The Segar Jazz Affair, hosted by Dwain Segar, has been consistently providing a home for smooth jazz in downtown Athens for just over a decade, and this Saturday will mark the series’ 100th show.
Nationally touring and Billboard-charting saxophonist Dee Lucas and his band will perform two sets at The Foundry with showtimes starting at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Lucas has 20 years as a recording artist and 10 albums under his belt. Over the years The Segar Jazz Affair has expanded its platform to creatives who contribute to the overall vibe, and Saturday’s show will include poetry by Angela the Arsonist and Brittany Lynch. There will also be book signings by Lynch and Hazel Roach.
For the past two years, The Segar Jazz Affair has been regularly held at Hotel Indigo’s Rialto Room, but the 100th event makes a return to The Foundry—then called The Melting Pot—where it all started. But that’s only the beginning of The Segar Jazz Affair in name; Segar has been building Athens’ reputation as a supporter of smooth jazz since he arrived from New York City in 2010.
Segar curated and hosted smooth jazz shows during his time in the city that never sleeps, so when he moved to Athens, he spent his initial months traveling to Atlanta on the weekends for live smooth jazz events. At that time it wasn’t just the live element of jazz that was missing from Athens, it appeared to him that there wasn’t a presence at all.
“Believe it or not, I never had radio in my mind even when I got here,” says Segar. “I’m listening to the radio stations here in Athens, and I noticed they didn’t have any radio stations with jazz on it at all. Out of the blue I said, ‘Let me go by the radio station and see whether they’d be interested in me playing some jazz.’”
So Segar spoke with WXAG 92.7 FM’s manager at the time, James Ford, and pitched pairing a smooth jazz segment with the gospel programming. After a successful initial one-hour show, Segar landed himself a regular spot that has persisted 15 years and grown to a weekly three-hour show. Every Sunday from 6–9 p.m. Segar winds down the weekend with a show divided into three parts, moving from more up-tempo to soothing and relaxing smooth jazz. As he transitions moods, Segar tells listeners to put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign and let the music “massage your mind, body and soul.”
“There are people that used to send me Do Not Disturb signs on my Facebook page to let me know they’re listening to the show,” says Segar. “It’s quite interesting talking to people that you can’t see because radio is all about obtaining a listening crowd, but you can’t see the listeners. So it’s a pleasure walking around Athens with people telling me that they enjoy the show, they look forward to listening to the show.”
Diving into the radio world quickly set Segar on a path to start his own live music events locally back in 2010. One month into his radio show, which he felt was both educating people and satisfying a want for smooth jazz, Segar saw enough desire in Athens to bring the genre from the air waves to the stage. His first shows took place at Club Aftermath on East Broad Street before establishing a regular show at Omega Bar on Atlanta Highway. Looking for a new home in 2014, Segar was told to speak with Troy Aubrey at The Melting Pot.
“When I spoke to Troy, he said he’d give me an opportunity to do it, but I got to at least have 65 people for me to keep it going… I wound up having 175 people on the first show. So he gave me an opportunity to do it once a month,” said Segar, and so The Segar Jazz Affair was born.
Together the radio show and live music events have created a grounded home for smooth jazz in the Athens music scene. Segar says he now gets calls from musicians around the world who want to come to Athens to perform, and the event even draws frequent attendees from Atlanta to Athens—quite a full circle moment from the days when the only live jazz Segar could find was in the larger neighboring city.
Although the shows draw a diverse multigenerational and multicultural crowd, Segar says the community has shown appreciation for having a place that appeals to older people and gives them an outlet in a town that often caters to the college crowd.
“The concerts, and even my radio show, impact people because it’s something good. It’s a good moment. You know, I’ve been blessed with smooth jazz, and that is so beautiful,” says Segar.
In the spirit of doing good in the community, one of the meaningful things Segar has been able to do through The Segar Jazz Affair is sponsor the Kids Feel Safe program. He started the program several years ago, which marks “safe” businesses children can identify if they’re in need, and has received letters of support from Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Sanders, Sheriff John Q. Williams and Gov. Brian Kemp.
Although the children’s program and radio show will continue on, the Segar Jazz Affair may or may not continue past the 100th show marker. Segar says it feels like a nice number to end on, but he certainly sees specialty shows in the future.
“I walk around throughout the night; just seeing people enjoying themselves makes me so happy… I go out in the audience, and I thank everybody for coming because without them coming and their support, there would be no smooth jazz here in Athens. So I want smooth jazz to stay,” says Segar.
WHAT: The Segar Jazz Affair
WHEN: Saturday, June 28, 7 p.m. & 9 p.m.
WHERE: The Foundry
HOW MUCH: $20 (adv.), $25
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