Lorenzo Washington has been nestled on Jefferson Street since 2013 as the founder of Jefferson Street Sound, LLC (JSS). JSS located on the Historical Jefferson Street, 2004 Jefferson Street.

JSS houses a music production studio, rehearsal hall that has been a great support to musicians.

While not opening as a museum, it has always had the qualities of a museum. The decor adorning the walls of the main area includes a multitude of photos. The photo collage shows not only museums, but elected officials, community leaders and an array of special friends surrounding the room.

Washington has been dedicated to preserving the sounds of rhythm and blues, jazz and the legends in music that made Jefferson Street popular with a variety of nightlife entertainment “back in the day.”

Since its opening on Jefferson Street, JSS has undergone a few changes. However there’s never been a change in the concept of preserving the legacy of music from noted musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Little Richie, Otis Redding, Marion James and all R&B and jazz music from the ‘40s to the ‘60s.

The changes occurring only include increasing his repertoire of the musical arts. When Washington speaks, his conversation is often about ‘the music’ and its profound effect on Jefferson Street. He is excited about the growth of the museum and the opportunity to share this history with the community and as many people as possible. When visiting JSS, people are often moved to contribute items to the museum when they feel they possess something of value that could be shared.

‘The Tree’ was once the only indicator on the building. Now a bright abstract mural depicting Jimi Hendrix and Billy Cox, painted by visual artist LaRhonda Angelisa, gives the building an increased notice.

The Tree is something special that serves as a logo and offers a quick history of musicians as the branches are a collection of musician’s names.

Since the opening of the museum in late summer of 2016, there have been several appointments requested by students of Vanderbilt and other organizations to visit the JSS Museum.

JSS recently participated in the Jefferson Street Art Crawl in January, welcoming many new visitors to the museum.

While preserving the past, Washington is also an advocate of promoting new music. He works closely with Don Adams, Grammy and Dove Award winners; G.R.I.T.S., a Christian Hip Hop act featuring Stacy ‘Coffee”’ Jones and Teron ‘Bonafide’ Carter; and other musicians as they make strides in creating more music that will go down in history.

Jefferson Street Sound is located at 2004 Jefferson Street.

For more information or to schedule a visit at the museum, call (615) 414-667 or visit the official website at jeffersonstreetsound.com