HARRISON — New Orleans-born jazz pianist Davell Crawford has made Harrison a must-visit for music lovers.

Yes, Harrison, New Jersey, the former industrial powerhouse on the western edge of Hudson County that has become an unlikely target of real estate developers. Lured by the town’s PATH station and lower rental prices than can be found on the Hudson River waterfront, commuters are flocking to new residential developments here like Harrison Urby.

That’s where Crawford is the jazz musician-in-residence. He lives there, has a recording studio on the first floor and organizes concerts every Thursday night in the building’s café, which is open to the public. His sessions are eclectic: classical one week, Brazilian the next, reggae the next. Sometimes he joins in.

“We’ve been on a roll,” Crawford. “I like being around young musicians, inspiring them."

The Jersey Journal spoke to the colorfully dressed and bejeweled Crawford inside his Urby recording studio, which is stocked with a Steinway piano (model B), some keyboards, a banjo — anything that might spark a musical epiphany.

Crawford, who described his age as “somewhere up there,” is from a musical New Orleans family. His grandfather was James “Sugar Boy” Crawford Jr., a rock-and-roller who wrote a number called “Jock-A-Mo” that you probably know as “Iko Iko.” Crawford describes jazz musician Lionel Hampton as “like an uncle to me.” Roberta Flack is his godmother.

He's been playing music since he was at least 10 years old.

“I guess when you're from New Orleans, it's just in you, you know? Part of you,” he said.

He moved to Harrison because his friend owns the building and suggested Crawford could be one of Urby’s experts-in-residence. The Urby in Jersey City has a scientist-in-residence (Paul Hoffman, who runs Liberty Science Center) and the one in State Island has a farmer-in-residence (Olivia Gamber).

Besides a sojourn in Jersey City following Hurricane Katrina and a couple of gigs in Newark, Crawford was not very familiar with New Jersey — “I never heard of Harrison,” he said — but he took the plunge, moved in about a year ago and loves it.

“I’ve had a ball. I’ve had a ball," he said. "Even got in the swimming pool.”

An in-house studio is helpful for someone who doesn’t know when he may want to jam.

“Sometimes it's been like 11, 12 o’clock at night. I've called a drummer or two from Newark,” Crawford said. “They come down here, talk it over, get a burger or whatever and play some music.”

One of the regulars at Crawford’s Thursday night concerts is Theresa Penn, who calls herself Lady T. A recent transplant to Harrison from Brooklyn, she was in the audience on May 10 to watch Gina Roche and her band perform originals and covers of “Come Away with Me” and “Ain’t No Sunshine." Penn stood in front of the band to record video of the latter on her phone.

“I think it’s such a great idea for the community,” Penn said. “They can’t keep me out. It’s phenomenal music.”

Upcoming scheduled appearances at Urby’s weekly concerts include a tribute to Prince on May 16 and keyboardist TW Sample’s quartet on May 23. Crawford is set to play on June 6. The concerts run from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Urby’s Coperaco café at 777 S. 3rd St. in Harrison.

“Keeping jazz alive," Crawford said. "We want people to know all about it. I want people to come and say hello and shake my hand.”

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.