Gasping For Air, Grasping At Straws
Making the blog rounds this morning, I noticed a link over at Plastic Sax to a MySpace blog post spinning out what sounds like a solid rumor (oxymoron?) that the dear old Plaza III Steakhouse will be dropping jazz from their live music schedule.
That’s an incredible shame.
As a budding high school jazz saxophonist, I recall many nights spent at the Plaza IIIlistening to some of the best jazz musicians in town. While my well-worn recordings of Coltrane, Miles, Bird, Dizzy, Dexter and Sonny were always ready to spin their way into my ears, nothing could replace hearing jazz in a live setting. It wasn’t just about the feel or the notes or setlist; rather, it was about observing communication on the bandstand, watching a rhythm section lock into a groove while responding to and supporting a soloist or vocalist. Each set, each tune, hell…each and every bar was an education to someone trying to learn the style from that sort of interaction standpoint.
Also, it was always interesting to be underage and setting foot into a jazz club. But never once did I get a raised eyebrow from the staff. I would pay my cover, respectfully buy a soda or coffee and listen intently. Never once was I denied my live jazz education and out of respect I never challenged this unspoken arrangement by attempting to buy anything harder.
Yet this potential decision to drop jazz groups isn’t all that surprising and is simply symptomatic of Kansas City’s ailing (dying? dead?) jazz scene. For restaurants like the Plaza III, it’s all about draw — what’s going to help me sell steaks and fill the bar till. Unfortunately, the former mutually beneficial symbiotic dance between venues and jazz acts has been broken for a number of years now. Jazz in this town doesn’t draw anymore and the restaurants feel no need to support something that won’t ultimately support them.
So before we start beating on the venues to fix things — though admittedly many of the remaining “exclusive jazz venues” in this town have had a major hand in contributing to the current state of musical decline via the Darwinistic effect of booking hacks and turning away some real talent within the scene — the musicians themselves and the organizations that support them really need to take stock of the situation.
Until that happens, the Plaza III’s announcement represents yet another nail in the KC jazz scene’s coffin and creates another opportunity for our local jazz historians to add another short chapter detailing the scene’s illustrious past rather than celebrating a vibrant present and promising future.
Update: Thanks to Jason over at the Pitch for the link.
That is sad news… We even went there all dressed up on prom night, remember?
Yep…which just goes to show how geeky we were in high school. While our friends were doing who knows what on prom night, we were cruising for a good set. Crazy, kooky kids.
What a gutsy response to the reason for the decline of Jazz in KC! Who would actually think that hiring “hacks” has led to the INEVITABLE response by the public of not supporting the music that put us on the map? Mainly because the music that made us is NOT being played for the tourist and locals who remember being speechless when hearing the likes of Basie and McShann. What we hear now is a sadly watered down version of the blues-based sound known throughout the world and still nurtured by Kansas Citians. Any one with sun glasses and a want to be “jazz chanteuse” are being booked. Not to say they have no talent, it is just some of them do not have the spirit, the essence of the sound and those who own the venues don’t want to PAY for the real thing to be presented regularly. Kansas City, we don’t have to lose our legacy, it just needs to be re-evaluated and respected for its high, artistic presentation instead of its present commercialization that does not SELL so to speak. Real KC jazz lifts a person from his personal hell and allows him to soar with the Creator; improvising his God given life. Commericial jazz is just what it is: only good for a 60 second bathroom break. Thanks for your honesty.
I remember being at Plaza III on some of those prom nights. That last one I was there for featured Dr. Ronnell Bright in the early hours and Claude “Fiddler” Williams afterwards. The general manager started off the set by explaining just who Claude was and what a jazz giant he was. The kids really took it in. Claude had almost all of them out of their seats and dancing. I remember thinking, “Jazz needs this!” It still needs it but that GM is no longer there and the PIII current powers don’t have that hard core love for jazz.
KC still has one of the nation’s best pools of super good hard core jazz musicians. They are out there playing all over the place. Most of them are making more at KC clubs than they would be playing in clubs in NYC – about the worst paying jazz town in America.
I’ve always said that there is nothing wrong with jazz in KC or KC jazz. We just need more of it. Yet, KC jazz fans are very spoiled. When you can go here Carol Comer and PBT Trio and not pay a cover, you are spoiled. When you can walk in and listen to Joe Cartwright or the Sons of Brasil for a few hours and not pay a cover or minimum, you are spoiled!
Go to just about any of the major jazz spots in NYC tonight and expect to pay about $40 per set plus pay a minimum at your table. As I write this, Karrin Allyson is taking the stage at the Blue Note in Tokyo for a set price of $85! And it’s sold out!
The Phoenix went under because the owner drove it that way a piece at a time: musicians, then audience, then employees. The longer it was open, the less of a jazz club it was. Where is Ron Schoonover when we need him!
I really hope PIII will reconsider. They probably will in time. They seem to cycle that way a bit. In the meantime, if you get Ed Fenner’s Jazz Calendar, try taking in all of a week’s jazz that he lists. If you can do it, you will be exhausted by the week’s end and broke.
Go here some live KC jazz tonight!!
Anita – Totally right about that: hacks abound in this town. I call it “tourist jazz.” It’s turning the genre into a stuffed museum piece rather than trying to keep it alive and nurturing its further growth.
Dean – The audiences ARE the crucuial third leg of this stool. They have a responsibility too. Demand creates supply, right? If the audiences demand art and not cocktail music, those players in town that truly create art will thrive and the clubs will have to book ‘em to feed (and take advantage of) that demand.