Jazz Venue Pairs Celebration of Local History with Modern Design

Located in The Capitol District in downtown Omaha, The Jewell is a music venue, cocktail lounge and fine dining establishment offering an experience unlike anything else in Omaha. Paying homage to Omaha's rich jazz history and its namesake — local music impresario Jimmy Jewell — the venue seamlessly blends the traditional with sleek modern design.

Accessible from the Marriott as well as The Capitol Plaza, The Jewell will play host to both nationally-known acts and local, emerging jazz artists on a stage large enough to accommodate a 5-piece band and seating for 150 patrons. The Jewell will offer two nightly shows Wednesday through Sunday along with full bar service and New Orleans inspired cuisine.

For The Jewell, half of the experience is the journey getting there. The arrival sequence prepares the patron for an intimate acoustic and visual experience. Just beyond the front door, the mood is set by dim lighting and sapphire hues. Brass handrails follow the sloped entrance corridor, past blue-tinted floor to ceiling photo murals of historic jazz icons, then rounding the corner provides a first, striking glimpse of the stage.

The sculptural upstage wall anchors the room and commands attention as the main focal point. Undulating peaks and valleys of walnut veneer plywood are formed in a jewel-cut geometric pattern, diffusing and scattering sound from the stage. Color-changing LED lights above further shape the environment of the wall and can set the mood of the stage as required during a performance.

With fanned seating on three sides and tables placed in close proximity to the stage for increased intimacy, patrons feel part of the show. A variety of seating arrangements — from velvet-lined booths, café tables, to bar seating — offer thoughtfully-considered and differential sight lines. Special attention was given to the acoustics of the room. A Marriot hotel ballroom located directly above the space presented many technical sound challenges. In collaboration with Threshold Acoustics of Chicago, the team was able to create a barrier ceiling cavity along with other state-of-the-art acoustically superior isolation and amplified sound features.

Centrally located in the Heartland, The Jewell aims to be a destination, revitalizing the Omaha jazz scene and adding to the downtown's burgeoning nightlife.