A new jazz club plans to open in Dallas’ Design District. According to public filings, Melodeon Jazz Lounge — a name combining “melody” and “odeon,” the Greek word for music venue — is planned for 175 Oak Lawn Ave., Suite 102, with a projected completion around December 2026. What Now Dallas spoke with Cary Ray and Ricky Derek, co-founders and managing partners.
Both Ray and Derek are performers themselves with existing followings in Dallas, and they see the venue as a long-overdue addition to the city’s nightlife. Derek put it plainly: “We’re excited to bring to Dallas what we’ve built in Fort Worth — a nice room, good cocktails, a great vibe, and music as king.”
The concept expands on what Ray and Derek have built at SCAT Jazz Lounge in Fort Worth, where straight-ahead jazz has anchored a loyal following for years. Melodeon would follow a similar format, with ticketed live jazz shows Thursday through Sunday, but with a few notable additions. The new venue would include a kitchen.
Ray told What Now Dallas that the food menu was a direct response to feedback from SCAT regulars, as guests had long expressed a desire for more dining options. At Melodeon, that will come in the form of Chicago-inspired, Midwest tavern-style thin-crust pizza, along with salads and desserts.
“That’s our favorite style of pizza,” Ray said. “And one of the things people at SCAT have expressed interest in is, ‘I wish we had more of a food menu.'”
The emphasis, however, remains on the music. “We are a jazz room. It’s a showroom first — a place to view and listen to jazz music,” Ray told What Now Dallas.
The Design District location was a deliberate choice. Ray said he first scouted the area two decades ago, but it wasn’t ready. Now, with the neighborhood hitting its stride and a prime spot at the intersection of Oak Lawn and Irving Boulevard — close to downtown and a short ride from most Dallas hotels — the timing felt right.
The design will lean into the building’s history. The warehouse being converted was built in 1956, and the interior will reflect that era, with velvet drapes, dark wood, Art Deco motifs, and a large stage as the focal point, framed by professional lighting and sound. “The stage is the focal point for everything,” Ray said.
As for expansion, Ray was unequivocal: there are no plans beyond these two locations. Instead, Melodeon and SCAT intend to collaborate with Jazz Texas in San Antonio, Docs in Houston, and Parker Jazz Club in Austin to create a five-city Texas touring circuit for musicians traveling from the East Coast, West Coast, and abroad.
