Striking A Chord: Metro Student Keeping OKC's Jazz Legacy On A High Note

Long past the days of flapper dresses and derby hats, a 20th-century art form remains vibrant in Oklahoma City.

Now, a young musician from Idabel is one of many working to ensure the city’s jazz scene remains the cat's meow.

Much can be said through 12 simple notes, but on Northwest 23rd Street it’s the Blue Note where Naomi Wharry speaks through jazz.

So, what drove the 22-year-old to jazz?

“Probably just the freedom,” says Wharry. “And the ability to say what you want to say and for people to have sort of a respect for that.”

Naomi says what she wants in different ways – whether it’s through melodic vocals or the brass of her trombone.

She says the genre drew her in at only 10-years-old.

“Back then I was just like this person is saying what they want to say and they’re being free about it. I love that because I was always a weirdo,” she jokes. “Being myself and a little bit strange has worked out for me. I guess I was lucky in that way, but jazz also celebrates being different.”

While she embraces being different, the city is embracing the sound. Naomi says the jazz scene is bustling.

“Yes, 100 percent,” she says. “There is music almost every night of the week. Someone is having a jam session, someone is having live music at their bar, at their restaurant.”

It’s an old style music now coming from the mouths and hands of young people like Naomi. To her, it’s because the music is timeless.

“Heartbreak is always the same. Falling in love is always the same. Having big life changes is always the same. All these things are constant.”

What is also constant is the relationship between jazz and the Sooner State.

“Oklahoma has always had a vibrant jazz scene,” says state historian Matthew Pearce.

Places like Deep Deuce served as a hub for jazz greats like Charlie Christian, Jimmy Rushing and Ernie Fields.

“Oklahoma was a launching pad,” says Pearce. “You have many different people who are coming here for a variety, different circumstances and in many ways making the best out of the opportunities that were here, and go on to make significant contributions.”

It’s a tradition that seems to be continuing. In the fall, Naomi leaves for Yale to get a master's in jazz.

Whether she comes back is still undetermined.

Still, she acknowledges that her roots are in Oklahoma and they will always shape her musical style.

“Being humble and prioritizing kindness and community over a lot of other things is something that Oklahoma means to me,” Naomi says.

She adds that Oklahomans keep things simple.

“We don’t need to overcomplicate this,” she says referring to her music. “We just need to love what we’re doing.

It’s as simple as 12 notes arranged by those with something to say.