Come with me to Missy Lane's Assembly Room where Cicely Mitchell has created an elegant but relaxed space for jazz.

[relaxed jazz music] - On any given day, Missy Lanes is a lot of things.

First and foremost, a music venue.

We've got the coffee, and then a cocktail bar by night.

The overall story of how we even got to Missy Lane's is very Durham.

I'm Cicely Mitchell and I'm one of the co-owners of Missy Lane's.

[audience applauds] [gentle piano jazz music] There hasn't been a new, you know, fully dedicated music venue in over 10 years in downtown Durham.

Second, there was really no place for Black American music as a home.

Sometimes people say, you know, "jazz is dead" or what have you, but there are modern day working jazz musicians in this area.

- Malcolm Jamal Warner.

- With Missy Lanes, [audience applauds] we are building the audience for jazz, plus we're presenting.

[jazz drums filling] Durham is a hotbed for people who play it, but then people who would listen to it.

We have a very progressive thought about arts culture, part of Black Wall Street and what we feel is the new renaissance of Black business coming out of the pandemic.

And so Durham's a perfect place.

[light jazz music] The name Missy Lane's is a flip on my middle name.

So my middle name is Elaine.

And when my grandfather used to call me when I was young, he'd be like, "Come here, Miss Elaine, come here Miss Elaine."

It sounded like Missy Lane, not Miss Elaine.

So like in the jazz tradition, you know how things you turn a phrase and you scat or what have you.

So we came up with Missy Lane.

As far as the experience, it is never the same each night.

[percussive jazz music] That was one thing that I learned when I was learning about jazz and experiencing jazz.

There are many formats to it.

The way we set this space up, it has three different rooms.

So on Thursday nights we do the Central's Jazz Studies Jam Session, and we do that in the front room and that's more in a relaxed setting.

People can come and go as they please.

In the showroom we have actual shows like what you would see at the Blue Note in New York or at Ronnie Scott's in London where you buy a ticket and then you sit down to a seated show and it's more kind of intimate theater style.

So you can have your French 75s or your Old Fashioneds and sit back and enjoy the music.

The space before we took over the lease was Old Havana Sandwich Shop and that was a Cuban sandwich shop and they used to do Latin jazz and have dancing.

So we got in touch with the old owners and so we told them about our concept and they loved it.

And so every last Wednesday of the month, we call it Old Havana Nights and we kind of relive the fact that Old Havana used to do Latin jazz here.

[relaxed shuffling jazz music] Definitely see this place as being a legendary jazz stop for many years to come.

People will come out and make memories, you know, whether it's for anniversaries, birthdays, or just, you know, a great night out.

[singer vocalizing] [soft jazz music] - You immediately are taken away from the outside world.

Once you step in here, you become immersed in whatever artist is playing or whatever sounds you're hearing, you get a chance to escape.

And to me, I love the fact that it's an intimate area where people who are like-minded can enjoy the arts and can appreciate live musicianship and the professionalism and the language that they speak to.

- I love to provide the drinks, I love to talk to people.

The best part about it really is being behind there and actually getting to see everything, hear all the music and just be a part of it.

- The caliber of talent was top-notch, top tier.

Well curated event, beautiful experience.

- You better come and experience the beautiful building and the great artists that come here and enjoy.

Have fun in Durham.

- Give us a try.

We'll be here to entertain you.

[smooth jazz music] - Missy Lane's Assembly Hall is located at 310 East Main Street in Durham and they're open during varied hours throughout the week for coffee and live performances.

For the latest schedules and tickets to upcoming shows, visit them online at missylanes.com.