Nocturne, a modern take on the jazz and supper clubs of the 1940s, opens its doors in Denver’s burgeoning RiNo Arts District today.
Marrying the culinary, cocktail and musical arts, Nocturne is the creation of seasoned hospitality professionals Scott Mattson, a certified sommelier and most recently wine buyer at Denver’s Mondo Vino; Nicole Mattson, of Sage Hospitality and formerly of Vail Resorts; and Chef Dustin Beckner, most recently executive sous chef at Root Down, but who has also held culinary positions at four Todd English restaurants, the Michelin two star-rated Alex in Las Vegas, Avondale in Beaver Creek and Quality Social in San Diego.
Located between Larimer and Walnut Streets at 1330 27th St., this 3,500-square-foot, 105-seat venue was created within a restored early 20th century factory building. The architectural design was by Studio Spinnato, and the interior design concept was created by Scott, with consultation from The Interior and Shike Design.
The design embraces the industrial feel of RiNo, utilizing materials such as raw steel and bronze, and is melded with elements that evoke Atlantic coast art deco from the 1920s and 1930s, such as opulent white marble, rich mercury-toned velour, vintage-styled cabaret wallpaper and architectural sunburst forms.
The building’s exterior features a colorful street art mural by artist Brandon Pickett, depicting Jazz greats Max Roach, Thelonious Monk and Lee Morgan, complimenting Denver’s adjacent, and award-winning Art Alley.
“With its wealth of street art, funky work spaces, independent restaurants, great music venues and art galleries, our goal was to create a room that complemented RiNo’s culture while also looking to the underground jazz clubs of old Hollywood and New York for the inspiration of Nocturne’s spirit,” Scott said.
Nocturne’s culinary program is globally inspired yet rooted in local and seasonal ingredients. A small plates menu showcases produce, fish and meats sourced from area micro-farms. Signature items from the debut menu include gnocco fritto, cubano sliders and a seasonal farmhouse platter. The restaurant’s Social Hour, from 6 to 8 p.m. daily, includes culinary and cocktail specials accompanied by a library of classic jazz recordings played end-to-end on vinyl.
“Our city is filled with urban professionals, dedicated entrepreneurs and artists, who very much like us, are pouring their hearts and souls into their work,” Scott said. “Our lives don’t fit into a 9-to-5. We think Nocturne’s social hour will fill a pretty big need for those who need to unwind a little later in the day, and wrap up their workdays over a good cocktail, while enjoying some great hospitality and community.”
Blending music and gastronomy, Chef Beckner and Scott have also created an ever-changing tasting menu series entitled Renditions. Each Renditions menu is inspired by iconic jazz recordings such as John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” and “Way out West” by Sonny Rollins. Each Renditions tasting menu explores the aesthetics and artistic ideas from the album by which it was inspired in five to eight courses. The first Renditions menu will launch at 5:30 p.m. March 28.
The first “community funded” jazz club in North America, a portion of funds used to develop Nocturne came from a small group of community supporters. “Our crowdfunders’ commitments to taking Nocturne from a dream to a reality really showcases this as something the RiNo community, and Denver, wants and needs,” Nicole said. “You just don’t see young people opening jazz clubs these days, but we were reassured that it’s something that will not only work, but thrive in Denver, when so many people stepped forward to contribute.”
At the core of this highly experience-driven venue is the artist in residence program. Residencies are awarded to musicians focusing on one of three concentrations: The study of a jazz icon, the exploration of a specific jazz genre or the performance of all original material. During each residency period, six artists, each playing one night a week, will take Nocturne’s stage for a three-month run. Nocturne will also play host to nationally touring jazz musicians.
“Denver is a great jazz city,” Scott said. “It has a storied history, phenomenal musicians, a world-class jazz radio station and a lot of serious music fans. Nocturne certainly celebrates jazz as an important part of our cultural heritage, but maybe even more so, it will make this dynamic, living art form accessible to a much broader audience. We can’t think of a city more primed for this concept than Denver.”
Nocturne is open from 6 to 1:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Valet will be available Friday and Saturday.
For more information, call 303-295-3333 or visit www.nocturnejazz.com.
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