[Dixielandjazz] Jazz in NYC

[Marek Boym]

Remember "Things ain't what they used to be"?
When RCA reissued the old Ellington recordings in its Vinatge series,
the liner quoted Johnny Hodges, who commented:They weren't then, and
they ain't now, but we still play this tune."
Cheers

On 9 April 2011 17:15, Stephen G Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Dixieland in NYC will NEVER be like it was. When I was a teenager, there
> were numerous joints presenting Dixieland 6 nights a week. Those I remember
> vividly were Nick's, Condon's, Ryan's, Cinderella Club, Arthur's. Then there
> were numerous joints that presented Dixieland on weekends such as;  Melody
> Lounge, Childs Paramount, Stuyvasent Casino, Central Plaza, Hotel Carelton.
> Then there was the Loft Scene with various jam sessions, some free, some for
> a listening fee. To say nothing of the various "modern jazz" joints. It is
> obvious that will not occur again because of a variety of reasons.
>
> The entire "live" music scene for journeymen professional musicians in the
> USA is a struggle, not just Dixieland. The regular 6 night residency gigs
> are simply not there because there is a much diminished audience across the
> board for live music.
>
> However, Jazz is certainly not dead. At least in NYC. It is just very
> different from the OKOM scene we grew up with. As Bill Haesler said, he
> could find no OKOM in NYC in September 1975. That has changed. Out of the 7
> venues I mentioned in NYC, 3 are recent. Sophia's 2 nights a week within the
> last year, emerging after Vince Giordano thought his band was about to fade
> away. It started two years ago as a once a month gig and because of its
> success, is now 2 nights a week, Feinstein's is new. OKOM starting in May,
> and their late night jazz series (Thursdays) started a few months ago. The
> Bruno Walter Auditorium series with the Gotham Jazzmen is a new venue within
> the last year, although they had been playing at the 53rd Street Library for
> many years. Even Kellso at the Ear Inn  is relatively new.
>
> But perhaps the real story about jazz in NYC is in the monthly magazine
> "Jazz Inside". Folks can download it FREE and the jazz event listings, and
> list of venues that advertise jazz is astonishingly large. To see what I
> mean, go to:
>
> http://jazzinsidemagazine.com/publications/guide/april-2011
>
> Wait for it to download as it is 64 pages.
>
> Bottom line is that while OKOM will never be what is once was, it is indeed
> gaining audience and visibility in certain parts of the USA at the night
> club level. While losing audience at the OKOM Festival level.
>
> Cheers,
> _______________________________________________
> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz
> Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:
>
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>
>
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>