I was pleasantly surprised Monday when I returned downtown after spending the holidays in north Suffolk to see the white and black plywood fa?ade removed the Main Street Jazz Club building on S. Main.

What a handsome building.

A new awning was revealed that looks like a keyboard and windows trimmed in black against the white painted brick looks really cool.

The last I heard, the club was planning on opening last week. They must be getting close because I saw a Heineken truck unloading in the parking lot Monday afternoon.

I went to the club’s Web site, www.mainstreetjazzrest.com. It’s really cool, as you would imagine a jazz club’s site to be. My son had been using my computer Monday night to download stuff to his Ipod so the volume was turned way up and the music that came out when the site popped up about blew me away. Following is quoted from the site:

&uot;This December 29th, 2005, Main Street Jazz will be opening on Main Street bringing Suffolk alive. Not only will your ears be treated to a sensational experience, sassy delectable treats from the Main Street Jazz Restaurant, under the experienced eye of Chef Fannie W. Gayle, will delight your palate. Mssrs. Balmer and Turner, the proprietors of this new establishment, tell us this combination is designed to provide you entertainment never before offered.

&uot;Horace Balmer and Sherwin Turner’s mission is to create an elegant venue.

&uot;The charm of Main Street Jazz Restaurant is that it is to be an iconoclastic local haunt that offers something for most music lovers including a Saturday jazz brunch, a Sunday gospel brunch and an opportunity for the audience to perform on open mike Wednesdays. The fact that this is a serious but shhhhless jazz club ensures that they will always have an audience of itinerant music fans and that Hampton Roads locals will keep coming back because everything offered will be customer service driven quality presented with a touch of class. Whatever your preference, more than likely Main Street Jazz Restaurant will bring you excitement and be filled with musicians and fans every night.&uot;

&uot;It is a win, win situation. Musicians get a leg up and an opportunity to do their thing in public; and the crowd gets an environment that’s chic, urban and elegant without having to travel to DC.&uot; – Sherwin Turner

A grand opening is scheduled for Jan. 12-14. See you there.