The Past, Present, and Future of Live Jazz in Boston

[Lois Gilbert]

Please join us for our next
Jazz Journalists Association Panel Discussion:

“The Past, Present, and Future of Live Jazz in Boston”

at:

Scullers Jazz Club in the DoubleTree Hotel.
400 Soldiers Field Road
Boston, MA 02134

Time Monday evening, November 29th 6:30- 9 PM
Panel Discussion 7-9

Cash Bar available.

Come share in a spirited discussion of where the
Boston scene has been, where it is now, and future
plans to continue supporting Live Jazz.

Panelists:

Rebecca Parris, Jazz Vocalist
Steve Charbonneau, WGBH
Fenton Hollander, WaterMusic/ Real Deal Jazz Club
Fred Taylor, Scullers/ HT Productions
Bill Beuttler, Boston Globe

Moderator: Jon Hammond, WRIU 90.3 FM

Thanks to Dayla Arabella Santurri at Scullers, for her
invaluable assistance!

Please direct any questions to bmwjonhammond@yahoo.com
(Please do not call Scullers with inquiries regarding
this event.)

Mark your calendar now- look forward to seeing you there!

[Valerie]

Originally Posted by Lois Gilbert

Please join us for our next
Jazz Journalists Association Panel Discussion:

“The Past, Present, and Future of Live Jazz in Boston”

at:

Scullers Jazz Club in the DoubleTree Hotel.
400 Soldiers Field Road
Boston, MA 02134

Time Monday evening, November 29th 6:30- 9 PM
Panel Discussion 7-9

Cash Bar available.

Come share in a spirited discussion of where the
Boston scene has been, where it is now, and future
plans to continue supporting Live Jazz.

Panelists:

Rebecca Parris, Jazz Vocalist
Steve Charbonneau, WGBH
Fenton Hollander, WaterMusic/ Real Deal Jazz Club
Fred Taylor, Scullers/ HT Productions
Bill Beuttler, Boston Globe

Moderator: Jon Hammond, WRIU 90.3 FM

Thanks to Dayla Arabella Santurri at Scullers, for her
invaluable assistance!

Please direct any questions to bmwjonhammond@yahoo.com
(Please do not call Scullers with inquiries regarding
this event.)

Mark your calendar now- look forward to seeing you there!

Oh, boy, would I ever love to be attending this!! This is a really good reason for me to go home for Thanksgiving!! LOL!! And I know that Ms. Parris will definitely be speaking her mind!!

[Jazz Bug]

I was unable to attend due to a work conflict. I am curious to see if anyone here attended and how the discussion turned out.

Thanks-

Joe

[JazzJunkie]

Hopefully Steve, or someone, will post more, but here's ten sentences (cleverly disguised as five paragraphs) from the Boston Herald.

Hub's jazz stalwarts worry aloud
By Christopher Blagg
Wednesday, December 1, 2004

A near-capacity crowd filled Scullers jazz club Monday night, but not a single note, blue, bended or otherwise, was played. This was a panel discussion on the state of live jazz in the Hub, and judging from the turnout, it seems the jazz community is worried.

Steve Bensusan, president of booking company Blue Note International, made a surprise appearance, revisiting the controversy ignited this summer when the Regattabar replaced its longtime booking company, Fenton Hollander's Water Music.

The night was marked by spirited, if gloomy, discussion on the city's jazz health. Longtime Boston jazz veteran Maggie Scott reminisced on when she would play out five or six times a week, near impossible in today's pop-centered environment. Her take was not encouraging: ``Let's be honest, you're not going to make a fortune playing jazz in this city, you're going to have to get a day job. You just have to love the music.''

Scullers owner and longtime Boston jazz impresario Fred Taylor was refreshingly candid about the damaging highbrow attitudes of many jazz enthusiasts. ``People are always complaining about `all this smooth jazz crap' that we book, but that `smooth jazz crap' is paying for everything else. Diversity is very important in keeping the whole jazz thing going.''

Pianist and composer Donal Fox noted the need to reach out to the black communities of Boston.

( `Past, Present and Future of Live Jazz in Boston'' panel discussion at Scullers, Boston, Monday night. )

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musi...rticleid=56585

[Dr Dave]

Wally's has managed to not just stay open but thrive. Let's not forget the little guys! I wonder what Donal Fox has in mind when suggesting reaching out to the Black community. With notable exceptions like Wally's, jazz in Boston is for people who can swing $22.50 to go see one set at the Regattabar. That's still fifty cents less than a seat in the bleachers at Fenway Park, but you get the general idea.

[hornplayer]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Wally's has managed to not just stay open but thrive. Let's not forget the little guys! I wonder what Donal Fox has in mind when suggesting reaching out to the Black community. With notable exceptions like Wally's, jazz in Boston is for people who can swing $22.50 to go see one set at the Regattabar. That's still fifty cents less than a seat in the bleachers at Fenway Park, but you get the general idea.

What happened to Ryles and that little place (can't remember the name) in Somerville?

However, I do get the general idea...

[Valerie]

Originally Posted by hornplayer

What happened to Ryles and that little place (can't remember the name) in Somerville?

However, I do get the general idea...

I think Ryles seldom if ever has any real jazz anymore.

[Coda]

Actually Ryles is trying to get jazz into their club but certainly falls far short of their potential. I think the other club you mentioned is Johnny D's - they too play jazz but seldom. I did catch John Abercrombie on his Cat & Mouse tour - that guy sure played up a storm.

[bigtiny]

Probably talking about the Willow.

You know it's great to talk about the clubs that used to exist in Boston, but Maggie Scott's point goes beyond just the number of clubs....the fact is that even when a lot of these clubs existed you couldn't really make any money playing in them anyway. Boston, for all of its colleges and conservatories is a HORRIBLE town to be a professional musician. Students line up to play anywhere for free, apathetic music audience, bad weather, you name it.....

bigtiny

[Dino]

Question, and I certainly don't mean to be rude or anything, but why does jazz carry the burden of so many high expectations; musically, financially, socially, politically? Why does it HAVE to be one thing or the other? Why does it HAVE to be popular with the masses? Why does it HAVE to be a huge financial success? To the best of my knowledge, like bluegrass and other niche genres, it has never been any of those things. So, why all the expectations now? Any thoughts?