I go out to clubs to hear jazz -- our local artists, headliners from NYC, European jazz groups on tour. I'm often at the Jazz Bakery, since I live a few blocks away, and I've recently been at Spazio's, Cafe 322, Steamers, the Crowne Plaza - in a word, the usual suspects. I notice that a good part of the jazz audience consists of jazz musicians. I usually run into players I know when I'm at concerts or clubs. I also see musicians from other disciplines - classical players, film composers, what have you.
As is often noted, the clubs are under-attended and it's difficult for jazz or any musical acts to fill a house.
I hear sometimes hear musicians talk about audiences with an "us- and-them" mentality. I'm going to float an idea here -- We're a big part of the audience -- "them" is largely ourselves. If we musicians attend more clubs and concerts, we'll be supporting the venues, helping our colleagues get repeat bookings, and even diagonally supporting our own musical endeavors by keeping the places open. The clubs are often small to begin with and a few tables would make the difference between profit and loss for the night.
On an off night, it's nice to stay home, get to bed early, rest the ears. Go home and make pasta, see what's come in from Netflix, rule despotically over our minions, that sort of thing.
YES, AND -- If we musician types extend ourselves a bit - push away from the table after the strudel, oof... and go see people's sets, look what awaits us:
We'll be able to dig a little jazz ourselves, crack wise with the band on their break, pester the club owner with our CDs, have a drink, keep the club in business, have the gratitude of our colleagues whom we've come to see, guilt them into coming to hear us play... Wotta great setup, itza perfect evening. Really all that's required is finding the shoes, putting them on again, that's it... getting in the car and driving to a club. Happy music-iarse, Louis
You can play jazz easy or you can do it the hard way. It depends whether the band has the swing or not. And it differs from night to night.
– Turk Murphy
Spritzicato: plucking of a stringed instrument to produce a bright, bubbly sound, usually accompanied by sparkling water with lemon (wine optional).
