Oorgo

Jazz? Oh.... damn

So the inevitable has finally come: this years favorite time of year for me has been cancelled. This years Edmonton Jazz City has been cancelled because of debt and crappy management.

It is not surprising, not even a little, not with the acts and the turnout for the past few years. When you spend a chunk of cash on an unknown act (locally unknown), bringing them from Norway or Sweden, or somewhere remote, and then 20 people come to see them, what happens? You obtain debt. They had apparently accumulated $200,000 over the past 5 years.

Last year our band played a night or two somewhere in town for Jazz City and it was pretty packed, and a lot of fun. We had to wait for 2 months to get paid, and then our bandleader threatened to talk to the local tv station, and suddenly we got paid.

The good thing about it, is the local Jazz society has stepped up to the plate, along with 4 downtown restaurants to hold a much less official and (from what it sounds like) much more relaxed festival. I am going to see if I can weasel my way into a couple gigs or such, tomorrow night is Jam night at the Jazz society's club and I'm going to show up with my horn.

Posted by Oorgo at May 2, 2005 07:53 PM