“Noteworthy,” a piano cafe/display space, takes shape at Olive and Newstead

Could plans for the desolate northeast corner of Olive and Newstead become a catalyst for St. Louis to become known as the “Piano Capital of the U.S.”?

That’s the idea behind Joe Jackson and his wife Morgan Cameron’s purchase of the former Standard Oil station located a short block west of their Jackson Pianos store at 4354 Olive St. (read 2018 post here). The site was most recently Sho Off Car Wash, which ceased operation several years ago.

The piano cafe, to be called “Noteworthy,” will feature a coffee/tea bar and offer light fare—muffins, etc.— but that aspect is secondary in the Jacksons’ plans for the space.

“We expect Noteworthy will become a piano mecca that will be a stopping point for pianists and technicians from all over the U.S.,” Jackson, above, explained.  “We already have a big footprint,” he said, “delivering instruments, servicing and working on pianos coast to coast (Jackson Pianos has a staff of 23). Customers are located in cities including Chicago, Nashville, Kansas City, New Orleans, Lake Tahoe, as well as British Columbia.”

“But there is nothing like Noteworthy anywhere,” Jackson continued. “Pianists will be performing on a 9′ Baldwin Concert Grand piano, an incredibly stellar instrument set in a teeny tiny environment, that would match a piano in any opera house in the country. There will also be performers playing on rebuilt pianos that have been pulled out into the yard.”

A soft opening is planned for Noteworthy next spring, with operations in full swing by next summer. Work has already begun on a the creation of a Meditation Garden, which is being installed on the back and north sides of the building.

In addition to musical events, look for a monthly Farmer’s Market that will eventually become a weekly event, and acoustic yoga classes led by Morgan Cameron, a co-founder of Big Muddy Dance Co., and other instructors.

You’ll notice in architect Max Bemberg’s renderings that the original name of the venue was to be Standard Sound. While this was a clever play on the building’s origins, some people thought it could be mistaken for  a sound studio, so it became “Noteworthy.”

The unique fencing surrounding the property features stacked concrete blocks interspersed with bamboo, piano components, and murals. St. Louisan Scott Joplin and some abstracted sheet music from the pianist’s The Entertainer are shown in the rendering, though this is not necessarily the final art.

This is the third property the Jacksons have purchased in the City of St. Louis. In addition to Jackson Pianos on Olive, where pianos are rebuilt, refinished and sold, a larger structure is in Old North St. Louis where pianos are stored. “We have a cache of instruments in that warehouse that we want to slowly rebuild for historic homes. We can build pianos that will fit into almost any home and architectural style.”

Old pianos, or parts of pianos, will be visible at Noteworthy both inside and out. The floors, cafe tables, and walls will be built out of piano wood that has been milled down to raw material at the warehouse. (Some of that raw material is also used to rebuild pianos.)  Old pianos that are no longer functional will be used in the gardens as living beds, and incorporated into outdoor experiences. Over the years, some will slowly  disintegrate into the soil.

Jackson admits that “we’re an odd company. Our focus for the past two decades is first and foremost on the health of the piano in St. Louis. Our goal is to propel the piano into a situation where it’s a used commodity by promoting events such as Make Music Day, and our Keys to the Community Program where we donate pianos to bars and restaurants all over the city with the agreement that they hire and pay piano players. We’ve also co-founded Pianos for People, which donates pianos and provides music lessons to people who may not otherwise be able to afford them.”

“Our philosophy is that music and the arts should be for profit because these are professions. Art is a living, not a side gig. It’s something we need as a culture, and Noteworthy is where we will project that.”

The Jacksons will not be seeking a liquor license for Noteworthy. Instead, when there are events where they’d like to serve alcohol, they’ll partner with Evangeline’s and Black Mountain Wine House, which are just blocks away. “In addition, both Don Bailey at Evangeline’s,  Jim Dolan at Blue Strawberry (also close by) do a fantastic job bringing wonderful musical talent to St. Louis, so we plan to host musical events at odd hours so as not to compete with them.”

With Noteworthy Jackson hopes to deepen how St. Louisans interact with music. “Our first focus in years 1 and 2 is to bring more people into this area and encourage them to pay to go to musical events in St. Louis. We hope to teach people how to better engage with music so when bands come through our town they will know in advance that we pack the house because St. Louisans appreciate music. Not only are they getting an amazing show at Evangeline’s or Blue Strawberry, but they are also feeding an economy that’s going to make our city a stopping point for amazing acts.”

“Yes, we’re a baseball city, and now amazingly, a soccer city, and that’s wonderful, but what we lack is people who are willing to pay for art and that is what we’re banking on.”

Jackson Pianos was originally located on Cherokee in South City and for a time the Jacksons lived above the shop. In 2012 they moved the shop to the CWE and four years ago renovated a house so they would be within walking distance of the shop.

Joe ended our conversation by saying: “I’ve lived in St. Louis my whole life. I grew up in Tower Grove South, Morgan grew up in Lafayette Square. I have no desire to open a location anywhere else in St. Louis—other cities, yes—but if you want to see us you’ll have to come to the CWE. I live on the Delmar Divide and I’m proud of it.”

Jackson Pianos, 4354 Olive St., (314) 371-4527.