(Produced by MELISSA TAN)

Nestled in the heart of Little Haiti, Churchill’s Pub welcomes patrons to buy drinks or play a game of billiards. But on Mondays, people also come for the music. From one room, disc jockey Dan Serro, a 74-year-old Manhattan native, plays jazz records from around the world. The pub’s “Monday Night Jazz Jam,” which features live music for a $5 cover, begins at 10 p.m., but Serro always arrives an hour early to play songs from his collection of more than 53,000 records.

“To me, all jazz is jazz,” Serro said. “I want to open people’s ears so they can hear all of
it.”

Dave Daniels, who’s been the pub’s owner for 29 years, says Churchill’s is the only place in town that plays true jazz. But jazz is not all the bar has to offer on Monday nights. Outside, the patio fills with singers, poets and other musicians preparing for open-mic performances.

Among the entertainers on a recent Monday was 73-year-old Nicholas Cole, known as “Nicholas the Storyteller.” Sporting a long, white beard and a green, wizard-like costume, Cole said he enjoyed telling stories to those willing to listen.

“Before I die, all I want is to tell stories,” he said in a deep voice.

For the past six months, Miami native Benjamin Shahoulian, 32, has been in charge of the open-mic performances. “My favorite thing about the night is that it facilitates writing,” Shahoulian said. “People check it out, and more artists come because they can express themselves.”