For 34 years, 293 Clarissa St. was identified by two words: Shep's Paradise, and Ruther B. Sheppard's blood, sweat and tears kept it going. But in 2002, back taxes caught up with Sheppard, and he was forced to close the club. For more than a year, the building was silent. That changed in late August when John Starr reopened the familiar building under a new name, The Clarissa Room.

The Ambience
Externally, The Clarissa room is a little worse for the wear. The lights are dim, the brick is old, and the metal frame awning is missing it's cloth covering. But when you open the club's doors, you feel like you've stepped back into the 1950's. The first level has a beautiful hardwood floor that is plenty big for dancing and a stage big enough for Rochester's most talented jazz and R&B musicians. The second floor is filled with tables, chairs and a well-crafted bar. Black and white photo's of jazz greats adorn the walls. "The experience here is very, very valuable to the people that are regulars" says Jay Osborne, 42, of East Rochester. "(For) the people that are coming out once and a while, looking for a good time, it's going to (provide them with one). But it does much, much more than that for the people who want to see a small jazz group in an intimate environment. There is no substitute for that. I have been waiting three years for a place like this to come back on line." Cinnamon Jones, 35, and Harold Pannell, 43, both of Rochester, spend time at the club each week. "Right now I consider this our cozy spot." Jones says. "The ambience is fantastic. It's so comfortable, so beautiful."

The Music
Rochester resident Fred Lockheart frequents the establishment for a couple reasons: "The music and the ambience second." he adds. "(All of the patrons) have one thing in common: music. I don't know any of the names of anyone in here but I know one thing: We are all music lovers." That's something Osborne couldn't agree with more. "This operation is much more about the music than it is an individual. John's primary concern is about booking groups that are focused on the art, not the money, not getting their name out, but the art of music." he says. Over the years Janet Beaman, a regular performer in the Rochester area, has seen many jazz clubs come and go. "But nobody has got what we've got here." "We're starved for this." adds the 45-year-old. "John has some really good talent, and he's got really good bands all the time. That makes a big Difference."


Written by: Pam Cowan