
awarded Global Funk the “Hardest Working Band of the Year” title.
After seven years of touring, he decided to settle back in Chico and teach bass in the Department of Music and Theatre at Chico State, as well as teach private lessons.
He stayed in Chico for eight years.
He’s worked with numerous bands, but has remained consistent friends with fellow musician Joe Craven. To make it easier to tour, Stoyanoff moved to Sacramento. What the city has to offer: an airport and Craven himself. With a 7- and a 3-year-old at home, Stoyanoff never leaves for longer than two weeks.
Though Stoyanoff dabbles in several styles — rock, funk, fusion, blue grass, Latin — he is partial to jazz.
“The attraction to playing jazz is the improvisational component of it. I like the dynamic of it,” he said. It offers “an opportunity for expression.”
The trio will play two consecutive show at Tender Loving Coffee, the first beginning at 7 p.m. and the second at 10:30 p.m.
The cafe is located at 365 E. Sixth St. and can only house 40 people per concert.
Tickets are available online on Facebook, in person at the cafe or by calling 433-0414.