Jazz on Main brings the swing to Mount Kisco

Shaul Dover oversees his club, from the soundboard to the stage. Paula Kluepfel photo

 Miss Maybell & Her Ragtime Romeos perform at Jazz on Main stage in Mount Kisco

By BRIAN KLUEPFEL

For Mount Kisco’s Jazz on Main, celebrating three years this month, Shaul Dover plays the role of contented everyman.

“I’m the sound man, I’m the bartender, the cook sometimes,” said the founder of Sweatshop Studios in Katonah. He scurries back to the mixing board for one last sound check before a recent show. “You do what you have to do.”

The venue, open Wednesday through Sunday, has a light menu, prix fixe menu, wine, cocktails and Sunday brunch.

Envisioning Jazz on Main — it’s actually on Moger, but little matter — as a musical venue first, Dover is focused on a quality experience for the musicians and audience. You’ll notice the blue baffles on the ceiling, all the better to capture the optimal sound for players and listeners alike. In addition to running his own recording studio, Dover has consulted on the Bedford Playhouse’s audio system. 

For Dover, the musicians deserve the ultimate kudos. 

“This is a listening room, and I will shush the audience if they’re too noisy. You have to show respect to the musicians,” he said. 

As for the musical menu, Israeli-born Dover favors vocal music over extemporaneous explorations — songs over scales, if you will. 

“I like the singers who can connect with the audience,” he said. 

The venue is planning a mini opera in September, and a Broadway showtunes evening, as well. “We’ll try to mix it up,” he said. 

One of the vocal-led ensembles which has appeared multiple times at Jazz on Main is Miss Maybell & Her Ragtime Romeos, an eclectic trio who focus on known and unknown songs from the early 20th century and before — some true Tin Pan Alley gems included. 

“We play four to five times a week in New York City. This is one of the most high-end upstate jazz clubs,”  Lauren Sansaricq (aka Mabell) said of Jazz on Main.

 “It’s Shaul’s vision, not a corporate one,” said her musical foil, pianist Charlie Judkins. “It has the feel of a Birdland in Mount Kisco.” 

Dover has left no detail untouched, down to the light fixtures and furniture. A master builder in Maine custom-made the bar, and some of the lighting fixtures survived an arduous trek from the Ukraine via Poland in the early stages of the Russian war to wind up, no worse for the wear, in Mount Kisco.

Many of the kitchen’s staple dishes are based on ingredients imported from his annual foray to Israel. (For example, a bit of imported harissa — hot chili pepper paste — may enliven one of your orders.)  “The way Italians care about coffee, we care about hummus and baba ghanoush,” he laughed. 

“This place was built in a way I envisioned it,” he stated. “Good sound, good food, good ambience (note: this even includes a bit of dry ice drifting over the stage).” Dover admits that steering the business through the tail end of the COVID-19 crisis was daunting, but he’s still standing. “I’m happy to still be here. It’s a challenge, but I’m enjoying every night I’m here.”

Guitarist Nelson Riveros, who’s played the club four or five times, sings the owner’s praises. “It’s a very attractive club with just enough seating to make it intimate for the patrons,” said Riveros. “It has a nice long bar and a good view from anywhere you sit,” he continued. 

“Shaul takes special care to set up the instruments, amplification and microphones to achieve a good balance (and) bands are given sufficient time to do a good sound check,” said Riveros. “The sound is monitored so the musicians can hear themselves and it is not too loud for the patrons.”

“I am a middleman between the audience and the musicians,” said the multi-tasking Dover.  “It’s the effort they make, and I make.”

The musicians are appreciative of the attention to detail. Jon Cobert, a veteran keyboardist who’s played with John Lennon and Harry Chapin, gave the venue a big thumbs-up after his recent “On Request: The Piano Show” at Jazz on Main (he also plays its Sunday Brunch, on occasion). 

“It has a cozy and welcoming atmosphere; like a mid-century New York City supper club,” Cobert said. “I always enjoy Shaul’s warm hospitality and appreciation of music and musicians.”

Jazz on Main is located at 37 Moger Ave., Mount Kisco. For more information, visit jazzonmain.com.