Nobody is more surprised than Dorthaan Kirk that her Sunday jazz brunch series is a hit. The series—dubbed Dorthaan’s Place—presents top-shelf artists at Nico Kitchen + Bar, the upscale eatery at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.
Kirk, 75, will again curate and host the series, which begins its second season November 10 with the Paquito D’Rivera Quartet as headliner. But Kirk is also a big attraction. Revered as Newark’s “first lady of jazz,” the East Orange resident was one of Newark-based jazz radio station WBGO’s first hires in 1978; she’s been special events and community relations coordinator ever since.
Last season, Kirk’s brunches were consistent sellouts. “A lot of times people who are coming are friends of mine or people who know of me from BGO,” she says. Her followers know Kirk has a knack for picking compelling guests; this season’s lineup also includes such renowned acts as the Steve Turre Quartet (January 19) and the Jon Faddis Quartet (February 23).
Dorthaan’s Place has made some changes for the new season, which runs through April 27. Instead of a single show, reservations will be accepted for seatings at 11 am and a 1 pm. (Nico can accommodate up to 170). The series also has been expanded from four to six installments.
Kirk suspects the popularity of the series may owe as much to the menu as the music. “I bothered them all last summer to make sure they had plenty of bacon,” she says. But John Schreiber, NJPAC’s president and CEO, heaps the credit on Kirk, whom he handpicked to helm the series. “I knew she would be as big a draw as the musicians,” he says. “Last year every Sunday was essentially a big Dorthaan family reunion. People came from the church, from the community, from all around the metropolitan area because of her. She personifies the spirit of jazz.”
Kirk, a grandmother of five, is the widow of a bona fide jazz legend, the multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk. She is modest about her own stature in the jazz universe, but hopeful that she can keep delivering an overflow of brunch-goers.
“I let people know it’s a great place to come and you can be dressed up or not dressed up,” she says, “as long as you don’t look horribly tacky.”
Dorthaan’s Place costs $45, which includes brunch and one drink; children under 12 are admitted for $15. For reservations and information, contact njpac.org.