James Francies Photo: Photo courtesy of James Francies Photo: Photo courtesy of James Francies

Two months ago, Houston’s jazz scene grew a bit quieter.

The Montrose club Cezanne shut down after more than 30 years. Those who enjoyed weekly improvised music in Houston had no place to go. That’s not to say jazz in Houston went away — the city has and remains blessed with organizations that bring live jazz to the city. But for those who enjoyed live performances in more of a club setting by notable players from around southeast Texas and other places around the world, well, they got just a little more muted.

This weekend, Cezanne springs back to life two months after it went away. The space is bigger and more centrally located in downtown in a room at Birraporetti’s restaurant.

Woody Witt, the Houston-based saxophonist who booked Cezanne for years, is excited about the venue’s new home. His seating nearly doubles: from 65 to just around 100. And Witt’s quartet — guitarist Mike Wheeler, bassist Alex Browne and drummer Gavin Moolchan — will perform two sets March 6-7.

“It’s a nice sounding room, it’s a warm sounding room,” he says. “I think we can establish a greater presence for Cezanne. So were ready to go.”

The expansion facilitates what Cezanne already did well, which is draw upon local players looking for regular weekend gigs in town.

More Information Cezanne reopening with the Woody Witt Quartet When: 9 and 10:45 p.m. March 6-7 Where: Cezanne, 500 Louisiana Details: $15; 713-224-9494, cezannejazz.com

Years ago, Robert Glasper — the wildly successful jazz-soul-hip-hop artist and native Houstonian who recently scored the hit film “The Photograph” — told me, “There’s not a place for people to play between Cezanne and the Da Camera shows,” the latter being the organization that brings acts to such venues as the Wortham Theater Center and the Menil Collection.

Finding middle ground

His point was that Houston was lacking midlevel jazz clubs for touring acts who hadn’t found their way to the theater-level shows. Glasper’s Grammy-winning career means he’s since found a very comfortable space playing larger venues around the city. But his point remains valid. There are stages in the city dedicated to touring and rising jazz talents. But when Cezanne shut down, one of the best stages in town for jazz was gone.

Witt’s hope is that the new Cezanne offers a bigger stage for jazz players too big for its smaller confines above the Black Lab pub on Montrose and smaller than the theaters that host the performing arts.

Glasper’s grievance had merit. Houston had, and still has, arts programs that bring its successful jazz artists back home. Da Camera — which mixes jazz and chamber music bookings — has been chief among them. Over just the past few years, the arts group has brought in artists such as Jason Moran, Helen Sung, Kendrick Scott, James Francies and several others for shows. Often a rising artist in jazz finds a welcoming home through the organization. And Houston’s Nameless Sound has repeatedly showcased avant garde artists from outside of town, while also regularly bringing in those who originally came from here. Houston native Billy Harper comes to town in April with the great jazz drummer Andrew Cyrille thanks to Nameless Sound.

Da Camera recently brought in the Vijay Iyer Sextet, which received a raucous welcome from the sold-out crowd. There was extra vigor for Jeremy Dutton, another remarkable drummer from Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, which nurtured such jazz and genre-blurring artists as Moran, Glasper, Sung, Scott and scores of others, who have come to Houston as sidemen for headliners and then enjoyed headliner status here for theater shows.

And while theater shows are great for artists, they’re not the reality for a lot of musicians. And that’s where a larger, revitalized Cezanne excels.

Witt had hoped the old Cezanne would survive. But the property sold in late 2019, and the club was briefly left homeless.

Witt sees the move as a positive.

“The piano in the room was less than desirable, but there was still something about the room,” he says. “There was some legacy to the space, it was always strong. But I think that was one chapter. And I think the next chapter is going to be better.”

The post-theater crowd

Witt knows there will be a period of rediscovery for Houston jazz fans. The Montrose location was well known — he booked it on and off for more than 20 years. But he also hopes there’s a late-night audience that might find Cezanne at Birraporetti’s as it leaves the theater. Witt hopes it will expand from two nights of live jazz to possibly four. He’s confident, given the space and the potential audience, that he can marry Houston’s already formidable jazz players with more artists from elsewhere in the States, as well as Central and South America and Europe.

Witt says, “We already had a great clientele at the old location. I’m hoping they’ll find their way to the new location. I think we can find an audience that came to the old Cezanne, but a lot of people who didn’t know about us.”

He points out that Houston has players who will show up at the new Cezanne who have been making the scene here for decades.

“I think there are a lot of people who are like me, who grew up at Cezanne as musicians,” Witt says. He brings up Joe LoCascio, who has “played Cezanne since it first opened.”

“The acoustics of the room made it feel like a living room. It never felt as formal as having a stage that separated musicians from the audience,” he continues. “Our new space is a little bigger. But we want that same feel.”

andrew.dansby@chron.com