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Let the Good Times Roll?
The usual jazz discourse is about crisis and under-recognition – and probably always has been. But here’s an interesting thought. Admittedly this is a London-centric way of looking at things (though some would say jazz has always tended to be a London-centric phenomenon in the UK), but right now there are probably more jazz venues in London than there have ever been.
Thinking in terms of venues whose main business is programming jazz in the broadest sense, and who do so most nights in a week, there’s Ronnie Scott’s, the Pizza Express Dean Street, Pizza on the Park, the 606, the Vortex, the Octave Bar, the 100 Club, and the Bull’s Head. Add in restaurants like the Quecumbar, the Dover Street Wine Bar, Smollensky’s and the swish dining-and-music newcomer the Pigalle, and we’re well into double figures.
And this is before we get into the important venues which operate one, two or three times a week – such as Soho’s Spice of Life room and many other bars and restaurants.
None of these venues, incidentally, is Arts Council-subsidised. So though the jazz promoter’s life is indubitably hard, it must be economically justifiable too. It would be ironic if, after yet another “jazz revival” hype dies down and the media’s attention moves elsewhere, jazz was actually seeing a grass-roots revival which really meant more, and much-needed, live work and listening opportunities.
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Comments
Post your commentGood point Alex. I'm not sure how profitable things really are, although it does show that there's a market for good live music and an entertaining evening. Like musicians and everyone else involved in jazz, promoters do what they do primarily out of love for the music. Then they figure out how they can survive doing it!
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as Stan Tracey is fond of saying, 'whenever I hear there's a jazz revival it means that the phone's going to stop ringing'.
It's nice to read some positive thoughts on the state of live jazz for a change, but i do miss places like the Plough in Stockwell, where you could see the likes of Keith Tippett, Chris Biscoe, Dudu Pukwana, Nick Evans and John Stevens on a weekly basis in a completely non-pretentious, inexpensive environment. There doesn't seem to be anything like that anymore, more's the pity...
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So there should be! We have a city which is larger than most countries in Europe. But really there are not that many venues putting on good quality jazz more than once a week at reasonable prices. Ronnie's is patchy and expensive - should jazz venues really be booking Tony Christie? - Pizza Express and Pizza on the Park can be pricey (though good programming at present), 606 is great if you're a member and don't have to buy a meal. Where does that leave? Vortex and Bull's Head? 100 Club?
Having said that, I agree that musicians themselves are spearheading the underground weekly (or monthly) venues, such as Recycle Collective at Darbucka, Blow The Fuse at Drill Hall, Loop Collective at Oxford.
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From a musician's point of view, there can probably never be enough venues anywhere. That just goes with the territory of wanting to get your music out there.
However, a leading jazz agent I know on mainland Europe told me that they feel London really does not have a wide choice of venues where they can place their artists so, when compared with other territories nearby, the UK is quite a tough market for them precisely because of a lack of venues.
From my point of view, as a working composer, I think a lot can be learnt from my favourite club in Europe: Kunstfabrik Schlot in Berlin. This is run as a cabaret club for enough slots in the week so that the jazz loving partner in the company can then use the high income achieved from these acts to subsidise artists who might have smaller but dedicated audiences. Schlot is in an easy to reach location, and really well equipped from both the audience and artist's view point. It has a grand piano in a soundproof dressing room, multi-media facilities on stage if you need them and one of the very best pianos I've played on stage. I long for a similar club to open up here.
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There are certainly signs that jazz is growing but I'd caution using these venues as the indicators.
New jazz venues have been popping up and subsequently going out of business not long after for decades.
Ronnie Scott's has fairly recently been taken over, spruced up and it appears that they have now given up on trying to promote the world class jazz that the club's reputation is founded on.
The Pizza venues are underwritten by a large public company so I'm not sure how far their existence can be used to evidence economic viability of jazz promotion.
Let's not forget that the Vortex was recently evicted from its wonderful original site and that the current club is propped up by a team of volunteers. The Bull’s Head also just fought off threatened closure.
And let's not forget that jazz musicians are severely underpaid.
All of the high end jazz promotion in this country (e.g. Serious, Festivals such as Cheltenham, Bath and London) is only viable through subsidy.
This year, the Arts Council England managed to find ?62 million to spend on opera venues and comanies. Equivalent spending on jazz was about ?1 million. Bearing in mind that by the Council's own figures both art forms have an equal audience size, it is surely time that they redress this unfair and unaccountable spending policy.
Let's not forget that this is public money. It is politically unacceptable that the Arts Council continue this abuse at the direct expense of jazz musicians and jazz lovers.
Just imagine for a moment what a difference a ?62 million a year subsidy would have on jazz in this country?
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The live jazz scene inLondon at present is both pretencious and expensive. My experience of the 70's was one of numerous clubs/pubs...you could visit several on a Sunday lunch in north or south london and have a wonderful time..sadly it'sall gone.
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I totally agree what richard Cox say's, even though i'm not a jazz musician but a classic jazz dj, what's happenned to good melody, soul, passion and the elements of good classic jazz, why is it that artists today seem to take a trip that it's cool for free fall or contempary jazz as it's so hip, I think many artists should take a serious look at what the pioneers have developed and consider jazz is from the soul not governed by theory or strict training methods... if only the likes of chet, turrentine, desmond, and bill evans would listen to UK jazz they would be very dissappointed ie: polar bear and soweto kitch... but there are a few that stand out EJQ and Andy Panayi, who stick to maintaining stands.. plus maybe we should learn from the dutch as they retain good jazz with feeling not ego.
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Try "THE EAGLE" in Rochester High Street, Rochester, every Sunday lunchtime 1p.m. onwards for consistantly good jazz groups - Paul Booth - Henry Lowther - Geoff Mason - Dave Quincy - Sam Gambarini - from now until the beginning of next year.......
And, last week you missed the Gilad Atzmon Quartet...........
At least someone, John Emmett, is keeping the flag flying..........
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I would second the Eagle in Rochester as a venue. It's noisy, why people have to come to a pub in which there are some seriously good jazz musicians playing and talk loudly all through the gig I do not know, however there is a good atmosphere and most of the musicians seem to enjoy playing there.
John Emmett has been putting on jazz in the Medway area for over 30 years and is still very poor. It sure ain't a way to make money. He deserves some sort of medal for his hard work.
I've seen and recorded many fine sessions at the pub, highlights include the Matt Wates Sextet, Gilad Atzmon (a regular visitor), Nigel Price, Simon Spillett, Tony Woods, Jim Hart, Christian Brewer, Jim Mullen and too many others to mention.
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I would second the Eagle in Rochester as a venue. It's noisy, why people have to come to a pub in which there are some seriously good jazz musicians playing and talk loudly all through the gig I do not know, however there is a good atmosphere and most of the musicians seem to enjoy playing there.
John Emmett has been putting on jazz in the Medway area for over 30 years and is still very poor. It sure ain't a way to make money. He deserves some sort of medal for his hard work.
I've seen and recorded many fine sessions at the pub, highlights include the Matt Wates Sextet, Gilad Atzmon (a regular visitor), Nigel Price, Simon Spillett, Tony Woods, Jim Hart, Christian Brewer, Jim Mullen and too many others to mention.
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