• Justin Driscoll
• Best Uptown Takeover: Jazz (pictured: Sydney's Martini and Wine Bar)

When a watering hole called Jonathan’s expired some 20 years back, so did America’s indigenous art form here in Charlotte. But swingers, Dixeland lovers and especially boppers can now rejoice: Jazz has come thundering back to the Queen City. Bechtler Museum has brought us Jazz at the Bechtler every month, filling the hippest lobby in town for two sets with each attraction. Blumenthal Performing Arts has its own tribute series in its Jazz Room down at the Stage Door Theatre, and at various venues around town, Jazz Diva Entertainment is bringing in a steady stream of visiting smooth jazz luminaries.